S.Forno is a uniquely Florence story. Down a small side street off busy via dei Serragli, it would be very easy to walk by and miss what′s on offer. Even more, miss the story behind the ‘Panificio’ awning. The space has been a forno (bakery) for over 100 years, and for the past 40 years, baker Angelo has arrived every morning to prepare fresh bread for the locals. But something happened lately. After years of 7-day weeks and 18-hour days, Angelo needed time beyond the business, so the local restaurant powerhouse, the team behind Il Santo Bevitore, came to the rescue.
Partnering with Angelo, they have brought the business but kept the baker to ensure its place in the neighbourhood is secure for the future. It′s one of the few remaining fornos in Florence with an original oven on-site, as opposed to baking outside the city centre and bringing in produce. Behind an innocuous back door in the open planned room is a massive steel structure that is fired up daily at 4 am. From 7.30 am, S.Forno is open to all, serving current seasonal favourite schiacciata de uva, sourdough bread, baguettes and pizza. Fresh panini is made to order, ideal for a quick lunch on the go, from the salami counter with meats to fill your sandwich.
S.Forno Florence: A uniquely Florentine space
Local interior specialist Luca Rafanelli was recruited to bring in his vintage finds of reclaimed furniture to match the distressed ceiling paintwork from where lamps hang from long, thin wires. Simple wood shelves offer fine products for sale: jams, sauces, pasta, juices and artisan beer. Fresh bread sits in wooden baskets behind the rustic wood countertop, and filtered coffee fills the air. It′s the signature Il Santo team style that has recharged this space. Owners Martina, Marco Baldesi, and Stefano Sebastiani tell me that keeping these traditional spaces in place is paramount, and they recount how, in the past, locals from the neighbourhood would come to the bakery on Sunday morning to roast their meat in the oven. This Sunday meat tradition doesn′t occur today; however, the locals still flock here for the bread.
Behind the ′Panificio′ awing is a small chalkboard with a handwritten ‘S.Forno’, the only sign of this bakery’s renaming. That′s the point: a new team is taking a uniquely Florentine space and making it relevant and able to continue doing what it does best – baking bread and sweet treats for all to enjoy.
Photo © Nardia Plumridge
