Ortigia's cool logo.
Photo: Ortigia

by Ondine Cohane

I recently discovered my favorite new toiletries line on a trip to Sicily. Ortigia makes everything from scented candles to body lotions and soaps. The thing that struck me first was how gorgeous the packaging is: The Sicilian Lime candle's glass holder has an image of two leopards under a tree, not to mention it comes in a beautiful silver-lined box. The scents are delicate and evocative--especially the orange blossom and pomegranate--and after I read that the products were made from natural and local ingredients, I liked them even more. Which means I bought as many items as I could put in my luggage from this shop in Syracuse, Le Antiche Siracuse (Via Roma, 9; 39-0931-461-365).

Ten days later, in Venice, I found a wonderful shop near Campo Santo Stefano called Chiarastella Cattana. The boutique sells handmade textiles (tablecloths, pillowcases, and bedspreads), which the owner gets from small artisanal workshops around Venice. If you're traveling across the pond, you should definitely take a look at this store; the selection is small but really unique. And it also carries the Ortigia brand!

Five days later my friend Lucy arrived in Tuscany from France, where her mother has just launched a Web site selling items from small French and Italian producers. "But this is what I liked the best," said Lucy, producing a Coral Shell Ortigia candle from her bag. After looking more closely at the Ortigia Web site, I discovered that it has a stand-alone store in London's Sloane Square. Now I have a number of places to pick up what seems to be the stocking stuffer of the year.