When in Rome, where to buy cool stuff?

August 1, 2006 8:31 PM

We're going to Rome for ten days this fall. Whoo! Anyway, I know there's other Rome threads on here for restaurant and hotel suggestions, but who has suggestions for other cool stuff, like markets/fabric and crafty-type stores, artisan shops, antique places, kitchen and food stores; basically, any place where I can buy cool stuff?

I like crafty stuff, and pretty much most of the furniture in our house came from antique places, secondhand places, or the alley (it looks nice! I promise!), and I like cooking stuff--gadgets, books, new foods, etc. Also, if anyone wants to throw in some fabulous restaurant suggestions, even for non-Italian places (Vietnamese, Thai) have at it. Thanks!

posted by printchick to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

Porta Portese market on Sunday. Very fun.
posted by yeti at 8:34 PM on August 1, 2006

There are some fabric stores near the Cripta dei Balbi on Via delle Botteghe Oscure.

Porta portese will be the big market for anything you want (the joke here is that if you have something stolen during the week, you can buy it back on Sunday at Porta Portese). watch your wallet while there.

The market at Via Sannio during the week days (near San Giovanni) has more second hand clothes. Campo dei Fiori is also during the week days and is more food oriented, but you might find a closer, smaller market near your hotel that's just about equal and probably cheaper.

Cooking gadgets - hmm. Offhand I can think of a store on Via dei Plebiscito, but you'll also find gadgets of varying quality at some of the markets.

Artisan shops are scattered around; try Trastevere, via del Governo Vecchio, and around Campo dei Fiori.

Antiques I'm not very knowledgeable about, but googling says shops can be found in Via dei Coronari, Via Giulia, Via Margutta, Via del Babuino and Via del Pellegrino.
posted by romakimmy at 4:02 AM on August 2, 2006

I found some beautiful ceramics at Modigliani near the Spanish Steps.
posted by sagwalla at 5:43 AM on August 2, 2006

I hate to tell the world about this place, the coolest store I know anywhere, but it's early in the morning and I'm feeling generous.

Check out Polvere di Tempo (the dust of time) on Via del Moro 59 in Trastevere. Google for directions, it's not that hard to find. It's a magical little store that sells hourglasses, sundials, globes, sextants, compasses - and funky jewelry based on old timekeepers. They also have gorgeous old maps and prints, and ingenious little ancient gizmos. Everything is beautiful, prices aren't too insane and the elaborate way they wrap things make for a knock-your-socks-off gift. The owner, a world traveling architect who speaks an insane number of languages, will chat your ear off if you let him, and it's worth having a coffee with him and arguing world politics and religion and such.
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:44 AM on August 2, 2006 [4 favorites]

Oh, and second Porta Portese but beware the gypsy kids who do the swarm thing to steal your wallet and the three card monte type guys. The deeper you go, the better the ratio of crap-to-cool gets.
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:46 AM on August 2, 2006