Trieste
Possibly the most beautiful of the Eataly family of food and wine superstores, set in an old dockside warehouse, with two floors of windows overlooking…
Must-see shopping in Italy
Trieste
Part bookshop, part Slovenian cultural hub, this is a fascinating place to explore the cultural fluidity of Trieste; it has a particularly engaging…
Alghero
This is one of the oldest shops in the centro storico. It has been selling its own handmade leather belts and sandals since 1945 and still today the smell…
Eastern Sardinia
True to Nuoro’s pastoral heritage (not to mention those dastardly bandits), Franco Piredda crafts exquisite Sardinian knives, including the famous Pattada…
Oltrarno
This quaint old shopfront has watched Palazzo Pitti turn pink with the evening sun since 1856. One of Florence's oldest artisan families, the Gianninis –…
Chianti
This atmospheric macelleria (butcher shop) in the main square was established by the local Falorni family way back in 1806. Known for its finocchiona…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Artisanal lamps and lampshades have been produced at this colourful family-run workshop since 1938. Their one-off creations, made from materials such as…
Lake Garda
This 40-shop mall on busy Viale Rovereto boasts a free toilet, free wi-fi, a supermarket, free parking, a bookshop selling local maps, an outdoor…
Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands
Davide Penso has taken the art of bead making to dizzying heights with exhibits at the Museo Correr, Boston's Fine Arts Museum and the San Marco Museum of…
Centro Storico
Fashionable, versatile and elegant, Susanna Liso’s seasonal designs adorn this relaxed, white-walled boutique. Her clothes, often blended from raw silks,…
Udine
This small but beguiling shop warrants a peer in the window, even if you're not shopping. A collection of amazing 20th-century furniture and objects …
Venice
Tucked away among the tourist shops and mainstream chains on bustling Salizada San Lio, Silvia has carved out a niche by sourcing footwear by quirky and…
Central Tuscany
Known for its homemade smallgoods made with pork from local cinta senese and grey pigs, and for cheese made with local milk, this modern shop also sells,…
The Dolomites
Jars, tins and bottles of delicious things to take home line this redolently traditional deli. Self-caterers could do worse than a jar of boar ragù, and…
Venice
Consult the bibliophile staff for worthy vacation reads, page-turning Venetian history or top picks from shelves groaning under the weight of Italian…
Centro Storico
At her boutique in the former workshop of Renaissance goldsmith Benvenuti Cellini, Patrizia Corvaglia crafts her own line of jewellery. Her abstract,…
Rome
This historic enoteca has been supplying Parioli's wine buffs since 1929. It has a formidable collection of Italian regional wines, as well as European…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Fabriano makes distinctive stationery including deeply desirable leather-bound diaries, decorative notebooks and products embossed with street maps of…
Perugia
Built into the 14th-century Porta Sant'Angelo, this is a choice spot for a bottle of local wine and foodie specialities from Umbria and neighbouring…
Laboratorio di Ceramiche Artistiche
Salina
Multicoloured floor tiles, many of them one-of-a-kind historic pieces from the Naples area, are displayed for sale on the generous gravel courtyard…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Run by Hate Records, Soul Food is a laid-back record store with an encyclopaedic collection of vinyl that runs the musical gamut from ’60s garage and…
Mercato Antiquario Città di Bologna
Bologna
Bologna's excellent and atmospheric antiques market takes over Piazza Santo Stefano on the second Saturday and Sunday of the month. It's a great spot for…
Mount Etna
On the eastern slopes of Mt Etna, the small town of Zafferana Etnea has a long tradition of apiculture, producing up to 35% of Italy's honey. For a taste,…
Milan
The ultimate money look – silk ties, cashmere T-shirts, embellished purses and bolts of lavishly patterned fabric – at plebeian prices. Upstairs you'll…
Treviso
Treviso’s picturesque fish market sits on a small island in the middle of the Buranelli Canal, where it was moved in the 19th century – a civic-minded…
Santa Teresa di Gallura
Watch Signor Maura at work, skilfully carving traditional Sardinian carnival masks, at this tiny shop. His intricate masks include the wooden boes and…
Abruzzo
One of a growing number of stores and workshops in Santo Stefano focused on local products, Ovino is a deli and food shop selling the best sustenance of…
Trento
Luigi Andreis has long been Trento's superstylist and it's worth seeking out his shop, tucked away in a quiet courtyard of an ancient palazzo from the…
Alghero
With brightly coloured ceramic dishes, jaunty linens, silver teapots and leather stools strewn artfully around a vaulted stone space, Bizarre is a good…
Positano
Browse a sumptuous display of locally produced ceramics with the potential to cause you stress at check-in time; a better bet is to go for the shipping…
Turin
A tiny chocolate boutique, where you can browse delectable dark (75% chocolate) delicacies (all beautifully packaged) made of single-origin cacao beans…
Cetara
Duck into this artistically presented local shop on the port-side to acquire some of the typical fish products that have made Cetara famous, namely jars…
Centro Storico
A throwback to a world without logos, this tiny family-run shop has a handmade glove for every conceivable occasion, from elbow-length silk evening gloves…
Siena
Maestro d'arte Bertolozzi Caredio presides over this atelier, creating works on paper featuring richly coloured and finely detailed calligraphic works in…
Centro Storico
Città del Sole is a parent’s dream, a treasure-trove of imaginative toys created to stretch the growing mind rather than numb it. From simple musical…
Centro Storico
In her diminutive family workshop, Elisa Nepi and her team craft beautiful butter-soft leather wallets, bags, belts, keyrings and sandals in elegant…
Bologna
In business since 1905, this speciality food shop in Bologna's Quadrilatero district features well-stocked shelves full of wine, olive oil, truffles,…
Cagliari
For something very special, seek out this jewellery workshop where artisan Loredana Mandas creates the exquisite gold filigree for which Sardinia is so…
Perugia
Pop into this small artisanal workshop and you'll find modern ceramicist Maria Antonietta Taticchi hard at work on her contemporary designs, often…
Turin
This dark, rambling anglophone bookshop is well stocked with literary fiction, light reading, international magazines and a full stash of travel guides,…
