Hoping to come home from your trip to Tuscany with a few new treasures, and wondering what to buy in Florence?
We’ve been lucky enough to take 10+ trips to Florence, and the things I’ve bought there vary wildly, from dresses to leather boots to cookies to home decor!
Whether I look into my closet, onto my fridge, or around my home, there are often souvenirs from Florence there that make me smile and reflect on our many wonderful adventures.
From classic souvenirs to more unusual (but thoroughly Tuscan) options, here are some of the best things to bring home from Florence, plus tips on finding the best markets and where to go shopping in Florence.
Unique Things to Buy in Florence, Italy
Florentine Stationery + Paper Goods
Florence is well-known for its beautifully crafted stationery and hand-bound books.
While it does come at a cost these days, if you’re in search of a special Florence souvenir, stationery can make an excellent one.
For high quality (and matching high price tags), consider visiting Giulio Giannini & Figlio near the Palazzo Pitti, or Pineider near the Piazza Signoria.
For more accessible stationery, Il Papiro is popular and has several locations in Florence.
Leather Goods
There’s arguably nothing you can buy in Florence that is a more typical souvenir than a piece of leather!
Whether you’re looking for an affordable wallet or belt that will last the next several years or a detailed jacket or purse that will last a lifetime, there’s a piece of leather in Florence waiting for you.
Touristy (read: generally lower quality) offerings abound in places like Mercato San Lorenzo and Mercato Nuovo, but for higher-quality pieces, you’ll want to go further afield.
Small, dedicated artisan shops and places like the Scuola del Cuoio (School of Leather) are great places to look.
That being said, if you’re on a budget, don’t be too scared of the more souvenir-level versus lifetime-investment level leather goods: we have wallets pushing a decade old at this point that came out of Florence’s tourist markets, and they still look almost as good as new.
Gold Jewelry
Italy has been known for its high-quality gold jewelry for centuries, and there may be no more iconic place to buy some than on the Ponte Vecchio (literally “Old Bridge”) in Florence!
As the story goes, in 1565 the powerful Medici banned the butchers and tanners that then occupied the shops along the Ponte Vecchio from using the bridge, handing it over to jewelers exclusively.
This was to benefit themselves: the Vasari Corridor that links Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti passes over the bridge (it’s quite the fascinating place, and you can tour it), and the wealthy family didn’t want to smell the less-savory shops!
The result, though, is almost 500 years worth of glitzy, glimmering jewelry shops lining the bridge, which makes it a very exciting (and historically significant) place to shop!
Now, can I guarantee that this is a cost-effective place to shop? No.
But if you’re looking more for a deal than for ambiance, you’ll find many other gorgeous jewelry shops in Florence too!
Perfume
When it comes to shopping in Florence for perfume, there’s one shop that’s undeniably the most memorable place to visit: the 13th-century Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy.
Tucked behind an unassuming door in the Santa Maria Novella neighborhood, a short walk from the basilica, this gorgeous shop is the oldest (and possibly the most opulent) pharmacy in the world).
While you won’t find aspirin here, you will find many lovely soaps, perfumes, and lotions.
Some of them are made from original recipes dating back hundreds of years–in the oldest case, to 1533!
Want something even more unique?
With enough time and budget, you can even have the pharmacy blend a unique scent for you!
Olive Kitchen Wares
While Tuscany’s most famous olive-centered contribution to the kitchen is most certainly olive oil, there’s another use for those gorgeous trees: carving kitchen utensils, decor, cutting boards, salt and pepper grinders, cheese boards, and more from the wood!
Traditionally, olive wood objects are made using olive trees that are no longer productive for fruit, extending their usefulness for one more cycle.
They’re also beautiful, reasonably affordable, and easy to transport, making olive wood kitchen accessories one of the best souvenirs from Florence!
Ceramics
While ceramics are popular across Italy, Tuscany is a region that is particularly known for them!
