Traveling through the bright and sunny Italy, admiring the magnificent architecture and historical sights, enjoying the national cuisine and the beautiful weather, you involuntarily think about what to bring from this country to extend the charm of the trip, as well as to please relatives and friends. It is unlikely that it will be possible to pack the Leaning Tower of Pisa or real Italian lasagna in a suitcase, but you need to buy all sorts of tasty, unusual, pleasant and interesting souvenirs from Italy.
Edible souvenirs from Italy
The most popular souvenir that is in the baggage of every second tourist returning from Italy, of course, is pasta. Such a variety of pasta of various shapes, colors and sizes can not be found, perhaps, in no country in the world. It is advisable to buy special sauces in beautiful souvenir packs for pasta - such souvenirs from Italy will be a pleasant gift for loved ones, friends and colleagues.
Olive oil is a very worthy souvenir from Italy
Gourmet friends will certainly be pleased with a bottle of green olive oil - the national pride of Italy. Despite the fact that Spain is the leader in the production of olive oil, Italian oil is considered to be of better quality. And if it is also beautifully packaged - for example, in a bottle of Venetian glass, you can’t come up with the best souvenir from Italy.
Often from Italy, balsamic vinegar is brought - a magnificent Italian salad dressing, which is made from white grapes. The cost of balsamic, as well as good wine, depends on aging - the older the bottle of vinegar, the higher its price.
It is worth mentioning about world-famous Italian cheeses - mozzarella, gorgonzola, Parmesan, as well as the famous Parma hams, ham and sausages. Such souvenirs are best taken in the cold season, since a trip to the summer heat is unlikely to benefit these delicious products.
Italy has a huge selection of souvenirs
Italian sweets are also incredibly good - an exquisite Tiramisu dessert, delicious Amaretti macaroons or the famous Turin chocolate pyramids. Sweet souvenirs from Italy will please any sweet tooth, even the most fastidious.
- We also recommend: Products from Italy: 7 ideas for edible souvenirs from the Apennines.
Alcohol from Italy
No self-respecting tourist returns from Italy without a bottle of delicious wine, and more often than not one. You can buy wine produced in the region where you were relaxing, or buy the classic Italian Chianti, Bardolino or Lambrusco.
Fans of stronger drinks will surely enjoy the famous Limoncello citrus liqueur, and those who prefer more serious drinks - traditional Italian grappa - vodka, which is made from squeezed grapes remaining after wine production. Grappa used to be a drink of poor peasants, today it is served in the best restaurants in the world along with brandy or cognac. Liquors and grappa can be bought both in a beautifully designed souvenir bottle, and in a regular one - cheaper.
- We also recommend: Italian alcohol: 5 alcohol-souvenir ideas for travelers.
Traditional italian souvenirs
Of course, tourists from Italy, as well as from any other country in the world, carry all kinds of magnets, T-shirts, mugs, plates with pictures of sights, but there are also souvenirs that you will not see anywhere else, they will be discussed.
Carnival dolls - another souvenir from Italy
Since Italy is a country of noisy and brilliant carnivals, all kinds of carnival figures will be excellent souvenirs, they can be miniature or tall with an average doll painted with paints or dressed in carnival costumes made of bright fabrics. Another carnival souvenir is a Venetian mask, masks of various sizes, made of plaster, clay, leather, papier-mâché, are sold not only in Venice itself, but throughout Italy.
In souvenir shops you can often find figures of Pinocchio, an Italian fairytale character who has become the prototype of our Pinocchio, a nice little man with a big nose will be an excellent gift for both a child and an adult.
Pinocchio is a cute fairytale character with a big nose.
No less than Pinocchio, David's figures are popular in Italy - copies of the famous sculpture of Michelangelo, Romeo and Juliet - the heroes of William Shakespeare's famous play, as well as miniature figurines depicting gladiators.
As a memorable souvenir about a trip to Italy, you can bring figurines depicting the Roman Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Verona Amphitheater or other historical and architectural sights of the country.
If funds allow, it is worth paying attention to Murano glass - the range of products of famous glassblowers from the Murano island is quite large, everyone will certainly find something to their liking: a set of dishes or a flower vase, multi-colored beads or watches, a figurine or an ashtray.
The range of products of the famous Murano glassblowers is quite large
Buranian lace, made by skilled craftswomen, deserves no less attention than Murano glass - delicious lace tablecloths, napkins, shawls, stoles, brooches and even umbrellas are very popular among tourists.
In recent years, funny but somewhat frivolous kitchen aprons with images of nude statues copying the works of famous Renaissance Italian sculptors have appeared in Italian stores. Such non-trivial souvenirs can be presented to close friends or relatives, in the presence of a sense of humor in which you are absolutely sure.
Kitchen aprons became popular souvenirs from Italy
In addition to the usual souvenirs, magnificent leather bags and accessories, fashionable clothes, and excellent shoes are brought from Italy - both for yourself and as gifts. However, the topic of shopping in Italy is so wide that BlogoItaliano put it in a separate section.
Photos by: Caterina Policaro, Alexander Edward, Around Tuscany, Jorge Quinteros, James, Bob, Mystic Ed.
