Shopping Rome
Italians love fashion and really attach a great importance to their looks, but that is probably no surprise to you. Their sense for style and love of design is known all around the world. Many design companies, fashion designers like Valentino and Dolce and Gabbana or designers of kitchen products such as Alessi, originate in Italy. Thus it should be no surprise that Rome is a shopper’s paradise! Much of the shopping is concentrated around the Via del Corso, the Via dei Condotti and the Via Nazionale, but there are other areas where you’ll be able to satisfy your need to buy.
Fashionstreet in Rome
The main shopping streets of Rome are the Via del Corso, leading from Piazza del Popolo (metro A, stop Flaminio) to Piazza Venezia, and Via Condotti, leading from the Via del Corso to the Spanish steps (Piazza di Spagna, metro A, stop Spagna). Especially the Via Condotti is made for big spenders: here you find Gucci, Prada, Versace, Bulgari, et cetera. Admire the nice shop-windows or sneak inside and dream away with these marvellous products. Via del Corso is more accessible. It is full of energy and loved both by tourists and Italians. The same applies to Via Nazionale, which is one of the other shopping axes of the centre.
Boutiques and galleries in Rome
Nice boutiques are also to be found in the area around Campo Marzio. This is an ideal place to shop for the finest shirts and blouses and maybe even order your own custom made shirt or suit. This quarter is also home to many antique shops. Unfortunately, the souvenir shops have taken over some artistic stores and galleries around piazza Navona, but there is still a lot of authentic charm to be found here.
Galleria Alberto Sordi in Rome
Of course, Rome also has it own shopping malls. Most of them are located out of the city centre. An exception is the galleria Alberto Sordi in Via del Corso. This shopping centre has many cloth stores, book stores and also some bars and cafes. Sometimes concerts or other events are organised here. The giant bookstore Feltrinelli occupies some of the space of the mall. They also have a collection of English books, CDs and DVDs.
Galleria Alberto Sordi, Via del Corso (at the height of piazza Colonna)
Markets in Rome
The most famous market in Rome is the Sunday morning market at Porta Portese in Trastevere. The market features antique, furniture and many other nice items for in your house. Many products are second hand. The daily market at Campo de’ Fiori is a great place to buy tasty fresh fruit and vegetables and spices from all around the world. Also at the market of piazza Vittorio you’ll be able to find many nice products. This multicultural market is less known, but the market halls give a great glimpse of how the so-far limited immigration is adding to the Italian cuisine. Migrants from Africa, the Middle East or the Far East each bring their own products to enrich the Italian culinary traditions. This market is the spot where you can feel what a multicultural city Rome is becoming.
Piazza Vittorio market, Via Principe Amedeo