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The 15 Best Things To Bring Back From Italy

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Italy is one of the most beautiful countries to visit. The highlight of your trip could be the magnificent cities with iconic architecture or the heavenly countryside. But what better way to remember your trip than to bring back a piece of Italy?

Luckily, there is no shortage of items on display in gift shops and stores. All that’s left is for you to pick the right ones. But you’ll soon realize that selection of souvenirs from Italy might not be as easy as initially thought.

After all, Italy is blessed with history and culture that make it hard to figure out what the best things are. That’s precisely why we’ve written this guide for you. If you have selection troubles, use our guide to determine what to bring back from your trip to Italy. Let’s start.

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The 15 Best Things To Bring Back From Italy

There’s no shortage of souvenirs and items to bring from your Italy trip. Italy has everything from food and cooking essentials to designer clothing and cultural trinkets. Moreover, you will have no trouble finding shops that provide these items. To make the selection more manageable, we’ve created a shopping list. Use our list for reference and convenience. With that said, let’s start.

Murano Glassware

Fancy Things To Bring Back from Italy

Be careful when handling fragile items such as Murano Glassware. The impressively-looking glassware might make you jump off your feet to purchase a piece, but you must handle it delicately. Murano glassware is native to an island in Venice, hence why this type of glassware is often referred to as Venetian glassware.

You can find Murano Glassware items anywhere around Venice. In addition, the types of items made from Murano Glassware are truly astonishing. You can purchase cups, glasses, gems, ashtrays, key chains, figurines, and anything your heart desires. 

Best Things To Bring Back From Italy: Murano Glassware

Murano glassware is the perfect home decor purchase to revitalize your living space. However, you should know that glassware items don’t come cheap. It also makes a great gift from Italy for that special friend.

Italian Leather Handbags

Luxury Things To Bring Back from Italy

There’s a reason why Italian leather is so expensive. Prominent brands such as Gucci and Prada put exorbitant prices on their leather products. But what if we told you that you could find leather handbags of equal quality without the brand name for a much, much lower price? 

Italian Leather Handbags

For that, take a trip to Florence. The city of Florence is well-known for its handcrafted leather products. Thousands of small shops around the town offer high-quality leather products (all handmade). That means you can own an Italian leather handbag that doesn’t cost thousands of dollars! 

And these handbags are of the highest quality, so you’re not making a mistake. So take a trip down to San Lorenzo Market in central Florence to get acquainted with Italian leather. 

Italian Red Wine Vinegar

The Italian south isn’t only famous for its magnificent wine. It’s also famous for the vinegar they make from red wine. And if you’re thinking about bringing home red wine as a gift from Italy, consider also taking red wine vinegar.

Italian Red Wine Vinegar

Italians use red wine vinegar to season salads and in cooking. Considering the sheer number of vineyards in Italy, you can’t go wrong with this one.

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Formaggio Cheese Tool 

Decadent Things To Bring Back from Italy

If you want to cut cheese right, consider getting a cutting tool set for Formaggio cheese. Formaggio cheese tool sets have everything you need to serve cheese the Italian way. 

Cheese tool sets can be found anywhere in Italy, from gift shops to supermarkets. Most cheese tool sets have four types of knives. These will most likely be a small spade knife, a narrow plane knife, a flat chisel, and a serving fork. 

Formaggio Cheese Tool 

When buying a set, always make sure you’re buying stainless steel. Stainless steel is the most durable metal for serving and cutting equipment, and you can’t go wrong with it.

Moreover, find a Formaggio cheese tool set with a cutting board so you can cut your cheese on the spot. Every time you use these gifts from Italy, you will bring back memories of your vacation. 

Italian Pasta

Delicious Things To Bring Back from Italy

What good is a trip to Italy if you don’t bring back Italian pasta with you? Sure, there might be plenty of Italian pasta brands at home, but nothing beats the taste of homemade pasta. That’s why you should avoid pasta at supermarkets and instead find niche family-owned stores that make pasta the Italian way.

Italian Pasta

Fortunately, you won’t have trouble finding these shops, as they’re spread all over Italy. Additionally, some family-owned pasta stores sell to local supermarkets, so you might also find some luck on that front. 

But regardless, it would be a shame not to bring back homemade Italian pasta with you.

Spices and Seasonings

Cheap Things To Bring Back from Italy

If you’re looking for a cheap foodie souvenir that takes no luggage space, spices and seasonings are the way to go. We always recommend spices and seasonings as it is the perfect foodie item that transforms any dish.

Spices and Seasonings

Moreover, spices and seasonings are exactly what you need to preserve the taste of Italy. If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine, there aren’t many more affordable gifts from Italy to bring back. 

Cookbook

Speaking of foodie things to bring from Italy, few books captivate our attention as much as a cookbook. A cookbook contains all the essential information about making Italian dishes correctly!

Cookbook

Cookbooks are so convenient that they tell you how to prepare any meal. That’s exactly why you should pick up an Italian cookbook when shopping around the city. Considering Italians are quite the foodies, you’ll have no trouble finding a famous chef’s cookbook on the cheap. These books will teach you how to make any Italian dish, from pizza to lasagne. 

Limoncello

You might think a bottle of red or white wine is the perfect drink to bring from your trip to Italy. However, we suggest you rethink that decision, especially if you’re low on luggage space.

Instead of a bottle of red or white, consider Limoncello. Limoncello is a famous Italian liqueur. And there are some very expensive Limoncello brands in Italy. 

Limoncello

However, you’re not after big brand names – you’re after small, family-owned beachfront stores in small towns. These make the best Limoncello liqueur, despite what some people might say. With that said, even the most affordable Limoncello is expensive, so expect to pay a hefty price if you want to bring back a bottle of Limoncello as an Italian gift.

