Gabriele Cavallini's 'Cuoio' novel explores leather district's decline

Gabriele Cavallini's novel 'Cuoio' (Einaudi, 2025) depicts the decline of the Tuscan leather district, centered on the fictional Cavalcanti e Figli tannery. The story contrasts the area's industrial past—once dominating global leather production with international commissions and fleets of trucks—with its present decay, as family businesses are absorbed by larger groups. The narrative is set against the backdrop of Santa Croce, described as both a futuristic city and an ancient, immutable place, where tanneries emit white smoke and poison the surrounding marshes and plains. The novel captures the tension between industrial glory and environmental devastation.