Gift ideas Italy

A historic stationer's shop open since 1909, as few are left today. A vintage setting from the delightful wood-panelled front door onwards, and an entire perimeter of display cases featuring notebooks, binders, notebooks, photo albums, pens and gifts of all kinds. Little girls love the large selection of shiny stickers. At the back of the store, you can still see the printer making bound books in traditional Florentine paper (made from small French lilies) in a variety of colors.

A fairy tale stationery shop that has been making boxes, photo albums, greeting cards and other items that will enchant young and old alike for thirty years. The printed papers are English, German and Dutch but the know-how is undoubtedly Italian. Donata and her daughter Gaia run the shop, always with a smile and good humour. We love their beautiful multicoloured boxes, which you can choose the paper you want to use to cover them, and also the notebooks and photo frames.

Since 1978, Signor Blum has been making hand-carved and hand-painted wooden toys and decorative objects. There are puzzles, clocks, airplanes and cherubs. Each piece is unique, the result of meticulous carving and brilliant coloring that denote true craftsmanship. Take an interest in the views of Venice, which are extremely realistic. The mobiles and animal representations are also remarkable. If you are looking for an original gift, it seems that this address will totally meet your expectations!

For more than 110 years - the activity began in 1908 - the Fontanini company has been making hand-painted cribs and statuettes (santons and angels) in the purest Lucchese tradition of figurine art. Fontanini's creations, of singular expressiveness and carefully modeled, are renowned throughout the world. The store is located in Chifenti, in Borgo a Mozzano, 21 kilometers from Lucca. There are other points of sale throughout Italy and online shopping is available on the factory's website.

The pedestrian zone is home to many souvenir shops. With a name like that, you'd think this one would have something typical to take home! The little store sells everything, stamped in the city's colors, red. From Fiori Rossi olive oil to Triestine soccer jerseys, from plush mascots to Terrano wine, from Citavecchia beer to honey, coffee and almond cookies. There are also necklaces with filigree pendants, Foglianera bracelets, scented soaps, James Joyce figurines...

Walking through the ghetto's alleys, you can watch from the window Yan Jia sitting in his workshop making his latest design creations. Earrings, bracelets, bags, dresses, there is something for every taste, and each piece is unique. Fashion designer in Shanghai, Yan Jia has been based in Bologna for years. She works with silk, leather, and, if you wear the fabric you like, she can make the piece of your choice

The designer cabinetmaker, who set up shop here in 2012, began by making original cutting boards and tables. Then his production expanded to small pieces of furniture and functional objects for the kitchen. With simple lines, durable materials and traditional techniques, his creations never age. On one side is the boutique, on the other the joinery and ceramics area, where shelves, chairs, rolling pins, mortars and pestles are produced... Danish and Japanese objects too, as well as Lithuanian pottery.

Specializing in luxury stationery since 1774, this august boutique develops a line of traditionally and naturally manufactured stationery. It's hard not to fall in love with the feel of its unique, heavyweight papers. This fine brand also sells remarkable leather satchels and a wide range of office accessories. We love their range of pens and pencils; Pineider has a great deal of expertise in this area, since its first fountain pen was marketed in 1884. A historic store in the heart of Florence.

Welcome to the kingdom of quality craftsmanship. According to an ancestral know-how, the owner of the place works all kinds of objects from beautiful and old papers: small and large notebooks, pencil cases, pockets, small purses, notepads, old lithographs... and even earrings in the shape of books! The colours chosen (yellow, green, orange, red, purple, blue) enhance many objects, themselves sublimated by typical Venetian motifs (inspired by the architecture of palaces, arches, cross-warping).

The Nardini distillery is the oldest and most popular in the area. Established in Bassano in 1779, its reputation has grown over the centuries; the French and Austrians, throughout the nineteenth century, were the real pillars of the distillery. The old distillery bar, located at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio, is therefore a small piece of history, which comes alive especially in the evening. People meet there to have a glass of grappa, often moving to the bridge. There is a large selection of bottles available for sale.

A pearl artist - a Frenchwoman, Venetian by adoption - who works with Murano glass rods, for which she became passionate as soon as she arrived in the lagoon. In her small workshop she creates unique and rare pearls, almost works of art, which she then assembles into jewellery according to her inspiration. All his creations tell a story. Jewelry for all budgets, you will find here pearls in earrings, necklaces and pendants, or more simply in talismans to wear always with you.

A trendy spot on the banks of the Arno, a stone's throw from the Ponte Vecchio, that every Florentine knows. Founded in 2006 by Irene Zarrilli, this boutique with a vintage accent offers a collection of romantic womenswear by independent designers. The selection features silk, cashmere, delicate floral motifs, timeless wrap dresses and vintage lingerie. You'll also find vintage jewelry and accessories. It's always worth a look when you're passing through.

Mobilvetta Design is a brand of the Trigano Group, even though it was born in 1961 as a company for the production of furniture. These origins dedicated to furniture and the most sophisticated cabinet making will prove decisive when, in 1976, Mobilvetta Design will convert the company's mission by approaching the outdoor market. Kea, Krosser, or K-Yacht, these are the models of the Italian Mobilvetta. Bravo for the interior decorations. Prices that reflect the quality offered. For an extreme attention to detail.

If you don't have the opportunity to explore the regions of Nuoro or Carbonia, very famous for their knives, you will find your happiness in this traditional cutlery. Clemente Binelli has been making collector's knives in the Sardinian tradition since 1979. Pattadese with pointed blade, arborese to cut leather or to hunt, corrina with olive leaf and handle in goat horn, you will surely find your happiness.

Before entering, you will first be attracted by the beautiful decoration of the many windows. And then the discovery of the store is like a walk in the heart of the Sardinian know-how, far from the clichés of the tourist stores. All the articles are of high quality, selected and presented with taste. The range goes from tableware to cosmetics, from basketry to jewelry. And much more... The welcome and the advice are personalized and Giuseppe speaks French. A store to please yourself...

This delightful shop highlights the handicraft know-how of the various regions of Sardinia through a selection of objects that reflect the great modernity of traditions. Elegant and refined, the beautiful and original objects are a world away from the folklore repertoire, while drawing on it. Wool carpets, embroidered tea towels or cushions, clay gourds, precious jewellery, many of the items are unique. We are at the antipodes of made in China and kitsch. The ideal place to do some typical shopping before going back

Chez Dolci Cose is the temple of confectionery. And has been for generations. Located between Piazza della Borsa and Piazza dei Signori, this extraordinary confectioner's shop is a must on the road to the historic center, and is sure to please any sweet tooth: chocolates, caramels, multi-shaped, multicolored and scented candies, or any other sweet product. Perfect for a gourmet gift. The display case and shelves are overflowing with meticulously presented sweets, usually in wicker baskets or sachets.

The Galerie Umberto I, one of Turin's three ancient shopping arcades, built on a former hospital and inaugurated in 1890, links the city center with the Roman Quadrilateral. It is home to a number of attractive shops, including this gallery, which is packed with design objects, many of which revolve around the capital of Piedmont or the region. It's the ideal place to treat yourself to something original, trendy and, at the same time, a souvenir of your stay here. And of course, it's the perfect place to bring home quality gifts made in Italy.