Shopping

(Garments, accessories & shoes) Address: Calle Goldoni 4412, San Marco, 30124 Venezia Phone: 0039 041 5234758 Website: www.armani.com

San Marco 307-337, Burano - Venice Vast selection of Burano Lace Open - Daily 9 - 7 pm Cerentola San Polo 2718, calle dei Saoneri - Venice Specialized in Burano Lace Open - Monday - Saturday 10 -1p / 4 - 8 p Murano Glass Murano Glass Tour - A two and a half hour guided tour of Murano Island, which includes a visit to the Glass museum and the glass factory. Murano Collezioni Fondamento Mani 1/cd, Murano - Venice Glass factory producing high quality Murano glass ware Open - Daily 10 - 6 pm Mazzega - Murano Fondamenta da Mula 147, Murano - Venice Murano Glass ware Open - Daily 9 - 5.30 pm Schiavon - Palazzo del Vetro Fondamento Vetrai 15, Murano - Venice Murano Glass ware Open - Daily 9 - 5.30 pm

(Shoes) Address: san vio 871, 30123 Venezia Phone: +39-41-523-1163

There are countless attractive shops in Venice and several vendors of trademark Venetian wares such as glass and lace. Whether these goods are genuine is debatable but they are often pleasing to the eye. For those who are willing to pay the high price, there are jewelers, antiques dealers, and high-fashion boutiques with world-class quality and at the same time bearing a uniquely Venetian flair. There craft and art studios around Venice where high-quality, one-of-a-kind articles, from handmade shoes to decorative lamps and mirrors are available. One should mark the location of a shop that interests you on your map or you might not be able to find it again in the network of tiny streets.

Venice residents, head to the street market put up on Tuesdays, where everything is up for sale. From shoes to salami to clothes and gadgets, everything is available at reasonable prices.

One of the most esteemed mask makers of Venice, Guerrino Lovato is the owner of Mondonovo, an art studio of sorts specializing in masks. Besides masks the shop also sells fancy costumes.

Ca del Sol Castello 4964, fondamento de l'Osmarin, San Zaccaria - VE Specializes in hand-made Venice Carnival Masks Open - Daily 10 - 8pm Ca Macana Dorsoduro 3172, calle de le Botteghe, San Barnaba - Venice Specializes in hand-made Venetian Masks Open - Daily 10 - 7pm Casanova Masks San Marco 1657, piscine de Frezzeria - Venice Specializes in hand-made Venetian Carnival Masks

Fondamenta dei Vetrai 91/92

Bric-a-Brac Address: Fondamenta delˊOsmarin, Castello 4968, Venezia

Items like trinkets, key chains, and decoration pieces are sold here.

If you are on a budget, this is the best market to buy everything under the sun, from fish to garments to souvenirs.

Italian coffee, candy, cookies, and other common food items could be given as gifts or saved for a special occasion. An almond sweet called Torrone and Perugina chocolate wrapped in ornament-shaped plastic balls are very much in demand during Christmas time. A great shop called I Tre Mercanti has excellent packaged gourmet foods and offers a large variety of pasta sauces. I Tre Mercanti Address: Sestiere Castello, 5364 30122 Venice

Very practical in the sun, they are attractive and make a great Venetian souvenir.

Murano glass artists produce large, inexpensive quantities of souvenirs that are sophisticated, attractive, and even amusing. Available are glass beads in several colors, loose or threaded into attractive necklaces. Mock candy complete with mock paper wrappers, to use as decorations on a windowsill, or on Christmas-trees. A little more costly are fishbowls or aquariums. A place to shop for Murano glass objects is the close by Murano Glass Island where there are several shops beside the island's central canal.

Handcrafted marbleized paper, travel diaries and other fancy stationery items make interesting gifts. Traditional Venetian metal stamps, sealing-wax kits will make a memorable souvenir for the recipient.

Many large book stores in Venice house a vast selection of travel books, coffee-table books, and maps, many of which cannot be found in any other country. A great buy are the postcards and packets of accordion-fold photo cards as they make a great souvenir. St. Mark's Basilica is one of the popular postcard shops around. Posters, prints and wall maps also make splendid gifts and souvenirs. When buying posters make sure they are rolled up and packed in a tube for easy carrying.

Games of various types have been designed and played by Venetians for a long time. Venice boasts two world-renowned game designers, Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello who also own a wonderful little shop called Lanterna Magica which sells toys and Venetian crafts and games like War of the Rings, Age of Conan, and Marvel Heroes which have been created by them. Lanterna Magica Address: Calle delle Bande in Castello

You can visit Venetia Studium for fabrics and garments. Silk scarves, handbags and cushion covers are also sold. The shop also stocks the famous Fortuny lamps.