Venetian Glass Candy
 

While in venice I have a request from my sister to bring her back some venetian glass that resembles pieces of candy. Do you have any suggestions on good shops? Thanks

It was all over . I'd look away from San Marco square for better prices.

Cheers, the turnip

I have seen them on ebay too.

But you can but it in Macy's or any good department store for less than it costs in Venice.

It is interesting that in this age there are very few things that you can only buy locally.

Myshell-believe me, there are many, many, many glass shops in Venice, Murano, etc., but in Venice, particularly around the Rialto bridge, just over the bridge in San Polo, also San Marco, that sell exactly what you are looking for: pieces of glass, shaped like bonbons, all types of candy, glass shaped like fruit, cherries, etc. They are not expensive, and are quite attractive in a display.

I really like Murano glass-but I like pieces with interesting shapes-so that I can have a collection of different shaped vases, for example.

If you go to Paris, there is in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs a whole section devoted just to Venetian glass, and furniture also. But all the Murano glass in the Musee is antique from private collections, and very lovely.

I could give you the name of shops, but really, you don't need names-what you are looking for you will find everywhere. But one shop I like located at the foot of Rialto, by Campo San Bartolomeo, is this one, owned by an architect:

ARTISTIC MURANO GLASS
www.artglass.it
vaporetto: Rialto

I would suggest going over to Murano too, to check out prices, and see what you like best-don't buy at the first couple of shops; look around and compare prices-the real stuff will have a tag on it "authentic Murano glass."

Well, I hate it when someone requests something specific like this. The Murano "candy" can be found all over, but, if you don't want to schlep it, you can buy it in the US.

Its for her sister so of course she has to buy it in Venice....

I bought some fun ones in Murano and Burano. I wished I had bought more as they look very nice in a crystal dish.

On one of my first trips to Venice, I spent several lovely hours going in and out of the shops on Murano looking at many different things but thoroughly enjoying looking all the different kinds of glass candies and choosing a different shape, size, and color in each shop. Later I bought a small multi-colored flat glass plate that looked somewhat like an ashtray just over the Rialto bridge to display them on. Years later, they still sit on my desk at work (although young kids sometimes want to sample them) and I enjoy them as a daily reminder of both that fun day on Murano and Venice in general. Sure, I could have bought them on e-bay or at some US department store but I would probably have sold them at a yard sale long ago rather than making them a part of my daily life. There are just some things that evoke a place and a day there. When you buy some for your sister (they're fairly small and ligght) buy a few for yourself!

I get a few more pieces of glass candy every time I visit Venice. They're now in a large, flat glass dish from Murano on my living room table. Different years seem to bring slightly different styles. I too have found many in the Rialto stalls as well as in some glass shops. They're inexpensive, small, and easy to pack; if a particular style catches my eye and I don't have one like it I'll grab it.

This is one of my favorite souvenirs. I have a big gold dish filled with them on a modern glass coffee table in my 'Map Room' (translation - travel room). I can't wait to go back and get more. I have bought more in the US since I bought my original pieces in Venice but still I know they are Venetian and have some from Venice so they still evoke Venice.

some of the ones in Venice and elsewhere are made in China. Check for authenticity.

I bought some lovely glass "kosher candy" at David's Shop in the Ghetto. Take a look, it's on the website.

http://www.davidshop.com/

I also got some at Artistic Murano Glass like Girlspytravel mentioned.

Have fun shopping, I'm jealous :-)

We wanted to go to Murano, so that is where I purchased some glass candies. I tried to buy some that had gold in them and they are a little more expensive. A piece of glass we purchased was only PAINTED with transparent glass. Beware! I am a fiend for beautiful papers, so that takes me a lot of time. Talk about a pain to try to pack without mutilating those wonderful large hand-printed and marbled sheets.

Like several others here, I collect the glass candy and display it on a glass dish in my house. When I first started buying it in the 70s, the only place it was sold was in Italy. Though it is sold in the US now, I still like to buy a few pieces in Venice...and I do think that you have a much more interesting selection.

