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Rome shopping
Shopping in central Rome is a delightfully old-fashioned affair. Limited space in medieval streets and among Renaissance palazzi make huge department stores and malls impossible. And Romans' lasting affection for the family-run shop and the quirky boutique means that big national and international chains have had a harder time getting a foothold. Even in the heart of the city, most locals prefer selecting their fruit and vegetables from street markets—such as the picturesque (though overpriced) one in Campo de' Fiori, or the magnificent example in Piazza Testaccio—rather than from the minisupermarkets that have appeared in recent years. Big-name fashion designers cluster around the foot of the Spanish Steps, but there are exciting surprises lurking all around the centro storico: Check out, for example, Via del Governo Vecchio.
Wilma Silvestri and her daughter Giorgia have long been the first Roman port of call for fashion insiders on the lookout for great vintage pieces from designers...more
It would be hard to imagine how owner Dermot O'Connell could squeeze even one more slim volume into this tiny, long-established English-language bookshop in a...more
Degli Effetti is a triumvirate of style with its women's outpost at number 93, men's at 79, and something called "neo millennium" at 75. All...more
You've window-shopped along Via Condotti, your credit card has wilted, but your spirit's willing. So where do you turn? Rome's city center stock houses won't...more
Even if you're not planning to set up your easel in the Forum or sketch copies of Roman statues in the Capitoline Museums, you'll be fascinated by the wealth of...more
Each Sunday morning, the streets just outside the ancient Porta Portese gate fill with stalls and bargain hunters in Rome's biggest flea market. There's a lot...more
Ilaria Miani began her working life as a picture framer but has since branched out into a range of stunningly stylish furniture and housewares, such as the...more
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