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The Florence factory behind cult footwear brand Manolo Blahnik
Florence, looks like an advertisement for the Tuscan tourist board: miles of undulating hillside dotted with cypress trees and bell towers. Admittedly, the cicadas are drowned out by the noise and industry of the factory floor, as grinding wheels shear soles, and lethal-looking premonta machines stamp the sides of shoes to fix the sole to the upper section, but there's still a sprinkle of magic to the artistry here.This is where most of Manolo Blahnik's men's shoes have been crafted since 2017 by the firm of Fratelli Borgioli (founded by a pair of brothers in 1946).