What's the best thing you bought in Venice?
 

We are staying in Venice in September and I love to shop. What is the best thing you bought in Venice? Doesn't have to be big ticket item - Murano glass jewellery, lace etc?

Really personal tastes but I love these paper weights by 3Fiori.

http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...sunorimasuko/?

Hi B,

Saffron at a spice shop near the Rialto market.

Much better than what I get here.

We also have some masks, Venetian glass bowls and goblets, etc.

((I))

bmwoods72:

I bought a framed lace fan in Burano.

An old woman at the Burano lacemaking school directed me to the shop, whispering conspiratorially that it was the only authentic one on the island. She may have had a part interest in the shop for all I know, but I headed there, purchased the lovely fan and a delightful lace tablecloth.

(At the shop, called L’estroza on Via S. Martino sinistro, I was told a dozen different lacemakers had a hand in creating it. Looking around, I could see humble artisans sitting about, working their lace designs. I was putty in their hands.)

The lace fan hangs in our dining room. I tell everyone it comes from the only authentic lace shop on Burano.

I was 15 - I bought 6 champagne flutes and 6 cordial glasses. (What a pompous little git I was!)
That was in 1966 ...ahem, still have 'em. OUCH?! Are the antiques?

An incredible red leather purse and matching overnight bag. Love it!!

ira, at the Drogheria on Ruga dei Spezieri, right? Their saffron is really good, I, too, have always some at home.

Most "best things" Venetian are food-related, for me:
- moeche (see http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34791666 for explanation)
- gò, the world's best soup fish
- the freshest scampi and prawns of all varieties, notably mazzancolle
- the very best zucchini I've ever sampled (from S. Erasmo island)
- radicchio tardivo di Treviso

Else?
- custom-made bronze towel rails for my bathroom - in Venice, there are still smiths!
- ebru (the famous & beautiful hand-printed paper that Venice has inherited from the Turks, used for boxes, book covers and so on)

I know this guy who got a Statute of David apron. Looks best when worn with no shirt.

Hand made masks from a craftsman in a booth near Rialto.

There is wonderful, and inexpensive, glass jewelry at many shops in Venice. Especially if you wander away from the crowded streets. It's easy to transport. I wish I'd bought more of it. There were some nice earring and necklace sets for only about 40EU.
:)>-

Several years ago, my son bought a Murano glass faucet with water dripping into a glass. It was about 20 inches tall and then packed in a box with a tie handle. When we arrived at AA desk for our departure back to the states-PROBLEM! It was too large for carry-on and he refused of course, to check it. We were delayed forever waiting on someone to come up with a solution. Some wonderful person did..they seated us in First Class and placed the box in their closet. WOW!!! what luck for us.

Then on another trip, I had purchased a crystal UZI for my husband. It was in my carry-on. When I went through security check-in, the crystal gun showed on the screen as a gun due to the lead content.
I was quickly surrounded by security agents and whisked away leaving my 18 year old son speechless and a little scared. This was in 1983 long before 911. VERY EMBARRASSING for me and my son. They finally took the crystal gun from me and turned it over to a flight attendent. As soon as when were seated, she returned it to me saying she didn't want to be responsible for that expensive item. Go figure.

I bought a pair of earrings (they were not inexpensive) artisan-made blown glass and silver.

What I coveted but did not buy was those beautiful silk sconce lampshades.

Suze, a friend of ours recently renovated their home and used lots of Venetian glass sconces and light fixtures in baths, dining room, den, etc. It is very striking.

Do you at all remember the name of the vendor you liked in Venice? Maybe there's a website. I need to upgrade some lighting in my kitchen, so I'm interested in glass sconces like you mention. Thanks!
:)>-

P.S. Suze, maybe I misread. Were they silk sconces, not glass ones?
:)>-

Silk ties in a shop on Piazza San Marco. They're beautiful and incredibly inexpensive.

I have brought home beautiful papers, watercolors and engravings, but the thing that was "best" was what I didn't buy. We wandered down a small canal and came upon a silversmith putting the finishing touches on a wonderful 4" tall Pulcinella...perfectly detailed. I didn't buy it and have regretted it since. Guess who will be walking the canals of Venice this fall and guess what she will be trying to find again???

an adorable pair of glass frogs

My mother loves the case for her glasses that we bought her in a shop in an arcade at the Piazza San Marco. When I was a kid, people who went to Italy would always bring back printed leather items like these as gifts, but I only saw them in this one shop.

hi, bm,

last year i was lucky enough to go to Rome, Florence and venice, all in separate trips. I bought much more in Venice than in both the other two combined.

