Please sign in to post.

Creative Souvenirs

Does anyone have any ideas for things to look for in Northern Italy (Venice, Florence, Siena)that would make good souvenirs? I know photos, tickets, postcards, and brochures can be considered, but anything else? We won't be able to bring anything big or substantial back. Jewelry is on my list though!

Posted by
1003 posts

if Jewelry is on your list you can't miss picking something up on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. The prices aren't as overpriced and touristy as you might think, and there are cheaper options like little earrings and whatnot for under 30 euros that are still beautiful, 18k gold, and so unique. In Venice, I think you can't leave without buying some kind of mask, there are several shops that are still making the masks by hand on Venice, and these are the ones you want. I bought a little ceramic hand-painted mask in one of these shops for a friend for only 5 euros - the paper mache masks start at 15-20 euros for small (but still pretty!) ones and go on all the way up into the hundreds - my masks and jewelry are my very favorite souvenirs from a whole 6-week trip throughout Europe! Also in Venice you have the beautiful Murano glass which comes in all shapes and sizes and everything - just make sure you get authentic stuff, not imported. Have a GREAT Time and happy shopping!

Posted by
187 posts

Hey Kay I'm just south of you right outside of Birmingham. Anyway my husband & I bought some nice wine stoppers in Venice (Murano glass) & colorful designs (sunflowers, etc.) in Florence. I'm constantly reminded of Italy everytime I use these.

Posted by
84 posts

Jewelry made out of olive wood (such as beaded necklaces or earrings, etc.). It's beautiful and more unique than your typical gold jewelry kind of stuff.

Posted by
93 posts

In Florence you might consider gold or cameo jewelry. These pieces aren't cheap but Florence is famous for them.

In Siena, how about some edible souvenirs such as Panforte?

I second the suggestion of Murano glass jewelry from Venice. Also, look for lace.

Posted by
219 posts

How about leather goods such as handbags or wallets from the Florence area.

Posted by
712 posts

Someone had told me about Murrano watches in a post before I left. Also bought necklace pendants and some earring of Murrano glass. Everyone seemed to love them.

Posted by
359 posts

Someone mentioned to me that she wished she had picked up more glass wine stoppers while in Venice. It will be something I'll be looking for next month during our trip.

Posted by
479 posts

It's too bad you can't bring back a piece of pesto pizza from Vernazza. If anyone wanted to bring me back a souvenir that would be the best!

Posted by
103 posts

Because "Italian Made" gifts are so readily available in the states.. we packed up specialty items from the IperCoop.. Great rosemary flavored breadsticks.. and bags of chocolate. Food is always welcomed (and things that cannot be found in local delis or Trader Joe's in particular..) PLUS it cuts down on your weight allowance!

Posted by
175 posts

Italian silk ties and scarves. They are inexpensive, top quality and pack easily.

Posted by
8 posts

Ditto the Murano wine stoppers. They're everywhere & are inexpensive. That they're small & easy to pack is an added bonus. Wish I had bought more for gifts.

Also loved the Murano cartoon characters - everything from Bugs Bunny to The Simpsons to South Park.

Posted by
689 posts

Jewelry is available everywhere.

Beware of the glass wine stoppers. While they work great for red wines, if you have white that you want to put in the frig the stopper makes the bottle too tall to fit! Even in the door...

The key is just to wander and look at everything. You will find plenty of things to pick from!

Posted by
359 posts

Sally,
It sounds to me like it's time to get a new fridge!!! Plus, who doesn't actually finish a bottle of wine???

Posted by
1717 posts

Hi Kay, This is a fun question. In cities in ITALY you will see very very many beautiful things to buy. You did not say what is your price range. Many items manufactured in Italy, especially silk and wool and leather clothes, are available in the U.S.A. by mail order.
I suggest search for a unique art item in Venice.
I think the artistic wine stopper is desirable, if you have wine bottles. When I was in Italy, I did not buy any souvinir item, but I did like one item that I think would look good in a curio cabinet. It is a small art item made of red glass and silver (I think). I saw it for sale in Venice. It was in a display window of a small retail store, somewhere in between San Marco square and the Rialto bridge. There were two versions of the art item : one is bigger and more beautiful (and higher priced) than the other. I am sorry I can not give a better description of that item. Perhaps an other person reading this would know what I am talking about, and the name of the street.

