Venice is known and envied worldwide for its numerous canals, splendid gondolas, and relaxing romantic atmosphere. Anyone who comes to this wonderful city is fascinated by the sight of the countless navigable canals that replace the common streets, tiny alleys, unique bridges, and the beauty of historical buildings and palaces.
However, it is not only this that attracts visitors to the Venetian capital, but also the opportunity to explore colorful stalls, crowded markets, and artisan shops that smell of tradition.
In past centuries Venice was the crossroads of trade on world routes. Merchants from all over Europe came to buy valuable local artifacts and exotic goods that came from the Far East and Africa. Those were silks, spices, precious fabrics, luxury furnishings, glass, and leather goods, worth more than anything else in those times.
Today Venice has not lost this imprint, and its streets are still full of shops just waiting to be admired by shoppers. In this article, we will discuss leather products, which have been valuable over the centuries all the way to this day. Here are the best leather shops in Venice:
(This article contains 5 leather shops in Venice, which are best in our subjective opinion. The order of the shops is not related to the quality they offer. Every shop has unique, high-quality leather products, so choose the shop based on your personal preferences.)
Il Grifone
Il Grifone is a small authentic leather shop located a bit out of the way, near the bus and train stations, but not too far of a walk from the Piazzale Roma. It looks somewhat like a workshop than the fancy shops you will find all over Venice.
Compared to many other leather shops in Venice where you find cheap yet overpriced, touristy, made-in-China things, Il Grifone is a real gem. In this shop, you will find excellent craftsmanship, top-tier 100% Italian quality leather, all handmade items, and classic designs of various products.
For a fair price, you can buy anything from belts, purses, and bags to wallets, key holders, and leather souvenirs. All of these are handmade items created with love and knowledge by a master of his craft.
Therefore, the whole experience in the shop feels so genuine and wholesome. If you ask really nicely, maybe the master shows you his shop where your item was created. He can even custom-make things if something in the shop doesn’t fit your dimensions.
Keep in mind that the owner is a really friendly person, very helpful, and not at all pushy like in some other Venetian shops. Leather is thick, full grain quality leather, hand sewn, and built to last. Il Grifone is located in Fondamenta del Gaffaro 3516, Dorsoduro, which is around 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square in Venice. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 AM (10:00 hours) to 6:00 PM (18:00 hours).
- Location: Fondamenta del Gaffaro 3516, Dorsoduro
- Website: IlGrifoneVenezia.it
- Distance: 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square
- Phone: +39 041 522 9452
Quorami Venezia
Quorami Venezia is another tiny family-owned shop in Venice that offers high-quality authentic leather goods. It is located in the heart of the city, very close to St. Mark’s Square on the busy Calle della Mandola street, so it is easy to miss this little gem. Therefore, it is advisable to use a good GPS app to find it.
The shop’s specialties are belts, bags, shoes, and leather bracelets. Their selection is wide, original, and unique in terms of design. Also, you can find all sizes with various widths and lengths and different leather colors made of premium raw materials.
If sizes in the shop don’t fit you, the good thing is that you can actually create a belt on the spot. Service in this shop is fantastic and directly provided by the family owner. While the prices are slightly higher than in the other shops around the city, you will get an authentic handmade leather souvenir.
Quorami Venezia is located on Calle della Mandola 3730, around 600 meters (0.4 miles) far from St. Mark’s Square in Venice. It is open every day from 10:30 AM (10:30 hours) to 2:00 PM (14:00 hours) and from 3:30 PM (15:30 hours) until 7:30 PM (19:30 hours).
- Location: Calle della Mandola 3730
- Website: Quorami.com
- Distance: 600 meters (0.4 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square
- Phone: +39 041 241 3284
Michele De Fina
If you are looking for high-quality designer handbags, you should visit Michele De Fina’s shop. This lovely place is located close to St. Mark’s Square and offers superb quality and truly Venetian products.
The handbags are made of the highest quality leather, all seams are perfectly set, the edges are rubberized very clean, and the zippers and other metallic parts are the same or better as those used in the expensive luxury labels.