My purchases included a lovely bright watercolour [from a shop round the side of the Frari], a colourful winter scarf for DD, a pair of black shiney wellies in case of flood, but now used by DD to clean out the donkeys, [nothing so smart here in Cornwall] some beautiful glass jewelry, a box of chocolate powder for making hot chocolate, a T-shirt for DS [he gets one from everywhere we go] and a very tacky glass wine bottle stopper!

I could have bought much more, but couldn't carry it! I'd love to go back, just for the shopping.

regards, ann

Hand stamped papers, many from a small shop in one of the campos on the way to Accademia, Campo Stefano I think. I use panels of them to embellish gifts and bags.

Fortuny pillows, often from several pieces sewn together, again from one of the shops in the same area as the papers, not Bevil Aqua but one like that.

At a glass shop on the main drag in Dosoduro area, bought a glass pendant lamp (had it shipped) that is now in my kitchen and brings back memories daily.

Again in Dorsoduro, half a block before you get to the Guggenheim, there is a wonderful little paper shop that also sells rubber stamps; I got an embellished initial stamp and use it for note cards and also to "seal" envelopes. I've bought initial-stamped note cards there for very classy holiday gifts at a reasonable price.

I do pick up glass beads, necklaces, and the like from the Rialto markets and some shops.

Some pieces by glass artisan Carlo Moretti.

You said little, here is little. Beautiful little cards with envelopes to attach to gifts and the most beautiful placecards I've ever owned--I keep them and when good friends repeatedly have dinner with us, out come my lovely Venetian placecards.

Posters on this thread have mentioned "murrine" which is a technique where glass flowers are melted together to form colorful mosaic patterns. In a paperweight, these do indeed make excellent gifts, and to have for yourself. I like to go over to the island of Murano and look over their murrine there, (although you can find lovely murrine paperweights all over Venice) and one shop I like for that is SERGIO TIOZZO, on Fondamenta Manin, vaporetto: Faro.

Someone also mentioned glass beads-I love these, have some, and they also make good gifts, however, there is a shop in Castello that carries rare and antique beads, in addition to lovely new creations-it's called ANTICLEA ANTIQUARIATO, on Campo San Provolo, at San Zaccaria. Really lovely and interesting looking beads, and I have purchased a couple of bracelets from this shop.

Posters have mentioned hand-made papers, another great buy in Venice-there are a number of "Byblos" shops that sell lovely marbled paper, boxes, and picture frames made from these papers.

But the oldest hand-made paper shop in Italy (they say) is at vaporetto stop Santa Maria del Giglio (this area is my favorite in San Marco) called LEGATORIA PIAZZESI-papers here are sold by the piece, and they have address books, boxes, albums, and other items that are lovely, but expensive.

Another thing I've gotten to like are the wooden miniatures of the city that a few artisan shops around town do-they are not inexpensive, but they are very well done, particularly those I've seen of the Rialto bridge-something like 12 inches long-it was really beautiful. There's a shop just off the San Stae vaporetto stop that I have seen that does really lovely miniatures, around 35-50 Euro for certain pieces, also, a shop in Dorsoduro, called "Il Mondo in Miniatura" (the world in miniature) has lovely recreations of Venice in miniature.

Leather is a good buy in Venice, but much of it comes from Tuscany/Florence-however there are a number of shops in San Polo/Santa Croce, behind the fruit and vegetable markets, and towards Piazzale Roma that have excellent, hand-made leather goods. One is at Pze. Roma-IL GRIFONE-all the leather here is hand-made, and it is a local shop, as opposed to the leather goods shops around Venice that just sell leather goods from Florence or other places. Another popular local shop is in the Campiello San Toma, vaporetto, San Toma-very near the Frari, MAZZON LE BORSE-its known for its high-quality leather goods.

And finally, if you are interested in having a real work of art replica of a Venetian gondola, or other Venetian sailing vessel, you need to visit Gilberto Penzo's shop in Campo San Toma, vaporetto, San Toma. He is a real artist, but these boats and model kits do not come cheap.

You can look at his creations on his website:

www.veniceboats.com/eng-models.htm

glass mezuzahs in a shop in the ghetto

Years and years ago, we bought a wood inlaid table/cart and a wood inlaid picture. They are beautiful. Actually, they come to Venice from the south of Italy. The table and picture we at a vendor in the market across the Rialto bridge. The could table came apart and fit in the suitcase. We also purchased a lace table cloth and 12 napkins.

I have a handmade sun/moon mask made at a mask workshop we toured, a small glass/gold perfume bottle and glass winebottle plug from the artisan at a small shop behind Piazza San Marco, a pair of leather slippers I bought at a small shop on the Rialto Bridge for about 9 Euro, and a beautiful scrolled ring with sapphire blue (colour not the gem) insets, unfortunately lost after I returned home :( - I plan to return to buy another.

Have fun shiopping in Venice - it is like no other place in the world!