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It’s no secret that Venice offers some excellent shopping opportunities, but the best of them are often not the most conspicuous. Look beyond the ubiquitous street vendors and the hundreds of virtually indistinguishable purse, glass, and lace shops that line the calli, and you’ll discover a bounty of unique and delightful treasures—some might be kitschy, but much will show off the high level of craftsmanship for which Venice has long been known.
Alluring shops abound. You'll find countless vendors of trademark Venetian wares such as Murano glass and Burano lace; the authenticity of some goods can be suspect, but they're often pleasing to the eye regardless of their heritage. For more sophisticated tastes (and deeper pockets), there are jewelers, antiques dealers, and high-fashion boutiques on a par with those in Italy's larger cities but often maintaining a uniquely Venetian flair. Don’t ignore the contemporary, either: Venice's artisan heritage lives on in the hand and eye of the today’s designers—no matter where they hail from.
While the labyrinthine city center can seem filled with imposing high-fashion emporiums and fancy glass shops, individual craftspeople often working off the main thoroughfares produce much of what is worth taking home from Venice. In their workshops artful stationery is printed with antique plates; individual pairs of shoes are adroitly constructed; jewelry is handcrafted; fine fabrics are skillfully woven; bronze is poured to make gondola décor, and iron is worked into fanali lanterns; paper is glued, pressed, and shaped into masks; and oars and forcola oarlocks are hewn and sculpted in the workshops of remér wood craftsmen.
This studio has been casting brass, bronze, copper, and pewter into artistic handles, menorahs, Carnevale masks, and real gondola decorations (which make great paperweights, bookends, or shelf pieces) since 1913. The coups de grâce are the brass chandeliers, exactly like those that hang in the Oval Office in the White House. Call to arrange a visit to the studio in Cannaregio when they pour.
Despite the great popularity of the Venetian Carnevale, mask making is a dying art in the city. The large majority of masks for sale in the shops and kiosks of Venice are kitsch made in Asia and have little (if any) relationship to the popular local tradition. A shining exception is Sergio and Massimo Boldrin's Bottega dei Mascareri. Staunch traditionalists, the Boldrin brothers re-create beautiful and historically accurate versions of the masks of the Venetian commedia dell'arte. They have also carefully extended their repertoire to include masks inspired by characters in Tiepolo's paintings, thereby inventing new masks while remaining true to the spirit of 18th-century Carnevale. A mask from Bottega is about as close to the "real thing" as you can get.
The sculpted walnut-wood oarlocks (forcole) used exclusively by Venetian rowers may be utilitarian, but they are beautiful, custom-made objects that make for uniquely Venetian gifts or souvenirs. Saverio Pastor is one of the few remaining oar and forcola makers left in Venice.
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.
A delightful husband-and-wife team sells exclusive Italian-made crafts, along with maps, fine prints, and paintings by Italian and international artists.
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.
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.
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.
Venice is full of stores selling fanciful Carnival masks made of papier-mâché, but at Ca' Macana you can paint your own. This is one of Venice's oldest mask shops, and they have plenty of experience in organizing mask-painting workshops for you and your family (children welcome from 4 years old and up). You will learn about the history of some of the classic masks, and about different materials and techniques. It isn't cheap but you can be proud to have a Venetian treasure completely made by hand and that is clearly one of a kind.
A large showroom offering lots of gilded creations, both traditional and new, is a must-see. Ask about the mask-making workshops.
"Cinderella" creates unique handmade lampshades out of silk, old lace, and real parchment, embroidered and decorated with gold braid and cotton or silk trim. It also sells restored lace and embroidered vintage clothing. The pieces on display are a perfect match for country- and antique-style furniture. The owner will be happy to discuss special orders.
Filippo and Silvia Trevisanello are continuing the work begun by their father 50 years ago. They make Byzantine and rich Renaissance handcrafted frames of gold-leafed wood and inset with antique glass beads, mosaic tesserae, and small ceramic tiles. The more-elaborate pieces look their best when used to frame an old mirror.
Luca Sumiti carries on the work of his father, Maurizio; traditional wrought-iron chandeliers and lamps come unadorned, gilded, or tastefully enameled in bright colors. Here you'll also find conspicuous, 5-foot-tall wooden sculptures of mori veneziani (Venetian Moors).
One of only four artisans making the oars and oarlocks used for Venetian rowing, Franco Furlanetto carries on the centuries-old craft on which gondoliers (and ordinary Venetian rowers) depend. If a working forcola of solid walnut is too much for you, he offers an assortment of boat models, keychains, and earrings in the form of small wooden forcolas, magnets, and other Venetian mementoes.
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).
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.
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.
This tiny shop is overflowing with masks of all types, all handmade by the owner-artisan (you can often watch him making them). There's an excellent selection of styles at competitive prices.
Since 1995, several flourishing craft projects aimed at teaching professional skills to the inmates of Venice's prisons have borne exceptional fruit. High-quality purses, messenger bags, backpacks, pouches, cosmetic bags, etc., are made of PVC by the men, and a luscious line of natural cosmetics is created by the women using their own herbs and flowers. Solid cakes of shampoo and other hair-care products, bath gel, and creams are chemical-free. Several luxury hotels have substituted the cooperative's line of bath products for brand-name items. The collective's trademark name is "Malefatte," in one sense "badly made," but really a play on the word "malafatta," meaning "wrongdoing."
Craftswoman and architect Francesca Meratti and a team of local and international artisans combine traditional and contemporary design to create a mix of most-appealing objects, including dishware, carved wooden bowls, jewelry, and ceramic pieces.
This store has arguably the best selection, in both quality and quantity, of handmade masks in Venice. Gualtiero Dall'Osto studied art at the Accademia and is a trove of historical information as well as an excellent source of information about Carnevale parties. The shop also turns out a limited number of costumes made from hand-printed cotton fabric.
