131 Best Places to Shop in Venice, Italy

You'll find Murano-made glassworks, including glasses, vases, chandeliers, mirrors, and sculptures, in this friendly family-owned shop.

Exquisite earrings, rings, necklaces, and brooches are studded with diamonds, rubies, or emeralds in this shop owned by the Nardi family since the 1920s.

The world's oldest glass company, founded in 1295, still produces exquisite—and expensive—chandeliers and lamps.

Paolo Brandolisio's workshop is a lofty tribute to his craft; this is where Brandolisio apprenticed with his famous mentor, Giuseppe Carli (spot photos of him and a youthful Paolo dotting the walls). Gondoliers' oars await pickup, piled underneath the skylight; you can purchase a tiny hand-carved oarlock as a very special souvenir.

If you're looking for an authentic Venetian mask, this is the place to go. Owner Stefano and his talented team of artists create exquisite handmade masks that can be custom ordered if you don't see what you want, as well as shipped worldwide.

This fascinating shop stocks antique jewelry from Europe and Asia, along with stunning Venetian glass beads.

René Caovilla's shoes are meant for showing off, not walking around town (especially in Venice). The evening shoes here are so glamorous and over-the-top that you might feel compelled to buy a pair and then create an occasion to wear them.

Founded in 1858, Rubelli offers the same sumptuous brocades, damasks, and cut velvets used by the world's most prestigious decorators.

A delightful husband-and-wife team sells exclusive Italian-made crafts, along with maps, fine prints, and paintings by Italian and international artists.

This glass artist's workshop features unusual, intricate pieces inspired by nature—birds, butterflies, beetles, and other insects—appreciated by adults and children alike.

Among the attractive assortment of rather generic gifts, there is a selection of complicated models to be assembled by your favorite puzzle enthusiast. Pieces of precisely laser-cut birch fit together to make 3D objects such as a Triceratops or a functional zodiac clock. They are not unreasonably priced for such spectacular creations.

This friendly neighborhood enoteca has an excellent array of regional wines plus a selection of craft beer and spirits, chocolate, and other gourmet treats.

Secreted away in the backstreets near the Arsenale, Alessandro's exquisite ceramic creations (bowls, plates, cups, and serving trays mainly) are decorated with colorful animals, geometric shapes, and some eye-popping erotic figures in a style influenced by art nouveau and illustrator Aubrey Beardsley.

The technique of creating wooden objects by "turning" them by hand—not unlike pottery turned on a wheel—requires a master's eye, hand, and experience. Angelo Dalla Venezia makes a glorious assortment of treasures  from eggs to rings to bowls of varying sizes, all showing the innate beauty of the wood itself. Perhaps the most demanding to make are the simple polished balls created perfectly by hand, which show all their intricate veining. You may not actually need one of these little masterpieces, but you will certainly want it to gaze on its seductive simplicity.

This lace and embroidery shop offers a highly appealing selection—from Venice and beyond—that includes fine cotton and linen tablecloths, baby clothing, shirts, nightgowns, sheets, and curtains as delightful and unique as the proprietor herself. Ask to see antique lace.

This is the oldest barber shop in Venice (established in 1924) and Alberto Amato is the third generation of his family to shave, trim, and otherwise spruce up his male clientele. The care of hair and beards (or the removal of same) is his mission; hair treatments, from shampoo to coloring, are all based on natural products, and he is one of the few barbers still using a straight razor.

One of the oldest bookbinderies in Venice is known for its historic stampi, hand-printed paper using carved wood plates, which artisans carefully filled with colored inks. Don't let the sporadic opening times discourage you from trying to visit or purchase their exquisite papers.

This distinguished shop next to the Gallerie dell'Accademia sells old master paintings—originals, not copies—with accordingly rarified prices.

If you love all things nautical, especially if they are old, delve into this exceptional shop full of treasures of ships and shipping. Owner Antonio Afferri has indulged his passion for the great Italian liners by amassing a remarkable collection of their china, silverware, lamps, and fittings such as chandeliers and washstands. Discover detailed ship models, paintings, photographs, and all sorts of nautical curiosities, including a very early deep-sea diving suit.

A play on the term for Venice's flooding, acqua alta, this tiny but bountiful shop operated by a social cooperative sells natural, fair-trade products, some from Third World artisans (therefore "altra," or "other"). The quality is notably higher than some similar stores, and there is a wide range of items, including shampoo, jam, hand-knitted scarves, reusable cotton cloth to wrap food, herbal teas, coffee, water bottles, and more. If nothing else, buy a bar of the delectable Modica chocolate, made in Sicily following the Mesoamerican cold-processing techniques introduced by the Spanish.

This shop sells scarves as well as blouses and jackets, all handwoven using looms built to ancient specifications. Not only are their products made to a very high standard in wool or silk, but the weavers are part of a social cooperative called Laguna Fiorita that employs the mentally disabled; their families formed the association in 1993. The store also occasionally organizes weaving workshops.

Antonia Sautter's opulent, fanciful display of 18th-century Venetian gowns often causes passersby to pause and ponder. Hers is the atelier of the prestigious Ballo del Doge Carnival ball, along with many other extraordinarily fantastically couture Venetian events. You'll also find medieval-style garments, masks, and accessories behind the curtains inside.

This is an excellent shop for renting Carnival costumes and buying masks.  

Costumes for sale or rent are inspired by 18th- and 19th-century models, with masks (for sale only) to match. Large sizes are available for both sexes. By appointment only, but well worth the effort.

One stop might fit the bill when you've got last-minute gifts to buy: American Theresa works only with Murano artisans and offers an abundant, tasteful selection of reasonably priced beads, vases, goblets, and jewelry, even mirrors and chandeliers.

Celebrated brothers Daniele and Stefano blend and weave copper and silver wire with Murano glass beads to render stylish, contemporary pieces with a timeless feel.

Mazzon is a master woodworker specializing in intaglio, framing, gilding, and restoration of anything wooden. His sublimely cluttered workshop contains figurines of various sizes, from just-carved cherubs to an elegantly simple madonna shining in gold leaf, with picture and mirror frames all carved by hand. He is the fourth generation of his family to do this work.

This remarkable shop is full of stylish women's fashion made by the ladies incarcerated in the women's prison on the Giudecca who are following a course on dressmaking. Their cooperative began this work in 2003 as part of their rehabilitation program. The clothes speak for themselves, with lovely lines, luscious colors, and elegant fabrics. Dresses, chic evening outerwear, and bags and hats would tempt you to enter even without knowing anything about the seamstresses. The odd name was carried with them when they moved from across town, where the smaller space had been the location of a local lottery-ticket seller.