Gine,
I do the same thing. I collect ornaments from each place we travel to. We had so many after our three month trip last year that we had two Christmas trees! Kind of fun actually. Our family ornaments on one and travel ornaments on the other.

I absolutely love the handpainted plates I got in Orvieto. Beautiful, and I know I will never see the same in any store or catalog.

Michele :)

Bedbugs?

wow!
THANKS to all for so many good suggestions.... and even though I agree that LoveItaly's is probably the best answer ever, polygamy is kind o' frown upon in my neck of the woods ;-)

My list is growing ... :P

I got a beautiful lace-trimmed blouse and some embroidered hand towels on Murano, as well as a multi-colored glass pendant and a cut glass pendant necklace in Venice. Also picked up a couple of pretty fridge magnets somewhere. One has lemons on it, and the other has that tree of life motif.

I forgot to say that I also brought back a couple of extra pounds from eating gelato everywhere I went.

I like to bing back vacumm packed cheese. Especially pecorino from southern Tuscany.

ek - thanks for those links, now I will add an empty suitcase to my list of things to take with me ...

carolyn, magnets are one of my collectibles from every place I visit, as well as postcards (I love the photos I take, but postcards capture so much more than my camera, and they give me a quick way to jot down little details I would otherwise forget).

again, thanks everyone!

Handmade ceramic serving pieces and mugs from Positano;
leather wallets and bookmarks, marbled stationery and
picture frames, soaps and a custom made leather jacket from Florence; handmade paper from Venice; wooden salad forks and spoons with colorful ceramic handles from Siena; wine bottle stoppers from Sorrento.

Add us to the magnet collectors. Good linens for the kitchen as well.

Us customs site says seeds have to be declared so that will not be fun, Maybe herb mixtures will work better!

What I wish I had brought back: aerosol talc spray that removes olive oil stains from clothes. (If anyone knows where to find it outside Italy, especially in the US, please let me know).

ekscrunchy: thanks! I didn't know that!

sap: your recipe sounds great. will follow. thanks.

Mlle.Fifi: I'd like to know too. I just dribbled oil on one of my favorite shirts!

1. Pan forte from Siena (dense fruit & nut "cake", more like a candy). We buy at least one of each type (they vary slightly by addition of cocoa, more or less spice, etc). They keep very well, wrapped in their original foil plus a double zip-lock bag. Have kept them for as long as 2 years.
2. Christmas tree ornament (even if it isn't intended to be one).
3. Small watercolor paintings bought on streets or in markets. Yes, some are touristy-tacky, but many are very pleasant little originals. We have a small powder room painted black and gold, and frame our "souvenir" watercolors in gold frames to hang on black wall. It is a great way to remember trips without cluttering up tabletops and counterspace!
PS: How do those of you bringing home cheese, plant seeds, and salami? Canada Customs sure hasn't let me/my friends in with those! (BTW, I declare the pan forte as "a type of cooked candy" rather than "fruit cake." The word "fruit" sets off all sorts of alarm bells.)

I would have liked to have brought a Roman (or Venetian...) home to, but instead I settled for lightweight, decorative wood trays from Orvieto, limoncello and lemon soap from Sorrento, glass paperweights and jewelry from Venice, a leather briefcase from Florence, handmade paper items from Venice and Florence and lots of books. Normally I love to shop, but in Europe I spend more time sightseeing.

On my next trip I'd like to get a beautiful, authentic carnival mask in Venice, a set of Murano glasses, some torrone...

Chocolate grappa.

So many wonderful ideas 9and tips!) thanks!

One of the best things I brought back from Italy were packs of seed for varieties of vegetables that are hard or impossible to find in US and had a wonderful Italian veggie garden the next two seasons. I bought them at a weekly market and yes, I did declare them at customs when re-entering the US. We were the last to leave the customs area, but they were approved.

LOL, hi dear Fodorites..yes I raised my daughter properly. Did I mention he is tall and handsome. He is a terrific cook, a computer expert, can take old pieces of furniture and take them apart to make beautiful pieces of furniture for their home, a good gardener and a great mechanic including with cars and besides that a loving husband and son-in-law. Not bragging but I sure love and respect my Roman son-in-law and thank the fate that brought them together..it was meant to be!

He sounds wonderful, LoveItaly!! No doubt it runs in the family/

Love-how did they meet?

Back to the original thread.....

I go to Rome and Milan quite a bit for work but I always bring back the following:

Illy coffee-it is $14 a can here in Chicago and less than 5 euros there.

Colavita olive oil-best olive oil around(touted by many of the chefs on TV) and quite expensive here in the states. It is now up to $18.99 a bottle at my stores and less than 6 euros in Rome.

Rio tuna packed in foil and olive oil-fabulous taste and so easy to keep in your purse or bag for a extra snack.
I used to schelp wine but unless it is something I cannot order or get in the states I leave it over there-I have carpal tunnel in my wrists from so many years of bringing it back.

Wooden toys/gifts from the toystore in Rome-the one with Pinnochio out front?

Coffee table books-ones you will never see in the states.

Blue jeans-which are longer than what is made in the states. Great if you are tall and have problems with length.

Murano or sterling silver jewelry.

LOVE the Pinocchio store in Rome - the larger one I brought back sits looking at me every day :-)