Going to florence, rome, venice, taking a tour also to Pisa and Siena and San Gimignano. Any of these places have beautiful place settings? I would love to get the plates, bowls, etc., but don't know if I can afford!

The small town of Deruta, south of Perugia, is supposed to be known for its ceramic production. We bought a beautiful dinner service for our son and daughter-in-law as a wedding gift for what I thought was a reasonable price. If you do a search on "Deruta", you can see some of the styles they make.

I've never been to Italy, I don't know where deruta or perugia is? What's a town that I may have heard of to help give me reference? Thanks!

lola - I'm making this suggestion to
be helpful - why don't you check out
a map of Italy to see where Perugia
fits in? It's actually a charming
small city in a beautiful area of
Umbria. Deruta is a small town south
of Perugia known for its ceramics.

You may find Deruta is a little too
far east for your travel plans unless
you have a car.

There's no way to guess which towns you may have heard of. Perugia, for example, is a fairly famous small city. Many foreigners attend the university there. The Umbria region is several towns known for their production of ceramics, and some people shop at factories and small workshops in some of those towns. But there are also shops in other towns and cities that sell the ceramics made in other places. Siena, which is in Tuscany, used to have a lot of ceramics shops selling mostly ceramics from the Umbria region. The shops varied in quality.

Several towns in Sicily are also known for their ceramics, e.g., Santo Stefano di Camastra, Caltagirone, Sciacca.

In both Florence and Rome you will find stores selling high quality ceramics. I don't know if you'll be able to affor them either, but your hotel should be able to tell you where to find them.

But you might prefer to window shop in Rome and then order your purchases online when you get home to cut down on shipping costs.

http://www.modiglianiusa.com/

You will be amazed to find what you can find on the internet. Try ebay or do a google search. You will actually pay more in shipping and handling to send the ware from Italy than just buying over the internet.

Lola, Unless you plan to carry them home on your lap you will find that buying them here will be cheaper and easier.

Can't you just pack them between your clothes to cushion them? Or is that crazy?

Well, you need a lot of clothes and a big hardshell suitcase to fit in a full dinner service (assuming you are talking more than 2 place settings).

And then there is the weight issue, if you fly First Class you will have 30 kilos allowance + handluggage. In Economy 20 kilos + 5 kg handluggage.

In Rome the Romans go to a fascinating old store called Leone Limentani, in Via del Portica d'Ottavia. It's near the Tiber, in the old ghetto area (where you may enjoy interesting historical sites and good food too; try carciofi alla romano here.) At Limentani, you will find barrels of treasures and some beautifully displayed things in the same rabbit's nest of a store. This is THE place for bride's listing things, from cookware to fine china. Limentani sells fine china and crystal as well as hotel/commecial wares, so it's all there to reward the person who likes to dig and hunt. You won't find better prices -- sometimes absolute steals. Don't count on attentive sales clerks or anyone speaking English, but the language of shopping can be done in mime. You don't say if you want casual earthenware or elegant Italian artistry like Richard Ginori porcelain. With today's weak dollars, the latter may cost you dearly. Outside Rome: For ceramic dishes, a stroll through the wondrous city of Orvieto (between Rome and Florence) is worth a detour; don't miss the wooden toys sculpted by Michelangeli, several outlets including there magical main store in a side street off the main shopping corridor. Sienna has lots of good shops for Faenza at sensible prices. You've been told in other posts about Deruta, but the patterns there are all so similar, and often a bit coarse. I should say "rustic.&quot If it isn't your style, you'll find little to please you. Good china shops in the cities might give you better selections. If you ship, insist on tracking numbers and insurance. Most people are honest, but all sellers to tourists can presume they will never see you again. If possible, use a credit card that will back you up if your place settings never arrive or arrive damaged. That's not to say "don't ship" because toting a set of dishes around could spoil your fun in other ways. Ship from reputable stores and be patient; it takes a long time, like 4-6 months. Buon Viaggio.

You also might want to look in the Shopping sections of your guidebooks, and even try a few shopping-specific guide books.

Lola - my advice is to pick out one or two items that you'll enjoy - being sure they are small enough to fit in your carry-on for the return trip.

If you do find something you'd like more of - be sure to ask for a card from the proprietor. Any proper merchant will be glad to ship large orders back the US for a fee. But be aware that there will also be a customs fee you'll pay when they arrive in the U.S.

Deruta is in Umbria - think of it as one county (or state) to the right of Tuscany. Probably the most well-known city in the region is Assisi. I've been going to Deruta for years and import from a small family-run factory. (my web address is what appears in my email next to my screen-name)

Quality in Italian ceramics runs the gamut from very inexpensive (but rather sloppy style) to hugely expensive (and impeccable mastery).

Find a piece or two in your price range that you'll appreciate.

I have a little chipped spoonrest that I bought on my first trip to Italy - and even though I have my choice of styles now that I import - I still cherish that spoonrest for the memories it brings back.