The Arte dei Fornai was one of the most important Arti Minori for the city’s sustenance. Within it, various figures specialized in grain processing worked side by side.
Pistori, Fornai, and Mugnai
The guild was divided according to specific tasks:
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Pistori: Originally, they “pounded” the wheat to make flour. They kneaded bread and baked the loaves prepared by citizens in their own homes.
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Fornai (Bakers): They were the actual merchants who produced and sold bread directly to the public.
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Mugnai (Millers): Joining the Guild in 1429, they were exclusively responsible for grinding grain in the mills.
Bread Production
Bread was handmade with flour, water, yeast, and very little salt—a tradition that continues today in Tuscan “sciocco” (unsalted) bread.
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Consumption: Curiously, in the Middle Ages, people preferred eating stale bread (pane raffermo) rather than fresh-baked bread.
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For Children: Using leftover dough, they created “ominini“—small bread figures with open arms.
A Community Oven
The baker did not only sell his own bread but provided a public service: citizens would bring their own meats or side dishes from home to be cooked in the shop’s large wood-fired oven.
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Coat of Arms: An eight-pointed white star on a red field.
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Patron Saint: Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo).
