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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.
If you're just interested in buying, most Tuscan towns (not to mention the smallest villages in the major wine districts) offer ample opportunities. In Siena,...more
see the Tuscany guideOne of the largest alabaster deposits in Italy is found near Volterra, and the semi-translucent stone has been quarried and carved here since Etruscan times....more
see the Tuscany guideEnter this gastronomic temple at your peril. A sliver of piquant pecorino here, a mini-chunk of succulent salami there, and before you know it, you'll be...more
see the Rome guideNarrow, bustling Via del Governo Vecchio is not only unspeakably picturesque, it also boasts the highest density of one-off fashion emporiums in Rome, offering...more
see the Rome guideClued-in shoe shoppers head to the fruit and vegetable market in Testaccio, where the whole western aisle has been colonized by stalls selling manufacturers'...more
see the Rome guideUmbria has a long tradition of textile manufacture and hand weaving, including embroidery and lace making (the latter concentrated in the Lake Trasimeno area)....more
see the Umbria guideIf you're food shopping, don't miss Tamburini, a gourmet deli and shrine to Bologna's full-on local cuisine. This spot has pretty much all the Italian salumi...more
see the Bologna guide
At the one-stop shopping mecca TAD—Rome's answer to Colette in Paris and Jeffrey in New York—you'll find a handpicked collection of shoes, clothes,...more
see the Rome guideIn Milan, even top models use the stock houses, the city's discount fashion barns, which are the final resting place of many of last season's unsold garments...more
see the Milan guideWhen it comes to shopping in this part of Italy, you'll do better to contain the spending urge until you get to Milan, or even nearby Genoa. But what you can...more
see the Cinque Terre + Portofino guide
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