Salvatore Ferragamo Shoe Museum

With his obsessive dedication and talent, Salvatore Ferragamo (1898¬–1960) was the Mozart of handmade shoes. This intimate museum in the vaulted basement of the medieval Palazzo Spini Feroni displays a biennially rotating show of 200 of his extraordinary creations culled from the family’s 10,000-strong archive. Standouts include “invisible” sandals made from nylon fishing line, shoes crafted from 18-karat gold, and footwear fashioned from cork and raffia during a materials shortage in World War II. There are also shoes, lasts, and order slips from such famous clients as Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, and Marilyn Monroe.