Posted by
144 posts

My favorite thing from Venice is a bunch of small glass hearts in varied colors. I have seen necklaces made from them in expensive boutiques in the states, which makes me wish I had bought more. When anyone in my office takes a trip, the preferred souvenir to bring for coworkers is an inexpensive piece of jewelry that typifies the region visited.

Murano glass is very beautiful but also very expensive. I did buy some lovely glass beads on a side street in Venice.

I remember a very nice store in Florence that sold gorgeous shawls. I brought back 2, and I still use them.

Posted by
5471 posts

Baci chocolates! Not really a souvenir that you can keep but delicious.

Posted by
192 posts

I found lovely earrings on the Ponte Vecchio, in a little tiny shop near the Pitti Palace. They are tiny mosaics and they are beautiful! I don't remember the price, but they couldn't have been very expensive because I bought 3 pair for myself and 4 for gifts. :)

Posted by
12 posts

Rome, Florence, Assisi, And Milan...My wife is a pro shopper. We wished we had bought in Florence. Even the street vendors are the best quality and prices.
The other cities are typical. We wanted to wait till the end of our trip (Milano) so we would not have to drag items with us. (train) You can purchase another small bag w/wheels for e35,00 a knok-off. Well worth it.

Posted by
103 posts

and Kay.. don't forget the back streets are where the really good bargains are.. Those really pretty wine stoppers started at 45EU each in Murano and we found them for only 3EU several blocks behind Rialto Market in Venice.. However..Buyer beware.. if you really want Murano glass. There are many imitations.

Posted by
93 posts

How can you be sure Murano glass is authentic and not an imitation?

Posted by
75 posts

What about little pottery trinket boxes? I found some pretty ones about 2x2 in size and very well painted great for putting jewelry in. Also local flavors locally made flavored oils ect? I also get local spices and break them up into small ziplock bags when I get home so everyone can have some of each. You can pack liquids in your check in no problems just wrap socks around them and place it in the middle. I also found some really nice home made paper product and photo journals as well as wooden pencil holders ect...

Posted by
126 posts

One small gift I have brought back that others have requested from me on subsequent trips is an olive oil stopper that is made out of wood. It is stylized with a green leaf near the top of the bottle, and a black olive that dangles on a heavy plastic thread. They are in trendy little kitchen/gift shops and cost about $10. A little hard to describe, but unique. As a previous person wrote, I too like to go to the grocery store and look for different food items, cute candies, baking items etc. For myself, I collect all the cute multi-colored gelato spoons I use. After a number of trips, I have a lot of them. Someday I will arrange them in some creative way, maybe in a shawdow box.

Posted by
1056 posts

About Murano watches -- when I was in Venice a number of years ago my watch died. I bought a watch for about $30-40 with millifiore glass all around the edge of the watch face. I wear it all the time and still get compliments on it. When in Venice a couple of weeks ago we saw the same watches for sale all over town. (Millifiore glass is made by combining tiny tubes of glass into a design, then slicing like bologna -- comes out looking like multicolored glass flowers.) I also saw the watches with glass watchbands as well as the leather watchband mine had. The cheapest I saw any was 15 euros, though most cost around 25-30.

Posted by
340 posts

One of my favorite souvenirs is my collection of about 30 tea/dish towels that I have collected over the past 20 years. They can be found almost anywhere, are very inexpensive, and easy to pack. They may be a bit "kitschy" but everytime I put a fresh dish towel out I smile, remembering one of my happy travels. They each were made in the country where they were purchased (though the fabric may be of other origin). Some of my favorites: I have one printed with a recipe for Limocello in Italian and English from Sorrento; another with dancing children in Alsatian costume from Alsace Loraine, France; edelwiess is embroidered on my towel from the Austrian Alps; at a church rummage sale in the Cotswolds, England I found a gently used linen tea towel dating from the WWII era. They dry dishes great, too.