Souvenirs from Italy You'll Actually Treasure

Venice Carnival Masks

The city of canals is a popular tourist destination during the carnival season. Elegant and mysterious mask parades are held during this period across the old town of Venice.

Little do visitors know that the masks of Venice belong to an old tradition. Venetians, rich and poor, would wear these masks during the carnival season to conceal the face and also the social status.

These paper-mache masks are intricately designed with jewels and feathers, and you can get hold of different types, such as the small black Moreta mask or the popular white Bauta mask.

Silk Scarfs

Silk has a long tradition at Lake Como, in northern Italy near Milan. The warm climate was suitable for silkworms feeding on local mulberry trees, and the silk produced was one of the best in Europe at the time.

The museum in the city of Como explores the 500-year-old history of silk in the region, and you'll find the finest silk scarves in the towns around Lake Como.

Bellagio has a good choice of silk scarves, but the prices are higher than anywhere else due to tourism. You can head to some equally stunning Lake Como towns to shop for silk scarves when you are visiting Lake Como.

Vatican Souvenirs

Technically, the Vatican is a separate country, but as it's located in Rome, Italy, we'll add it here.

The Holy See is running its souvenir shops, in the Vatican territory, and here you can get every thinkable Christian souvenir and gift.

From rosaries, crosses, candles, wall hangings, key chains, bags, calendars, and shirts to statues and holy water. Here you'll find everything to please a Christian heart!

Ceramic

We have come across stunning ceramics on our latest trip to some beautiful towns across central Italy.

Black ceramics called Bucchero had been created there since ancient times by the Etruscans in Tuscany. The craftsmanship evolved further over the centuries.

Towns such as Deruta in Umbria and Sesto Fiorentino in Tuscany have continued the wonderful ceramic art to this day.

In the South of the country, it's Vietri sul Mare in Campania that inspires with its yellow, blue, and green painted ceramics.

That said, we came across many other places with unique artists showcasing and selling their ceramic art pieces, and these make always wonderful souvenir keepsakes.

Leather Goods

In Italy, you get some of the finest leather products in the world. The art of tanning and crafting with delicate leather pieces has been perfected over the centuries.

You will primarily come across belts, gloves (Venice), sleek leather boots, and leather book covers. The art has been notably perfected in Florence, Tuscany.

That said, keep an eye out for the seal of authenticity (Consorzio Vera Pelle Conciata al Vegetale) that guarantees that the product originated in Italy and has been tanned as per the traditional and sustainable local methods.

Wooden Kitchen Utensils

We love the quality of the wooden utensils in Italy. Olive wood, specifically, is worth every cent. Look out for spatulas and cutting boards.

You may have seen Italians rolling out their pasta with these long wooden rolling pins. These are known as mattarello, and you won't find them anywhere outside Italy, so while you are there, get one!

I also recommend looking for a wooden gnocchi rolling board. These come with little grooves that make it easy and fast to roll homemade gnocchi into shape.

Wine and Drinks

Italy is a major wine and liqueur producer. Here are some of our favorite must-try drinks that make great gifts for friends and family members back home.

• Prosecco — The bubbly wine, equivalent to the French Champagne.
• Lambrusco — A sparkling red wine from Emilia-Romagna.
• Chianti — A famed dry red wine from the rolling hills of Tuscany.
• Limoncello — A southern Italian lemon liqueur.
• Campari — A red bitter liqueur, great for mixing drinks.
• Aperol — Another well-known liqueur to prepare drinks such as the Venetian Aperol Spritz.
• Romana Amaro — A bittersweet liqueur used to prepare Negroni cocktails.
• Alpine Herbal Liqueur — Found primarly in the mountains of South Tyrol and Trentino.
• Grappa — A grape digestive from Venetto.

Italian Food

Italy is probably THE primary food destination in Europe. Wherever you go, food always tastes polished and exquisite across the country.

If your customs allow it and things are properly packed, consider taking some of the following delicacies back home. Don't forget to declare your foods to your customs authority!

White Truffle Products

White truffles are some of the rarest and most prized fungi in the world. Specifically, the Alba variety, mainly found in Piedmont, is worthy of your time and money.

You'll also find white truffles in other regions such as Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria, and Tuscany.

Cheese

We have brought back the following cheese from our trips to Italy because we'd never get the same quality or kind back home.

These are mostly hard cheese or cheese that we got vacuum packed. Fresh soft cheese such as mozzarella is not suitable for travel.

• Parmiggiano Reggiano from Parma
• Pecorino from Rome
• Grana Padano from Northern Italy
• Tallagio from Bergamo or Milan
• Gorgonzola from Milan

Pasta

You will come across the craziest and most authentic pasta shapes in Italy. The north has a lot more pasta with durum wheat and egg, and the south prepares them without eggs.

Look out for creative pasta shapes and specific pasta colors, such as black pasta, which is pasta with sepia (squid ink).

You don't have to purchase overpriced packs from cute-looking boutiques in primary tourist zones. You'll get wonderful pasta in every grocery store, where the locals buy it. Contrary to popular belief, Italians do both: prepare their pasta fresh from scratch AND buy dried pasta like the rest of the world does.

Polenta

My wife is a huge polenta nerd. If you don't know what that is, it's Europe's golden yellow corn grits, a true poor man's food.

You'll find polenta in the north, where it is a budget staple. A pack of polenta will feed you for many days!

Look out for artisanal polenta, in the sense of “whole grain” polenta. We bought our best polenta in Bergamo and Milan.

Cured Meats

If you can bring back cured meats, do it! Check with your local customs authorities. Some of our favorite finds include:

• Mortadella from Bologna
• Various salame from all over Italy
• Parma ham from Parma
• Nduja from Calabria
• Guanciale from Rome
• Speck from South Tyrol or Trentino

Olive Oil

Olive oil has been traditionally cold-pressed since ancient times in Italy. Truly high quality extra virgin olive oil can be easily acquired, and you don't have to hunt it down.

Locals buy their olive oil also in grocery stores if the neighbor isn't sharing their harvest with them. For what it's worth, you can snatch a wonderful batch after every olive oil pressing season, which takes place from October to December.

Quality olive oil tastes flavorful and spicy. I can guarantee you'll be spoiled and won't be able to get back to the mediocre stuff that you consumed before!

Balsamic Vinegar

When in Northern Italy, head to Modena, the capital and home of the best balsamic vinegar. This thick, black, and aromatic vinegar is used as a delicious salad dressing, but it has many more uses.

Balsamic vinegar is made of cooked grape must, which is then aged in wooden barrels. It can only be produced in and around the city of Modena.

Every balsamic vinegar snob plans a pilgrimage to this Northern Italian city, which is located near Parma and Bologna, two cities known as food heavens.

Sweets and Cookies

If you have a sweet tooth, know that Italy has you covered. From cakes and chocolates to cookies, this country has multiple specialties. Here are just a handful of our favorites.

• Panettone from Milan, found during Christmas time.
• Regional cookies such as Torcetti from Piedmont and Biscotti from Tuscany.
• Ovette, small chocolate eggs during Easter.
• Pastille, as in Pastiglie Leone, herbal candies.