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Tuscany shopping
Major towns such as Siena, Arezzo, and Pisa have their share of big-name boutiques, but if you're looking for original gifts or purchases, it's far more rewarding to explore the region's traditional crafts, which range from basket weaving through knife making to the creation of terra-cotta tiles and pots (the latter is centered in the town of Impruneta, just south of Florence)—in addition, of course, to the seemingly endless opportunities Tuscany offers to shop for fine food and wine. The exception to the rule are the outlet stores that cluster in the Valdarno valley southeast of Florence, where you can pick up designer togs at significant discounts.
The Arezzo antiques market, Fiera Antiquaria (which takes place over the weekend that includes the first Sunday of each month), is arguably the best in Tuscany....more
If you're staying in the Chianti area and have the chance to cook, a visit to Italy's most famous butcher, Dario Cecchini, is more or less obligatory (11 Via XX...more
Fashion 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
One 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
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
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