Corduwaniersstraat

Corduwaniersstraat takes its name from the medieval cordwainers, the highly skilled shoemakers who once dominated this narrow stretch of Ghent. These craftsmen worked specifically with fine cordovan leather, a luxury material imported from Spain. By the fourteenth century, the street formed the heart of their guild operations, where the air held the heavy, tannic scent of curing hides. Their workshops thrived here because they needed constant, easy access to the water of the nearby Leie river for processing their leather.