548 Best Places to Shop in Italy

With carved and gilded late-Baroque and Empire period furniture and paintings culled from the noble houses of Italy's past, Galleria Benucci is a literal treasure trove. An establishment favored by professionals from Europe and abroad, this conservative gallery next to a former sculpture studio has an astonishing selection of objects in a hushed atmosphere where connoisseurs will find the proprietors only too happy to discuss their latest finds.

Opened in 1959, the upscale Galleria houses many of the fashion giants, including Armani, Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Tod's.

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 thrilled to know that Gay-Odin, Naples's most famous cioccolateria, has eight 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.

Name a gemstone—pearl, diamond, aquamarine, garnet, jade, amber, opal—and you will almost certainly find it here, in both classic and unique settings from traditional to gorgeous. This is the ideal place to find a special piece featuring your birthstone.

This is the retail outlet for Leslie Ann Genninger, an American from Ohio who was the first woman to enter the male-dominated world of Murano master bead makers. She established her own line of jewelry, called Murano Class Act in 1994 using period-glass beads, and when she could no longer find antique beads she started designing her own.

Florence's king of coral, Gherardi has the city's largest selection of finely crafted pieces, as well as cultured pearls, jade, and turquoise.

Classic handmade jewelry here includes pieces made with semiprecious stones.

The gondola and lagoon boat expert in Venice creates scale models of a wide variety of Venetian boats in his nearby laboratorio (workshop). (If the retail shop is closed, a sign posted on the door will explain how to find Signor Penzo.) When he's not busy sawing and sanding, Mr. Penzo writes historical and technical books about traditional Venetian boats, including the gondola. Here you'll also find gondola model kits, as well as some forcole (Venetian rowing oarlocks).

Tired of Sorrento's coral and cameos? A designer alternative is this jewelry and watch shop with classics by Pomellato, DoDo, Bulgari, and many others.

The sleek, classic boutique Giorgio Armani is a centerpiece of the dazzling high-end shops clustered in this part of town.

Find Armani's apparel and accessories for both men and women in the brand's newest boutique.

One of the most influential designers of Italian haute couture, Giorgio Armani is world-famous for dazzling evening gowns and iconic, clean-cut suits. The flagship store is the best place to find pieces that range from unique runway-worthy masterpieces to more wearable collections emphasizing casual Italian elegance with just the right touch of eccentricity and sensuality.

This funky little bookshop has a large selection of comics and graphic novels, most of which are in Italian. It also sells posters and prints by local artists, which can make nice souvenirs. The caffè inside serves coffee, cocktails, and light bites and has seating outside.

Giuseppe Zanotti creates sought-after women's and men's shoes ranging from pencil-thin stilettos (often with a bit of sparkle or other bling) to colorful loafers to couture sneakers. The footwear here is placed on a literal pedestal so the craftsmanship can be admired from all angles.

This chocolate shop opened in 2014 and claims to be the first raw pastry shop in the world. Everything is 100% organic, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and made without refined sugar—and nothing is cooked above 108 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're skeptical, seeing (or, in this case, tasting) is believing. The pralines and truffles are as delicious as traditional ones, and there are also cookies, organic nut and chocolate spreads, pastries, and gelato. There are also locations in the Jewish Ghetto and Parioli.

Between March and October, this shop sells colorful stationery, prints, and artworks amid the Gothic cloisters of the Complesso Monumentale San Francesco. There's also an attractive branch in Piazza Duomo at the corner of Via Roma.

Creative earrings, brooches, and necklaces are done in colored resin that looks as fragile as glass but is as strong and soft as rubber. Silk shoes can be custom "garnished" with jewelry.

Florentine perennial Gucci puts its famous initials on just about everything it sells.

Guccio Gucci opened his first leather shop selling luggage in Florence in 1921, and, more than 100 years later, the success of the double-G trademark is unquestionable. Tom Ford joined as creative director in 1994, helping the fashion house move into a new era that refreshed the label's aesthetic with reinterpretations of old-school favorites like horsebit loafers and Jackie Kennedy scarves. Now, Gucci remains a fashion must for virtually every A-list celebrity.

Come to this outpost of the iconic fashion chain for a range of luxury handbags, footwear, ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, and home decoration.

This Florence-born brand attracts lots of fashion-forward tourists in hot pursuit of its monogrammed bags, shoes, and accessories.

The French brand Hermès sells its world-renowned scarves, ties, and leather bags, among other things, in a shop on the increasingly chic Via Filangieri.

The focus is on the works by the eclectic English-born artist Geoffrey Humphries, including paintings, drawings, and etchings ranging from landscapes to portraits; he also produces watercolors of Venetian vistas.

Run by the nonprofit organization Humana People to People, which implements sustainable development projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, this shop is a popular destination for vintage and second-hand clothing for men and women. The racks are lined with all kinds of apparel from the 1960s through the '90s, from Levi’s jeans and Converse sneakers to made-in-Italy blazers and leather bags. There are also shops in Trastevere, on Via Cavour, and on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

The charming "Mamma Andrea's Small Sins" sells a plethora of mouthwatering original creations, including jams, preserves, chocolates, and Sicilian treats like the superb marzipan frutta martorana (fruits and vegetables).

Recently relocated to a larger location, I Pinco Pallino has extraordinary clothing for boys and girls, be it a tulle petal jumper or couture maroon velvet suits. Parents will swoon over their über-fashionable lines for young ones.