Argenio
An exclusive address for men's accessories, Argenio is the former supplier of scarves, cuff links, buttons, tiepins, and so forth to the royal Bourbons of the House of the Two Sicilies.
Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for Naples right now.
Naples is a fascinating city for shopping. Shops are generally open from around 9:30 in the morning to 1:30, when they close for lunch, reopening around 4:30 and staying open until 7:30 or 8, although certain higher-volume addresses will do orario continuo (all-day opening). Most stores are closed on Sunday. Sales run twice a year, mid-January–mid-March for the fall-winter collections and mid-July–early September for the spring-summer collections, with half-price discounts common.
Most of the luxury shops in Naples lie along a crescent that descends the Via Toledo to Piazza Trieste e Trento and then continues along Via Chiaia to Via Filangieri and on to Piazza Amedeo, as well as continuing south toward Piazza dei Martiri and the Riviera di Chiaia, where fashionistas flock to the upscale boutiques there. A good city for male fashion, Naples tends to spoil its male clotheshorses (many would use the word peacocks). Argenio, Eddy Monetti, Marinella, and Mariano Rubinacci are among the must-stops for the guys. And Italy wouldn't be Italy without shoes, for which there are many worthy shops here.
Naples is paradise for bibliophiles too. Chiaia has the city's largest cluster of bookstores, ranging from mass-market to superelegant antiquarian shops. Secondhand book dealers tend to collect between Piazza Dante, Via Port'Alba, and Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli in the Centro Storico, where historians and rare-book lovers alike can also unearth hidden treasures.
The charming shops specializing in Nativity scenes are in the Centro Storico, on the Via San Gregorio Armeno. The classic handicraft of Naples is the presepe—or Nativity crèche scene—with elaborate sets and terra-cotta figurines and elements of still life. The tradition goes back to the medieval period, but its acknowledged golden age arrived in the 18th century. The tradition is alive and flourishing; although the sets and figurines retain their 18th-century aspect, the craftsmen keep their creativity up-to-date with famous renditions of current political figures and other celebrities. The scenes contain a profusion of domestic animals and food of all sorts, meticulously rendered. Some of the smaller articles make great Christmas tree ornaments.
Antiquarians or simple robivecchi (secondhand shops) are found along Costantinopoli, San Sebastiano, Via Tribunali, and other streets. High-end antiques dealers do business in Chiaia, among them Domenico Russo e Figli and Galleria Navarro. If you're interested in original antiques, several prestigious dealers are clustered along Via Domenico Morelli and in Piazza dei Martiri. Via San Sebastiano, close to the Conservatory, is the kingdom of musical instrument shops.
The densest selection of goldsmiths' and jewelers' shops is located around the old jewelry-makers' quarter, Via degli Orefici (Street of the Goldsmiths), between Corso Umberto and Via Marina, but the area is noisy and frenetic. Dealers in the Centro Storico offer good choices and competitive prices. Shopping in an outdoor market is an essential Neapolitan experience too; food markets are all over town, and Neapolitans are the world masters of the used-clothing trade and unofficial brand-name knockoffs, sometimes of excellent quality. You might find shoes made by the same factories that turn out top brands, quality leather purses, or secondhand cashmere at the price of discount-store cotton. Of course, quite often you have to wade through a lot of dismal stock in order to get to the good stuff, but that can be part of the fun. Take precautions to guard against pickpockets.
In Vomero, the area around Piazza Vanvitelli, and Via Scarlatti in particular, has some good shops. Funiculars from Piazza Amedeo, Via Toledo, and Montesanto serve this portion of Vomero.
An exclusive address for men's accessories, Argenio is the former supplier of scarves, cuff links, buttons, tiepins, and so forth to the royal Bourbons of the House of the Two Sicilies.
A family firm established in 1855 and known for its traditionally made coral jewelry and artwork, Ascione has a showroom/gallery on the second floor of a shabby wing of the Galleria Umberto. A hidden secret, aficionados should not miss the guided tour (€5, book ahead) describing the company's rich history, with displays including Egypt's King Farouk's elaborate wedding gift to his bride Farida and what many consider the most beautiful cameo in existence.
High-quality shoes, bags, and clothing can be found every morning at this market in Chiaia that also has a large section of foods, spices, fruits, and vegetables.
"Made in Italy" is the trademark of this popular shop that showcases the fashions of top-name designers.
A good selection of affordable clothes can be found at Benetton, which continues to represent easy Italian chic to most of the world.
An institution in timepieces since 1900, Brinkmann made the clocks for the city's funicular stations.
The posh brand showcases its internationally famous jewelry on posh Via Filangieri.
The antique wooden cabinets and tables at this old-fashioned bookstore are laden with volumes about art, local history, and esoterica.
Since 1924, award-winning Damiani has sold high-end watches and jewelry to the likes of Sophia Loren, Brad Pitt, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The unusual jewelry at DoDo comes in the form of gold, silver, and other charms.
This shop continues the centuries-old Neapolitan tradition of marble-inlay work, creating precious tables and console tops.
The original Eduardo Monetti opened his doors in 1887 as a hat designer, soon bringing in customers such as the tenor Enrico Caruso. The shop remains a landmark Neapolitan name in sartorial splendor for men. Women can now find Monetti fashions on nearby Via Santa Caterina.
A tiny hole in the wall, Egraphe is crammed with notebooks of every style and size, different kinds of handmade papers, and unusual pens and pencils.
Designer Giorgio Armani's mass-market brand does business in chic Piazza dei Martiri.
Shops selling Nativity scenes cluster along the Via San Gregorio Armeno off Spaccanapoli, and they're all worth a glance. The most famous is Ferrigno. Although Maestro Giuseppe Ferrigno died in 2008, the family business continues, still faithfully using 18th-century techniques.
The influential collector Maurizio Morra Greco mounts shows by emerging artists in the recently renovated 15th-century Palazzo Caracciolo di Avellino.
The shop carries bags at surprisingly accessible prices.
Marina Abramović, Anselm Kiefer, and Vanessa Beecroft are among international artists represented by this gallery.
The gallery exhibits the works of international artists of the caliber of Rebecca Horn and William Eggleston.
A small alleyway leading off the side of the Gesù Nuovo toward Via Toledo hides a little-known jewel that is worth the detour: Gallucci, founded in 1890, specializes in fruit-filled chocolates (cherry and grape are memorable) and a delightfully original local cult item: chestnuts filled with marsala. It also produces the most fantastically packaged Easter eggs—all with huge silver or gold bows—that you are ever likely to see.
Chocolate lovers will be relieved to know that Gay-Odin, Naples's most famous cioccolateria, has nine stores around town, all recognizable by their inviting dark-wood Art Nouveau decor; try the signature chocolate forest cake (foresta) or the unusual "naked" chocolates (nudi), a suave mixture of chestnuts and walnuts, some with a whole coffee bean wrapped in the center.
The French brand Hermès has a shop on the increasingly chic Via Filangieri.
Run by the next generation of renowned artisan Aldo Tramontano, IDEM sells handcrafted leather bags in a location with original 19th-century furnishings.
Menswear by Italian and international designers can be found here.
The largest bookstore in town carries books, CDs, and DVDs, and has an inviting coffee bar on the lower ground floor. The branch in Stazione Centrale also has a large selection of English books.
The store's Scuotto family creates Nativity scenes in both classic Neapolitan and contemporary styles, donating the Presepe Favoloso to the Basilica di Santa Maria in Sanità in 2021. Past customers include the Spanish royal family.