Bringing home souvenirs from a trip abroad is one of the most magical aspects of a trip. Are you interested in going to Rome and you wonder what precious thing you can bring back with you? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Here’s our shopping list for Rome.
Shopping in Rome
Where to go shopping in Rome?
You can find expensive boutiques in the centre on Via Condotti or Via del Corso. There are both plenty of mass outlets with cheaper stuff (such as Castel Romano) and local shops with nice stuff that tends to be a bit pricier but also much better in quality. You can also find plenty of large markets in Rome, such as Mercato di Testaccio, Nuovo Mercato Esquilino or Borghetto Flaminio.
Before we begin, two reminders for if you’re planning to buy bottles of wine or olive oil in Rome. Firstly, remember that your hand luggage has a limit of 100 ml, so you’ll have to put all your larger bottles in your checked baggage. Secondly, to make sure your bottles don’t break if someone mistreats your baggage, take some bubble wrap and nets with you to protect them.
Clothes and shoes
Boutiques and outlets in Rome
Though Milan is the fashion capital, Rome also has some goods of its own. A great place to shop for clothes is Via Condotti street in the centre, near the Spanish Steps. You’ll find such icons like Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari, Alberta Ferretti, Hermès, Prada and many others. Other places where you can find boutiques and fashion shops include Via Del Corso, the Castel Romano outlet and Via Frattina. In our opinion, Rome is genuinely the second best place in terms of shopping for clothes.
Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone
A popular wine across all of Lazio
Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone is an Italian wine produced in the commune of Montefiascone in Viterbo, Lazio.
The unique name of the wine comes from a silly story about a German bishop travelling to Rome and looking for the best wine. Given that it has been retold countless times, various versions of it have popped up, but Tom Stevenson’s Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia specifies that the bishop was likely Johann Fugger, who was travelling to Rome for the coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor. On his way, he sent his servant to scout the area and find the best wine in the region. The servant would then leave chalk writings on the doors of places where he found good wine. The message he would leave was ‘Est’, meaning ‘there is’ (as in, good wine’s there). When he came to Montefiascone, he fell in love with the local wine so much the left the adorably enthusiastic “Est! Est!! Est!!!”. There’s also a grave of Johann Fugger in Montefiascone and one variant of the story proposes that the bishop, too, was so impressed with the wine that he stayed in Montefiascone till his death. How much of that is true remains unknown, but it is one hell of a backstory for your wine (and it has worked wonders as advertising).
Est Est Est is a white wine based on Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. You can find di Montefiascone for around €10 in Rome, so it’s also not too pricey.
Perfumes
Not just the well-known brands
Ancient Romans used scented ointments made of flower petals, spices and other natural ingredients before we figured out perfumes. Today, though, most people just buy perfumes. Just like with clothes, Rome is a perfect place to stock up on perfumes as well. You can find the best ateliers and perfumeries in the centre at via Francesco Cripsi 73 in Cherry Roma Profumi and Via Candia 29 in Naima Candia Profumi.
Pecorino Romano cheese
Cheese from Lazio
We can’t have a trip to Italy without real Italian cheese. Lazio is, thankfully, an abundant land in sheep milk cheeses, with Pecorino Romano as the most popular of the bunch. The name ‘Pecorino’ comes from ‘sheep’ in Italian. It’s hard, salty and made exclusively from the milk of sheep raised on the plains of Lazio, Sardinia and two Tuscan provinces. The recipe comes from the Ancient Romans.
La Bottega del Marmoraria
A souvenir from Rome
The best marble in Italy has always come from Carrara, and lots of it was imported to Rome. You may already be familiar with the distinct marble plaques with inscriptions in the style of Ancient Rome. You can still buy them today, either choosing from the already made collection or asking a local craftsman for a personalised one. We especially recommend La Bottega del Marmoraro in Via Margutta 53B (you can check out their instagram here). You can also buy other things made of marble in Rome, be it figurines, miniatures of the Colosseum and other interesting stuff. 🙂 A small plaque will cost you about €14.
Jewellery
Local jewellery from Rome
Just like with clothes, you can find jewellery in the centre, on Via Condotti. Rome isn’t just about the big brands though, like Tiffany & CO. Rome is also abundant in local unique jewellery that you can’t find anywhere else. If you are looking for typically Roman jewellery, we recommend Percossi Papi on Via di S. Eustachio, 16. You’ll find plenty of unique earrings here, with prices starting around €300. You can also buy architecturally inspired jewellery from co.ro at Via della Scrofa 52.
Coppiette
Dried Salami
This is the Italian version of the famous beef jerky, only it’s made of salami. Strips of dried salted and dehydrated meat are sprinkled with spices and hot pepperoncini peppers. The drying period of the meat lasts about two months. Sometimes you can also find versions made from donkey meat. Coppiette prices in Rome are around €33 per kg.
Gammarelli socks
Pope favourite socks
Did you know that Pope Francis has a favourite sock shop? Yes, he buys them from the tailor at the Gammarelli shop, near the Pantheon. Though the selection is quite limited to clothes for priests, you can still become sock twinsies with the Pope.
Chocolate
Cioccolato dei Trappisti
Where to buy the best chocolates in Rome? We have two recommendations: one popular option and another nicher one. Firstly, Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato – this is one of the popular Italian chocolate chains. Secondly, for the niche option, the Bottega dei Trappisti, with their beautiful handmade chocolates are produced on the spot.
Pasta
Pasta from Lazio
Each Italian region has a local type of pasta that the locals are proud of. In Rome, such a local type of pasta would be Bucatini. It is a type of pasta that combines the advantages of wide and long shapes – there is a hole in the middle of the bucatini, just like in penne, but much smaller. Where to buy bucatini in Rome? Basically wherever, you’ll likely find it in every grocery shop.
Antiques from Rome
Flea markets
Of course, you can’t take actual real antiques out of Rome, but there are also lots of antique souvenirs available for purchase that you can find on flea markets. There are items from the Second World War and from earlier eras. You can find antiques in Via Sannio from Monday to Saturday, Piazza della Marina 32 on Sunday (Borghetto Flaminio) and in Mercato di Porta Portese on Sunday.
Stationery
Notepads, cards, paper
If you want a cheap and usable souvenir from Rome, you can always opt for notebooks, postcards or bookmarks. For fancier stationery options, you can visit Il Papiro – they have a couple of branches in Rome where you can buy handmade notebooks and beautifully decorated paper.
Devotional gifts
Souvenirs from the Vatican
What else is there to buy in Rome? Devotional souvenirs, of course. We wrote more about these types of souvenirs in a separate article about what you can buy in the Vatican specifically.
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