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Italy shopping
Prices in Italy soared with the introduction of the euro, but a strong artisan tradition means that even if you won't find the cheapest goods there, you will probably find the best. Shopping in the international fashion capitals of Milan, Rome, and Florence can be a near-religious experience. But Prada and Gucci stores in the big cities sell items for about the same as (or more than) everywhere else in the world. The intrepid should lay hold of a map and a car and drive to the outlets (Gucci and Prada among them) outside Florence. They're not easy to find, but for fashionistas, the bargain prices will be worth it. Other areas of Italy have their own specialties. Venice and the island of Murano are both known for handblown glass. Tuscany is a center for marble, carved into elegant sculptures or in great slabs for the portico back home. Lombardy produces wonderful pottery and handmade violins. And from Piedmont you can get elegant handmade gold jewelry.
The island's only "department store" is located in the Capri Palace hotel and stocks high-end designers (Valentino, Versace, Armani) plus precious corals and...more
see the Capri guideEvery day is market day in Bologna. Locals and tourists haggle for fresh fruits and veggies, spiffy leather handbags, and antique furniture at these city-center...more
see the Bologna guide
If the crowds of tourists start to make you feel like you're wandering through a theme park rather than a city, make for a market. Here, you'll find real...more
see the Venice guide
The rebirth of Venice's carnevale in the 1970s brought a resurgence of the ornately decorated papier-mâché masks worn for the festival centuries...more
see the Venice guideFlorence's central produce market is a feast for the senses and a must for foodies. Occupying a 19th-century glass and iron structure, the market houses deli,...more
see the Florence guideMoriondo & Gariglio's dark red interior creates the perfect ambience for this chocolate-perfumed haven. For more than 100 years, the firm has been producing...more
see the Rome guideOf the many herbalists' shops in Florence, this is the most famous. Occupying a stunning ex-pharmacy in an ancient palazzo with a frescoed 13th-century chapel,...more
see the Florence guideFashion insiders know that you need to look beyond Via Tornabuoni in Florence and Via Condotti in Rome to find Italy's best shopping. A number of outlet malls...more
see the Tuscany guideOne of Italy's great delis, Peck has been tempting local gourmets since 1883 with its hanging ham displays, Parmesan mountains, and shelves stacked high with...more
see the Milan guideEach Sunday morning, Via Portuense and the surrounding streets just outside the ancient Porta Portese gate fill with stalls and bargain hunters in Rome's...more
see the Rome guide
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