You will pay much less for these masterpieces than in the better-known luxury shops behind St. Mark’s Square, where the sewing work is sometimes even worse. All handbags are presented in various colors and types of leather. If you have any doubts, the designer Michele will take the time to explain the special features and differences.
Keep in mind that this designer still isn’t recognizable to large masses, but this can change anytime. Therefore, you can buy handbags that can become a famous brand in the future, whose price will only go up if that happens. Michele de Fina is located on San Marco Square 1822, which is around 300 meters (0.2 miles) far from St. Mark’s Square in Venice. It is open every day from 10:00 AM (10:00 hours) to 7:00 PM (19:00 hours).
- Location: San Marco Square 1822
- Website: MicheleDeFina.it
- Distance: 300 meters (0.2 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square
- Phone: +39 041 522 0664
Fanny
Fanny is a cute little shop in a beautiful neighborhood that offers a vast selection of traditional, colorful, and quirky handmade leather gloves. It is actually a family business, and gloves are handmade in Naples by the father-in-law.
There are so many styles of gloves in all sizes, not just small, medium, or large. All of them are made of excellent high-quality leather that is very soft and pleasant for your hands. Besides gloves, you can also buy leather handbags and wallets.
Fanny is not so easy to find in the labyrinth of streets, especially if you are the first time in Venice. Therefore, it is advisable to use a good GPS app to find this little gem. The shop is located on Calle dei Saoneri 2723, 1.1 kilometers (0.7 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square in Venice. It is open every day from 10:00 AM (10:00 hours) to 7:00 PM (19:00 hours).
- Location: Calle dei Saoneri 2723
- Website: FannyGloves.it
- Distance: 1.1 kilometers (0.7 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square
- Phone: +39 041 522 8266
Kalimala
Kalimala is a small shop that looks like a workshop and offers handmade products made of 100% leather from Tuscany. When you enter the shop, you will immediately smell the leather and see the fantastic craftsmanship produced by the owner Roberto.
He mostly makes leather shoes and boots, but you can also find bags, belts, backpacks, and wallets. Also, the owner will happily show you the current collections and vividly describe the process he goes through to make each pair of shoes.
Some of these processes include hand stitching, as well as hand dyeing using vegetable dyes. You can tell right away he is passionate about his work, and the prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality that you are getting. Therefore, it is highly recommended to stop in Kalimala if you are looking for custom-made, top-quality leather goods by an artisan who pours his heart into his product.
Kalimala shop is located on Salizada San Lio Castello 5387, around 400 meters (0.2 miles) far from St. Mark’s Square in Venice. It is open every Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM (9:30 hours) until 7:30 PM (19:30 hours).
- Location: San Lio Castello 5387
- Website: Kalimala.net
- Distance: 400 meters (0.2 miles) away from St. Mark’s Square
- Phone: +39 041 830 6504
Where to find the best leather shops in Venice?
Venice is full of fake leather goods stores where you will find cheaply made-in-China things that are not worth your money. These bad and overpriced imitations of leather are sold mostly in attractive locations close to main squares and streets.
Therefore, you should avoid leather shops with “great prices” on main tourist routes and look for smaller authentic shops that look like workshops to find the real deal. Original leather shops always have higher prices, but you will get high-quality products that will last you at least years, if not decades.
Check out more articles about Venice:
- Venice in one day
- Best pizza in Venice
- Best seafood restaurants in Venice
- Best restaurants near Piazza San Marco in Venice
- Best restaurants in Venice near Rialto Bridge
- Best vegan restaurants in Venice
- Best rooftop restaurants in Venice
- Best restaurants near Venice airport
- Best restaurants in Lido Venice
- Best pasta restaurants in Venice
- Best steak restaurants in Venice
- Best Chinese restaurants in Venice
- Best Kosher restaurants in Venice
- What to do in Lido Venice
- How is Venice different from other cities?
- Does Venice smell?
- Why is Venice so expensive?
- How to get to Burano?
- Why is Burano so colorful?
- What is Burano famous for?
- How to get to Murano?
- Is Murano worth visiting?
- What is Murano famous for?