Italy is a country filled with love. You can feel it everywhere — from the detailed stitches in fashion forward Milan all the way to the the sun kissed hazelnuts you’ll discover on menus across Turin. One of the Italian cities where we uncovered the most romance was in Florence at Sikuliana Art Atelier.

A photo of a handmade red basket bucket bag with colorful pompoms at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Better Off Red – A Pretty Basket Bag at Sikuliana Art Atelier


It’s no secret we enjoy perusing fantastic shops. Whether we’re testing out the super comfy kitten testicle grey kicks at Atheist Shoes in Berlin or snagging a pair of rad shark high heels at Irregular Choice in London, we have a blast finding unique local boutiques. Sikuliana Art Atelier combines a passion for fashion with a captivating Italian Romeo and Juliet story (in more ways than one).

A photo of handmade horse or donkey cart earrings at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Play it by Ear – Crazy Cool Earrings at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy


We were strolling past the antique shops that pepper Via del Moro and Via dei Fossi (Il Cancello is one of our favorite places to stalk vintage pieces), when Sikuliana Art Atelier caught our eye. It was closed, but the brightly colored earrings were beckoning our name, so we swung by the next day.

A photo of handmade cross shaped crochet earrings with pink stones at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Worth Crossing the Pond for – Completed Handmade Crochet Cross Earrings at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy


Marisa Lanzafame and her husband Delfo Torrisi cheerfully greeted us at the door. They’ve been running their shop in Tuscany, which feels a bit more like a home, for five years.

A photo of handmade cross shaped crochet earrings still in the works at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Work in Progress – Lanzafame’s Crochet Designs at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy


Lanzafame is the talented jeweler who makes the vibrant Sicilian Bijoux line carried in the store. Each piece of jewelry is handmade by a member of the family. It’s Lanzafame’s crochet work (which she learned at a young age from her grandmother in Sicily) that takes center stage in each tiny basket you see. Meanwhile, Lanzafame’s brother who lives back in Catania, painstakingly paints on each image by hand. It takes the siblings about fours days to craft each pair of earrings. Sikuliana Art Atelier also carries a lovely array of bright colored bolsas (bags) which Lanzafame blings out with everything from pompoms to tapestries and door knocker style accessories.

Torrisi helps run the store and the wide array of Sicilian ceramics they have on display. He gleefully filled us in on the story behind the male and female vase heads (known as Teste di Moro) you’ll spy on the shelves.

A photo of Teste di Moro, Sicilian head shaped vases, at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Off With Their Heads – Teste di Moro Vases at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy


Legend has it that a young Moor once fell head over heels for a Sicilian girl with one unfortunate caveat. He was already married with kids. When the young woman got wind of his betrayal, and that he was planning on heading home to his family, she took action. In the middle of the night she killed him and turned his head into a vase, so he would be with her forever. Apparently the trend caught on (head shaped vases, not beheadings) and Teste di Moro ceramics became a thing.

Curious about some of the other unique boutiques we’ve discovered around the globe? Here are a few of our favorite fashion finds we’ve found across the planet.

All this talk of young love and beheadings got my little amore (that’s love in Italian) hamster wheel turning. So we asked about Lanzafame and Torrisi’s own love story. The two have been married for 37 years. When we asked them what the secret to a long marriage is, Torrisi responded by saying, “Love.” Lanzafame chimed in and said, “A lot of tolerance… and resistance.” Sounds like a perfect recipe. They went on to tell us that Lanzafame is a recent cancer survivor. Strong, beautiful and talented. We told Torrisi he’s a lucky man and, with tears in his eyes, he said, “I know.”

A photo of a pair of Teste di Moro, Sicilian head shaped vases, and a pink handbag at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Heads Will Roll – A Pair of Teste di Moro Vases and a Vibrant Pink Handbag at Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy


One of the things we love the most about FoodWaterShoes is that it gives us an excuse to talk to people, so we can hear stories and connect with people who live in the places we visit. Often times those conversations and memories end up being more valuable than anything money can buy. With that being said, if you’re in the market for a head turning souvenir, it’s hard to beat a noggin vase or a pair of crazy cool earrings.

A photo of the front door to Sikuliana Art Atelier, a Sicilian ceramics and jewelry store in Florence, Italy. The photo is of the exterior / is an outside street view shot of the accessories boutique. Photo Courtesy of FoodWaterShoes
Sikuliana Art Atelier in Florence, Italy


Sikuliana Art Atelier
Address: Via Del Moro 14
50123 Florence, Italy
Hours: Monday Through Saturday 10:00am to 8:30pm (Summer Hours for June, July and August) and Monday Through Sunday 10:00am to 7:30pm (Winter Hours)
Phone: +39 055 213659 (WhatsApp +39 331 3809643)
Email: sikuliana@gmail.com
Pricing (All in Euros): Teste di Moro Head Vases €35.00 to €700.00 and Jewelry €30.00 to €175.00, Purses €65.00 to €450.00


We get it, it’s tough work reading word after word about beautiful handmade jewelry and bags. Give your pointer finger some much needed exercise after all that heavy scrolling you just did. If you enjoyed our article on Sikuliana Art Atelier let us know. Please click the “like” button with a star on it at the bottom of this post, share the link to this article via your social media handles or email this article to someone you know who might be heading to Florence. 

If you’re feeling super ambitious, we’d love it if you’d buy us a cup of coffee, so we can visit and review even more awesome places for you!