GIA Florence Plans Move to Historic Building
-- JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 9/2/2007 8:17:00 AM
The Gemological Institute of America will relocate its Florence campus to one of the most historic and prestigious locations in the heart of the city.
The new home of GIA Florence this Fall will be on the first floor of Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni, a beautiful sixteenth-century building designed by the Florentine architect Baccio d'Agnolo. The building is located at Piazza Santa Trinita 1, on the famous Via Tornabuoni, Florence's equivalent to Rodeo Drive, Fifth Avenue, and Bond Street.
The entrance of the new GIA Florence
location on Via Tomabuoni
The new GIA Florence campus is a 10-minute walk from the central train and bus station, allowing visitors and students to reach the school more easily.
Via Tornabuoni is lined with some of the most important international jewelers and luxury fashion brands. Federico Stocco, director of GIA Florence, hopes this move will open new doors for the school.
“Moving to this beautiful, historic palazzo, next door to some of the leading names in the industry, not only emphasizes the importance of GIA but also supports our aims to promote jewelry and design,” said Stocco. “By being situated alongside Florentine artisans and designers, we will be able to offer our students a taste of the exceptionally high standards of jewelry manufacturing and design that the ‘Made in Italy’ mark still holds today.”
