Gifts for friends from Italy
 

My wife and I will be taking our first trip to Italy in June (Rome-Florence-Venice). We have multiple friends watching the house, dog and such while gone and wanted to get recommendations of gift ideas I can pick up in Italy. If I know what I'm looking for from day one, I feel I can easily find throughout trip vs. not knowing and waiting till the last minute.
I think gelato would be ideal if there wasn't that melting factor:)

Thanks for any and all help.

David

We picked up some very nice things in Italy while we were there, you will find very different types of specialties in each city you visit. Venice was strong on glass - and I saw lots of leather things that I loved.

People told me Florence was the best on leather, but I like the selection better in Venice. Florence is also know for jewelry at Ponte Vecchio (the bridge/shops near the Uffizi).

My best advice is to buy whatever you like, no matter the size and just spend the extra cash to ship it back to you in the states.

Buy something that will please your friend. Whatever we recommend may not be something your friend would care to have.

For example, if you are seeking something relatively inexpensive, useful, and easy to carry, you might consider decorative corks to use in a wine bottle after it's been opened. You'll see some that are ceramic, reminiscent of Tuscany, as well as glassed topped for Venice. All may not be true products of Italy. But if your friend are not wine drinkers, this would be of little use to them.

Do you have a price range in mind for these gifts?

It depends on what your friends like, but there are lots of possibilities. There are lots of lovely stationery/paper goods in Florence. I also picked up several inexpensive, very attractive pashminas at the large market in Florence near San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel. If you want to take glassware, Venice is the place. I purchased several Venetian "millefiori" glass paperweights. They are beautiful, fairly lightweight and less delicate than much of the other glassware available. The glass jewelry is also attractive and easy to transport. You could also ship back some nice bottles of balsamico and/or limoncello or wine.

I love bringing food items back from the little grocery stores. U can ususally find something that isnt availabe in the US.

All are great suggestions. Thank you.
I do like the wine cork ideas and the jewelry.

I guess depending on how much stuff I collect, I just find the closest post office and mail things back to myself? Is it as easy as that?
Thanks for all the suggestions....any more?