The one area I do depart from here...I think Murano is a bit of a hype. Once is more than enough, imo. The glass-blowing is interesting, but not anything I'd return to see.

So, you guys display glass looking like candy to fool your guests? Why not to buy real individually wrapped pieces of chocolate? And put them in nice crystal bowls to eat?

This is cruelty! No glass in my bowels!

Faina, was that bowls or "bowels"? haha! Well so long as there are no bowels in your bowls!!

Faina, that's not funny. [-(
When my kid was a toddler, he took a big bite out of the chocolate-colored soap my sister had in her powder room.

Insofar as having to buy the "candy" in Venice because it is for your sister, I have to ask this: Would your sister know if you simply bought it in the US?

Last November I went to Chile. My neighbors looked after my house. I bought them each a bottle of Chilean wine--from the local wine shop after I got home.

They were none the wiser.

You can find it everywhere in Venice. Especially in the more tourist-laden areas.

This makes me kind of sad. 35 years ago, the candies were quite unusual; I remember spending hours with the vendors, trying to decide how many I could reasonably carry home with me...I was completely enchanted by them (and I still am, actually!) Sigh.

Relax, it was a purposeful typo :) just don't ask me what's the purpose :))

I can admit now: I was afraid my Lindt chocolates, you know those round balls, will crash even in the carry-on, so I bought them in San Francisco. So what? Still tasty, and my relatives don't know. And what they don't know can't hurt them :)

Faina..I truly believe it is the thought that counts in the gift. I would know that the glass was the usa not venice and that is the difference.

I would get whatever my sister wanted.....

Thank you all for your help! I am sure I will find the perfect souvenir for my sister and maybe something for myself!
Thanks.

FainaAgain, you are a woman after my own heart. I hate going on these expeditions for a special item for someone abroad. I come from the "inspirational shopping" bent--meaning if you see something you want that can fit in your luggage, you buy it. I go on trips to see things, try new foods, etc. I do not go on trips to shop.

The candy on ebay is from Venice so just think of it as someone shipping it to you and saving you the trouble of carrying it. To easy your conscious buy one there and put it in the mix.

But I think if it is one of your first trips a person tends to buy more souveniers, after many trips the thrill of carrying items for gifts wears off at least in my experience (and the people I travel with).

I also don't bother with postcards anymore. You have to buy the cards, fill them out and then figure out the right amount of stamps to put on them. Then they arrive after you return. I stopped sending them years ago.

I may buy a special gift for someone if I run into something that I think is right for that person, but I never take or execute shopping lists for others.

And the thrill of schlepping a suitcase that weighs too much due to too many purchases has long gone for me. The easiest sort of purchase for me is a CD of local music or inexpensive handcrafted jewelry. Easy to carry, nice memories.

There seems to be more variety over there than here. What I would do is look around home to see what is available before going so I could find the more unique glass pieces as a Venetian souvenir. It is true with our "global" economy how widely available wares from everywhere are, but there is something special attached to something chosen in a foreign place. I found very unique glass soap dishes at the train station in Venice as a last minute gift and it seems that everyone I bought for not only loved them but still use them many years later!

At the Murano glass factory they have always given me a free piece of glass candy with any purchase, even if it is just a 20 euro necklace. Also, if you are with a tour group they offer discounts on glass. You also have the gaurantee that it was made on the premises and not in china, which is not something you have at the smaller souvenir shops.

I can see it now:

"I know you didn't get it in Venice!"

"Well, just HOW do you know?"

"I know because that nice lady at Fodors said you'd probably do something cheesy like buy it at Macy's"

"OK, fine...I'll keep it myself. And the next time YOU go to Venice you can buy some."

Hi myshell127.
I've seen in your message that you were planning to stay in Grand Hotel Excelsior , Amalfi.
How was? Did you like it?
I am considering this hotel for October.