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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 petite shop is the best place in town to find traditional Venetian wool capes, known as tabarro, and classic hats, such as the Ezra Pound (soft fedora), the tricorno (three-cornered hat), and the cilindro (top hat).
This is a treasure trove of papier-mâché objects, panels, and masks designed for the theater stage. Their masks have starred on catwalks and in commercials and films, including Casanova, Gambit, and Eyes Wide Shut. Mask-making classes are offered by appointment.
Artists Maddalena Venier and Alessandro Salvadori of Materialmente envision "balancing the precious with the everyday." They succeed with a fascinating collection of fanciful, light-as-air sculpture, lamps, jewelry, and housewares.
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 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.
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.
Elisabetta and Stefano, with their daughter, Giulia, founded this shop in 2008 and have made it one of the city's most remarkable sources for handmade paper (some of it bamboo) and an astonishing variety of objects made from it. Their handiwork always combines charm, style, and imagination.
Since 1948 the Mascari family has been selling a wide range of treats such as bits of dried sugared fruit, balsamic vinegar, chestnut flour, fennel seeds, Swiss chocolate, honey, olive oil, and an exceptional collection of Italian wines and liquors. Try some traditional cookies from many different Italian regions, including baicoli, the crunchy Venetian dipping cookie. If nothing else, you will almost certainly stop to admire the window full of pyramids of loose spices, a vibrant reminder that much of Venice's wealth derived from the spice trade. Note that the sign outside says "DROGHERIA." Old Venetians still sometimes call spices "drugs," because that is what they used to be.
This shop selling gondolier's garb has been at the foot of the Rialto Bridge since 1902. There are no cheap knockoffs here; the wool sweaters, straw hats, and down vests are all worn by working gondoliers and made of quality materials intended to withstand a long day out in all weather. A charming selection of gifts, such as tote bags, stuffed toys, refrigerator magnets, and so forth, all bear the crest of the gondoliers' association.
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.
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.
One of three outlets in Venice, this Roman business inspired by travel and ethical goods is filled with unusual gifts and fashion accessories, from recycled aluminum jewelry and scarves to men's wallets and hats.
