548 Best Places to Shop in Italy

In business since 1972, this family team creates colorful, stylish leather handbags, belts, keychains, and sandals near Piazza Campo de' Fiori. Choose from the premade collection, or order something in the color of your choice; their workshop is visible in the boutique.

IDEM, run by the same family for more than a generation, sells handcrafted leather bags, wallets, and belts and counts Tom Cruise among its customers.

The "Blue Trunk" specializes in antique toys of all sorts, but their orsi artistici, mohair teddy bears, are their trademark treasures. Painstakingly handmade in many sizes and colors, with articulated paws and glass eyes, they can either grumble or play a carillon tune when squeezed. Some are unclothed; others are dressed in old baby garments trimmed with lace and ribbons.

Visitors are spoiled for choice by the floor-to-ceiling bottles of this enoteca. It's a good place to stock up on good-quality, local Sicilian wine sourced by the long-standing and enthusiastic patron of the establishment. You can sample a glass or two here, accompanied by a cheese and meat platter.

Swing by the carpentry workshop of Piero Dri to see how he crafts the remi (oars) and fórcole (rowlocks) that adorn the city's gondola and Voga alla Veneta flat-bottomed boats. With his walnut-wood off-cuts, Piero creates gorgeous sculptural pieces to purchase.

Of Venice's few remaining artisan leather shops, Il Grifone is the standout with respect to quality, tradition, and the guarantee of an exquisite product. For more than 30 years, Antonio Peressin has been making bags, purses, belts, and smaller leather items that have a wide following because of his precision and attention to detail. His goods remain reasonably and accessibly priced.

The art of mosaic making is still practiced in Naples and can be seen in this tiny workshop.

The name aptly translates as "The Peacock," and the shop offers a great selection of coda di pavone, a kind of paper with colors and patterns resembling the feathers of the peacock's tail. Artisans here are particularly proud of their hand-painted paper.

The classic Capri sandal has been part of the Italian summer uniform since the 1960s, and icons like Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, and Anita Ekberg ensured its enduring legacy. Stop into the Taormina outpost to have a pair custom-made.

For more than 70 years, saddler artisan Ferruccio Serafini handmade some of Rome's best leather bags, shoes, and belts—accessories beloved by the likes of Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Kennedy brothers in the 1960s. Today, the family business is run by Francesca, Ferruccio Serafini's youngest daughter. Choose from the premade stock, or select your style and your leather and have something custom made. You can also bring vintage leather items in for repairs.

This bookshop seems to be from times long gone, with a large selection of rare volumes and limited editions, as well as the latest novels and a large English-language selection.

Of the numerous ceramics shops in Caltagirone's old center, this one 13 steps up Caltagirone's fabled ceramic staircase is one of the best, selling eye-catching work with a modern aesthetic that is inspired by the town's long artisan tradition.

If your visit to the spas makes you want more pampering, stop here for locally produced lotions, creams, and sprays made with Ischia's thermal water and other active ingredients.

Located within the T Hotel, the Istituto Sardo Organizzazione Lavoro Artigiano is a government-sponsored cooperative of artisans. Look for handmade ceramics, woven and wooden goods, baskets, metalwork, and beautiful gold filigree or precious stone jewelry.

Carrying on the traditions of his adopted city, this craftsman makes traditional wrought-iron chandeliers, wall lamps, and Venetian lanterns, either plain black or gilded (like in the old days), in his tiny workshop near Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

Menswear by Italian and international designers can be found here.

This shop should not be missed if you are looking for soft leather bags that are a perfect match for almost any outfit, handmade leather shoes, or quality belts.

This is a good address for antique books and prints, majolica pottery, and other ceramics.

This pared-down little boutique on one of Monti's most charming streets sells women's clothes designed by owners Benedetta Piccirilli and David Anav. Their pieces tend to be familiar silhouettes made with colorful Italian fabrics and often feature botanical or Asian-inspired prints. Although each of their off-the-rack pieces is one-of-a-kind, they also make garments made to measure.

Colorful Chie Mihara shoes, chunky handbags, luxurious perfumes, boutique jewelry, and funky dresses make this one of the best local shops in boho San Lorenzo. The focus is on innovative clothes from local and international designers like Alice Marrone, Apuntob, Hannoh, and Rundholz.

If you haven’t packed the right clothes, this store near the port carries brand-name casual clothing and beachwear.

For nice ceramics, with many pieces depicting the brilliant sunflowers that blanket local fields, check here.

This tiny shop contains an abundance of masks made of papier-mâché, but Marilisa Dal Cason's skill and imagination shine best in her original creations made of cut-up resin masks (the plain white ones on sale everywhere for €1), which she ingeniously reshapes into fantastic forms. From an octopus to flames covered with gold leaf, every shape is unique. Considering that each is one of a kind, her masks, though somewhat expensive, are possibly the most economical purchase of Venetian art you'll make.

"The Artisan" is the place to go for handmade watches and rare vintage timepieces. The store's expert watchmakers specialize in nostalgic mechanical watches and chronographs from the early 1900s through the 1970s. Have an heirloom piece that has stopped working or that needs a little fine-tuning? Bring it to the shop, and the owners will get it ticking again in no time.

Fresh tagliolini, tortellini, and other Bolognese pasta delicacies are sold here, along with sublime food to eat at small tables here or take away. The cheese counter is laden with superlative local specimens.

Here are not only costumes for rent, but masks in every Venetian style. Pick your century, from 17th to 19th, for historically accurate styling. Shoes, hats, and capes complete the ensemble. There are period costumes for boys and girls, too.

Mario Cappelletti carries interesting prints and reproductions of well-known Renaissance artworks, as well as contemporary paintings of the Tuscan countryside.

Bruno De Miccoli stocks an impressive array of verdure sott'olio, local wines, and dried herbs in his food-and-wine bar.

Named after San Michele's bell, Capri's good luck symbol, La Campanina has crafted distinctive jewelry since 1950. Owner Lina Federico's family was involved in the production process for the bell that was presented to President Roosevelt at Christmas in 1944 (this is now on display at the Museum of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in New York), which inspired the shop's name. The family-run shop is also Capri's only official Rolex dealer.

With a selection of more than 1,000 wines (including kosher varieties) as well as marmalades and local Capri "stone" sweets (chocolate-covered almonds), this is an ideal place for connoisseurs to purchase gifts or souvenirs, especially given that the shop ships all over the world, as well as providing a service for yachts.