| Shopping In Italy | | | | can browse huge volumes of cheap clothes. |
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| Italy's hottest shopping draw is of course | | | | Shopping In Venice |
| fashion. Milan is home of the country's | | | | |
| fashion industry, but Rome is the main | | | | Venice has long been a place of trade and |
| Italian bazaar where the threads are put on | | | | remains a busy retail center. Though the big |
| the market. Here you can find the ultra chic | | | | name fashion houses are well-represented, the |
| garments of celebrated designers numbering in | | | | joy of shopping in Venice lies in hunting |
| the hundreds. Quality is very high and the | | | | down those local novelty items that evoke the |
| range of materials includes leather, cotton, | | | | spirit of La Serenissima. |
| silk and wool. | | | | |
| | | | However if it's brand name fashions you're |
| Other than garments, Italy is pre-eminent in | | | | after, Venice won't disappoint. The island's |
| the production of quality glassware, | | | | busiest shopping strip is the Merceri. It |
| furniture, jewellery and porcelain goods. | | | | runs all the ways from the Piazza to the |
| | | | Rialto Bridge and almost all the celebrated |
| Shopping In Rome | | | | Italian labels have boutiques here. |
| | | | |
| While Rome is overrun with international | | | | For other items, Calle della Mandola is the |
| fashion boutiques, shopping in the Eternal | | | | place to browse books and glass beads. And |
| City can still offer its own very Roman | | | | Campo Santo Stefano is the square for antique |
| flavour. For the ultimate in windows | | | | hunting. However, you can't leave Venice |
| shopping, the area around via Condotti at the | | | | without getting a souvenir carnival mask. |
| foot of the Spanish Steps is the place to go. | | | | |
| You can gaze at the creations of Armani, | | | | Carnival is the great event held every |
| Prada, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci and | | | | February but the masks are manufactured as |
| the other grand names in the elegant windows | | | | souvenirs all year-round in Venice's small |
| under the baroque or neoclassical facades. | | | | workshops. You can get everything from full |
| But remember that rents in Rome are sky high | | | | size porcelain masks with a hefty price tag |
| and so are the prices. | | | | to inexpensive ornaments such as silver |
| | | | earrings in the shape of carnival masks. |
| For antiques, head to Via dei Coronari. It's | | | | |
| a narrow pedestrianised street near Piazza | | | | The other great specialty of Venice is |
| Navona. The 500-meter long thoroughfare is | | | | glassware from the island of Murano. These |
| lined with antique stores and galleries. | | | | include such items as vases, clocks and wine |
| | | | bottle caps. And you can also get decorative |
| For the true Roman experience, you have to | | | | items such as rings, bracelets or pendants |
| visit one of the city's many markets. The | | | | made out of the delightful colored glass. |
| Sunday morning flea market at Porta Portese | | | | These can be very inexpensive and make great |
| is an overcrowded event where you can buy | | | | souvenirs of Venice. Other delights special |
| almost anything. It's held on via Portuense | | | | to Venice include porcelain dolls and Burano |
| south of the Porta Portese gate. Beware of | | | | lace work. |
| pickpockets. | | | | |
| | | | There is wide selection of hotels in Italy . |
| From Monday to Saturday, the morning market | | | | Check out the internet for hotels in Rome or |
| is in via Sannio, just outside the Roman | | | | Venice hotels. |
| walls by San Giovanni in Laterano. Here you | | | | |