Moka Pot

Italians love making coffee. While they don’t share the same enthusiasm for coffee as the French, they make a mean coffee. As a result, Italian bars are always packed in the morning. People love their coffee, and they will pay for it. 

When traveling across Italy, put Italian coffee on your bucket list. The more seasoned veterans have a trick up their sleeves – they make their coffee at home!

Moka Pot

The best way to make Italian coffee is a Moka pot. You don’t need an espresso machine to make good coffee – you need a Moka pot. Moka pots aren’t expensive at all, especially compared to espresso machines. You can find Moka pots all across Italy, and they are quite reasonable in price.

So what better way to sample Italian coffee culture than with a Moka pot?

Italian Ceramics

If you’re considering bringing home a piece of decor as an Italian souvenir, consider Italian ceramic goods. Italians make all kinds of ceramic goods, from vases to pasta dishes and even ashtrays. 

And if you remember what we said about Florence, that is also where you find the best Italian ceramics. More specifically, look for ceramic goods if you’re traveling the Amalfi Coast. There, you will find plenty of small shops that sell ceramic goods. 

Italian Ceramics

Italian ceramics are good-looking and will do wonders for your home decor. But Italian ceramics are also quite functional. For example, a set of four pasta dishes will last for years, even if you use them daily. 

Venetian Masks

If your trip takes you to Venice, you must get a Venetian Mask. Venetian masks are world-famous for their unique designs. They also make frequent appearances in Hollywood cinema. 

But traditionally speaking, wearers wore Venetian masks to protect their identity. More specifically, they were worn by the Venetian elite societies. 

Venetian Masks

Nowadays, they’re all the rage during the Venetian Carnival. 

If you find yourself in Venice during the Carnival, you must get a Venetian mask as a souvenir from Italy and escape reality for a short time.

Luxury Things To Bring Back from Italy: Perfume

What good is a trip to Italy if you’re not going to buy perfume? Italy has no shortage of designer brands that cost hundreds of dollars per bottle. Although you shouldn’t underpay for good perfume, plenty of Italian perfume brands smell just as good for a fraction of the cost.

Perfume

To buy good perfume, visit the Santa Mario Novella Pharmacy in Florence. The store dates back to the 13th century and was the favorite shopping place for Florentine elites. 

Italian Jewelry

Italian jewelry, more specifically gold jewelry, is one of a kind. Most Italian jewelers sell 18-karat gold and create pieces of remarkable beauty. The Italians are also quite famous for their jewelry pieces. 

A unique distinction of Italian jewelry is the use of historical elements. After all, the Romans ruled the known world for a long time. But modern-themed jewelry pieces are equally impressive. In addition, Italians love putting religious meaning in their jewelry. 

Italian Jewelry

That’s why plenty of vendors sell bracelets, earrings, rings, and other jewelry pieces with Christian symbols. So if you’re considering purchasing a jewelry souvenir from Italy, there’s no shortage of vendors to serve you. 

Italian Sunglasses

It would be a shame not to enjoy your trip to Italy with a pair of Ray-Bans. As with jewelry or loafers, Italians love wearing sunglasses. They also love making them, which means shades could be one of the best things to bring back from your trip to Italy.

Much like designer shoes, handbags, and clothing, Italian designer sunglasses are some of the most expensive in the world. But fear not; plenty of vendors sell quality sunglasses for a fraction of the price of designer sunglasses.  

Italian Sunglasses

However, if you fancy splashing the cash, there’s no better brand to splash on than Ray-Ban. Ray-Ban is so popular in Italy because they’re not only Italian, but they’re good-looking and sponsor the pride of Italian formula racing – Scuderia Ferrari. 

Italian Religious Gifts

We did mention that Italians love putting a religious touch on their jewelry. However, religion is far more important in Italy. So much so that they make all kinds of religious souvenirs of Italy, and these souvenirs are the perfect Italian gifts to take back home.

Italian Religious Gifts

The most popular Italian religious gifts are small statues. Other popular gifts from Italy include small mirrors, Catholic icons, etc. If you’re religious, stop by one of Rome’s many gift shops and find yourself a small statue of Jesus. Italians put in a lot of effort and have great attention to detail. 

Things To Bring Back From Italy: Conclusion

Shopping in Italy is one of the best experiences – if you have the money. The land of designer names, breathtaking architecture, and unprecedented history presents the best opportunity to shop for something unique. 

But to do that, you must leave plenty of room in your luggage. So, to make item selection easier, we’ve put together a list of fifteen items you must bring back from your trip to Italy.

FAQ About Things To Bring Back From Italy

What can I bring back from Italy as a gift?

15 items to bring back from Italy

  • Murano Glassware
  • Italian Leather Handbags
  • Italian Red Wine Vinegar
  • Formaggio Cheese Tool
  • Italian Pasta
  • Spices and Seasonings
  • Cookbook
  • Limoncello
  • Moka Pot
  • Italian Ceramics
  • Venetian Mask
  • Perfume
  • Italian Jewelry
  • Italian Sunglasses
  • Italian Religious Gifts

What food can I bring back from Italy?

Food items to bring back from Italy

  • Italian Red Wine Vinegar
  • Formaggio Cheese Tool
  • Italian Pasta
  • Spices and Seasonings
  • Cookbook
  • Limoncello
  • Moka Pot

What is a famous item to bring back from my trip to Italy?

Italy is most famous for its designer brands. So if you have the money, spend it on a designer handbag, clothes, sunglasses, and perfume. This is definitely one of the best things to bring back from Italy.

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