Rome, the eternal city is famed for the magnificence of its monuments and fountains, its historical and cultural traditions, and the wealth of its architectural history. Visitors descending on the Italian capital also discover to their delight that Rome is also quite a Mecca for shoppers.
Consumables feature among some of Rome's most typical gifts : chocolates, fine wines,cheese and pasta are all good buys to take home. Unfortunately you can't take home some of the culinary joys such as a cup of cappucino or an ice cream from a Gelateria.
For up market, high fashion goods, Rome has few equals - there are dozens of small, quality stores specialising in fashion and gifts. Gucci is one of the most popular international names in leather goods, Giorgio Armani and Emperor Armani sell clothing for men and women, and other really classy outlets include Salvatore Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferre and Luisa Spagnoli.
The city has fun fashion stores, plush jewellers, shops selling fine glass and crystal ware,and delightful embroidered linen. If you are looking for stylish shoes, Rome is one of the best places to buy them. The city is also famous for leather goods, although the leather handbags and jackets beckoning from store windows are no longer as inexpensive as they once were.
The Piazza di Spagna, named after the residence of the Spanish ambassador to the Vatican, is a major focal point for Rome's tourism. The square and the streets below the steps are the places for smart shopping, with the area bounded by Via dei Condotti, Via Borgognona and Via Frattini the most exclusive in Rome.If you have the time check out the Keats Shelley Memorial House-a great place to see memorobilia of two of England's greatest poets.
Generally the Romans themselves love the smaller shops, and many of the really top names of high fashion, for shoes, handbags and clothing, are tucked away in the courtyards of the splendid mansions facing either these same streets or the alleys to the side of them.
Valentino's women's high fashion centre, Yves Saint Laurent, and Versace's Milanese style are all located in Via Bocca di Leone while streets specialising in antiques and furnishings are Via del Babbuino ( try Cesari at No 16 for linen and lingerie ), Via dei Coronari and Via Margutta, which is also the street of artists. Another fine store for quality linens and beautiful bedspreads is Ellepi on Via della Croce.
The upper area of Via del Corso has boutiques and stacks of small shops catering to youthful fashion tastes. The area beyond the Corso - between Piazza S Lorenzo in Lucina and the Pantheon, Piazza Navona - is still full of little shops which have been in the same family for generations and which keep - up the tradition of high quality in their wares. The area near the Trevi fountain is a good place to find economy-class shoe shops for those put-off by the high prices of the merchandise in the Piazza di Spagna and Veneto shopping areas. For art books, Messaggeri Bocca at Via delle Carroze 50 has an outstanding reputation.
Another enclave which should be considered by the serious shooper is the beginning of Via Appia Nuova at Porta San Giovanni where there are several department stores and small shops selling produce at competitive prices. Many offer vendita promozionale ( promotional sales ) where good bargains can be obtained but as always the secret to wise shopping knowing what is really stylish and what is merely passe.
Rome stores usually are open from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and then from 3.30 pm or 4.00 to 7.30 or 8.00 pm. They close on Sundays and for one half day during the week. During the summer months, however, most stores are closed on Saturday afternoons.
Open Markets
@@@@ Via Sannio - this umbrella - covered market, located behind a department store at the San Giovanni underground train A line stop, is open for business on Mondays to Fridays 8.00 am to 1.00 pm and on Saturday 8.00 am to 7.00 pm.
There is a wide variety of stalls selling myriad varieties of new and second - hand clothes and camping equipment. The biggest draw for foreigners and a bargain buy are the leather goods and accessories which sell at much lower prices than in the department stores.
@@@ Piazza Fontanella Borghese - trading takes place every day except Sundays at this market which is a chic spot to see and be seen in. The specialities here include old books, second - hand cutlery, prints and maps, and antiques. Bargaining makes for exciting shopping but you probably need to know a smattering of Italian.
@@@ Porta Portese - Rome's most famous flea market is open only on Sunday mornings and it is advisable to get to the Porta Portese early if you are after a bargain. There are reckoned to be more than 2,200 vendors here which gives you good idea of the popularity of the place. It's de rigeur to bargain, bargain and bargain some more but remember the stall holders know their stuff inside out.
Besides antiques - some of which are of the instant variety - the Porta Portese is a good haunt for leather goods, prints, inexpensive clothes, radios, and handicrafts. There is increasingly an international flavor at this market with more and more North African and Arab peddlers selling carpets and African - made handicraft items. Be warned though - the Porta Portese market is also a haven for purse snatchers and pickpockets, so it is wise to take adequate precautions.
@@@ Department Stores .
Department stores in town range from the Coin and La Rinascente to UPIM and Standa. The Coin is in Piazzale Appio, Viale Libia 61, and this is particularly good for clothing and up market fashions. La Rinascente located in Piazza Colonna and Piazza Fiume offers a very wide of goods and really makes serious efforts to attract the foreign shopper, with features like discounts and money - changing services, and posts some of its prices in US dollars.
The Standa and UPIM stores are to be founded scattered throughout the city but the most central of the Standa stores are in Via Cola Rienzo and Via Appia Nuova and those of UPIM in Via Nazionale, Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore and Via del Tritone. Both these stores carry a wide range of merchandise at reasonable prices such as leather goods and glassware.
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
very helpful
helpful
helpful
somewhat helpful
somewhat helpful
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
