wanderer

We will be leaving for Venice in one week - yeah! Never been to Italy, so really looking forward to it.

Looking for some recommendations for shops. My shopping list includes:

A "reasonable" clothing store (not designer) - perhaps COIN (which branch is best)?

Marbled paper and journal - again nothing outrageously priced

Shoes - maybe - if again, reasonable (nothing in the $100/pair range)- I am still searching for the guidebook where I read about velvet slippers with bicycle tread tires. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Said it was one of the few stores in Italy still making them the original way - and very fairly priced (like 20E)

Paperweight - I've seen pictures of some really pretty Murano glass paperweights. Thought one for my desk at work would be a nice reminder. We are going to Murano one day. Is this the best place to buy? I have read much about there being alot of "fake" (?imported) glass out there.

Are the shops around the Rialto worth checking out?

awbaker

Hi wanderer! The velvet slipper information is in the itinerary that I sent you. I think it was from T&L or CNTraveler. I tried finding that store for almost 45 minutes to no avail... maybe you'll have better luck!

"Designer Laura Biagiotti leads the charge to Gianni Dittura (Calle San Vio, Dorsoduro 871; 39-041/523-1163), one of the last remaining vendors of genuine friulane (velvet slippers with pointed toes, made by hand in the Friuli region). Examine the soles—the highest-quality ones are fashioned from bicycle tires (from $12)"

moldyhotelsaregross

Just hopping on the shopping bandwagon. I'd love some places to check out too!

mclaurie

I can't remember the name of the place where I got my paper things so I tried a websearch to jog my memory and found a nice list of shops for various things here

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/notes/...nice_shops.htm

There's also a link there to a list of "10 things" which sound great. I particularly thought #10 sounded interesting,

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/venice/dean_todo.htm

I'll let others tell you about Murano and glass. The general consensus is a lot of the glass on Murano is not necessarily made there, it's not necessarily less expensive than in Venice proper.

cmt

For marbled paper and other beautiful paper items: definitely Il Papiro. I think this store is based in Florence, where there are many locations, but there are branches in various other cities, including at least two in Venice. Their paper items are not cheap, but they are exquisitely made. There are other nice stores for paper, but I love Il Papiro.

For glass items, I don't have the names of specific stores, and I think you should just wander and look, but I'm sure others will give you specific advice. I did more looking than buying, but I'm sure you'll find a lot of beautiful things.

I never go clothes shopping on trips so can't comment there.

Yes, why not check out the shops along the Rialto? Even some of the very cheap stuff is nice. For example, the piles and piles of simple glass bead necklaces in different colors for about 8 euro each may look like junk when you see so many of them in the street, but you or your friends may enjoy having one or two months later when you're home. The shop called Rialto 79 is a little nicer than most. (I just checked a box for the name.)

ira

Hi w,

No interest in Venetian masks?

kappa

http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/n...perweights.jpg

3 paperweights I bought last February in Venice. Came with a garantee by a authentic Venetian glass maker (that's what it said) 3 Fiori. I'm hoping to find some more of the same style this weekend there but I read a news that 3 Fiori had stopped its production. I hope I will still find them at about the same price). The biggest came from a shop in Murano and two other were from a shop by Rilato bridge.

awbaker

My sister-in-law gave me a very nice stamper/blotter set from a store, I think, in San Palo. The stamper is my initial with a scene of a canal, bridge and palaces. The blotter is even pretty because it has the marbled paper embedded on the top.

I bought some watercolor prints of bridges and canals from the same shop. They had some beautiful papers and journals there as well. I'll email my sil to see if she has the address.

dcd

On the recommendation of another Fodorite (massagediva), my wife and I visited the glass shop of Mauro Vianello at Calle della Mandol 3728 this past March. The shop isn't too far from St. Mark's square. He's a neat and interesting guy to talk to, especially if you tell him you got his name from this site, as we did. He makes glass right there in his small shop and is very proud of the glass making tradition. He is not proud of the fact that most "Venetian" glass sold in the city is actually made elsewhere, like China. You can visit his website at www.glasshandmade.it. We bought a bunch of neat stuff from him. His prices ran the gamut from relatively inexpensive to expensive. If you stop in, please tell him Dave and Joyce say hello.

Dave

massagediva

and Margo says hello,too! I have seen the elusive shop with the velvet slippers.There is a wonderful paper shop a couple of doors down.It is very near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. If you cross over the Accademia Bridge into Dorsudoro,follow the signs to the PG Coll (which is a must see!) and you will pass the slipper shop.They will have racks of them on the sidewalk,hard to miss. Have a glorious time!

massagediva

p.s. It's on the left as you walk toward the Peggy Guggenheim

elaine

In my opinion there is no need to go to Murano to buy paperweights. There are shops all over Venice proper, offering a huge selection.
Murano has some shops too, some of what they offer is no better or more authentic than what you can buy in Venice. IMO, if you want to go glass shopping in factory showrooms on Murano, it's because you have some significant purchases in mind.

wanderer

Didn't really want to go to Murano just to shop for glass. We planned to go to Torcello, Burano and Murano one day.

Is Murano not worth the trip (for other than glass), and what about the Lido. I read about a market there on Tues - worth seeing?

maryk

My favorite glass shop is Genninger - right at the Ca'Rezzonico vaporetto stop, Il Papiro & Carteria Tassotti for paper (Carteria Tassotti is Calle de la Bissa. San Marco 5472, just near Campo San Bartolomeo). There's only on Coin in Venice - it's near the Rialto Bridge on the San Marco side.

elaine

Hi
Murano has a Museum of Glass, and a couple of nice churches, but imo it is not intrinsically beautiful.
Unless you are doing some serious glass shopping, spend your time on Burano and Torcello. Lunch al fresco on sleepy Torcello on a pretty day, after visiting the cathedral, is one of my ideas of heaven.

Willy123

I purchased a great leather pocketbook, about $70 in a shop on the Rialto, and right across the way bought a silk tie for my son. Of course, the dollar is so high now that there are no bargains!

Rhardy5554

To us, the finest glass in Venice is blown by Carlo Moretti - his work is in he permanent exhibition at MOMA in NY. His shop called L'Isola and is a block or two up the street from Harry's Bar. High end, but very good and worth a visit just to look.

KayF

There is a nice, inexpensive jewellery shop just over the Rialto Bridge, if you head towards the market area, it's about 3 shops after you step off the bridge, on the right. There is a florist shop close by. They sell glass earrings and beads and other things. I've been there on two different trips and will go back again if I get the chance!
Kay