Whether you’re looking for plates, bowls, olive oil storage bottles, decorative jars, wine stoppers, or something else, it’s safe to say that if you can conceive of making a kitchen or decor item out of ceramic, you can probably find a beautiful version of it when shopping in Florence.
However, while this post is focused on Florence and there are beautiful artisans there, I can’t resist pointing out that Lucca has arguably even better ceramic shopping–with more elbow room to enjoy it.
A disproportionate number of the ceramic items in our house came from Tuscany!
Pinocchio-Themed Items
Did you know that Pinocchio is from Tuscany?
While Pinocchio isn’t set in the city, its author was originally from there, and you’ll find plenty of Pinocchio dolls, magnets, drawings, and more when visiting!
And, if you’re a bookworm, you might even consider reading The Adventures of Pinocchio before, during, or after your trip.
Like so many stories, the Disney version is quite different from the original.
The Best Foodie Souvenirs From Florence
Tuscan Wine
While Chianti and especially Chianti Classico are the most internationally recognizable of Tuscany’s wines, the region produces an endless variety of incredible options!
From Super Tuscans to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to Brunello di Montalcino and well beyond, Tuscan wine is a delight… and an excellent souvenir option in Florence!
Not sure which wine to bring home?
A wine tasting in the Tuscan countryside makes for an amazing Florence day trip and an excellent chance to shop for wine right at the source (most wineries will ship it directly home for you).
Book your day trip that includes a wine tasting in Tuscany today!
Cantucci Cookies
These crisp almond biscuits remind me of what we think of as biscotti in the USA, but the secret to enjoying them is all Tuscany!
Served as a dessert, cantucci cookies are dipped into sweet wine (traditionally Vin Santo) and eaten once the wine has soaked into the cookies, softening them.
The resulting taste is fantastic, but they also come with a tradition!
According to our guide during a wine tasting at Tenuta Torciano, cantucci also have a flirting ritual behind them, which our host shamelessly had Jeremy and I (several glasses of wine into the meal at this point) act out!
Cantucci are also, importantly, extremely easy to transport, in addition to being affordable, consumable, and delicious.
In other words, they’re a perfect Florence souvenir option!
Olive Oil
While you can buy delicious Tuscan olive oil year-round, from late October through November, something very special happens in Tuscany: the olive oil harvest.
Unlike wine, which often improves with age, olive oil is at its best when it is first pressed–and if you’re visiting Florence during the harvest, that can often mean getting to taste olive oil that was pressed that same day!
We have never had olive oil as delicious as what we had access to during the late fall in Italy.
It is an experience to remember, and the only downside is that no other olive oil will ever taste quite as delicious again!
Our very first olive oil tasting (yes, they exist!) actually took place on this epic Florence food tour, though we’ve done many since.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Tuscany during the harvest season, make sure to add freshly pressed olive oil to your Florence shopping list (and then go home and immediately enjoy it–ideally by Christmas).
Inexpensive (But Fun) Florence Souvenirs to Shop For
Not all Florence souvenirs have to be deeply meaningful!
Here are a few easy and cheap souvenir ideas to consider adding to your list!
Magnets
Magnets are one of the most popular souvenirs to collect from around the world and often run only a few Euro apiece.
It’s worth waiting to find one that really sticks out to you, but I’ve never regretted adding a magnet I fell in love with to my fridge!
Espresso Cups
Much like buying a teacup in England or a beer stein in Germany, buying a beautiful espresso cup (or several) to display at home makes for an excellent souvenir from just about anywhere in Italy.
Whether you drink Italian-style coffee at home or you just want to use it as a decor piece, for the right traveler, an espresso cup is a fun addition to their list of what to buy in Florence.
Postcards
I still vividly remember the first time I bought a postcard in Florence: I picked it up from a souvenir stall in the shadow of the Duomo!
Inexpensive and easily personalized, postcards are one of the best budget souvenirs from Florence.
If you’re up to spending an extra couple of Euro on one, consider filling a postcard out with your memories of the day right then and there and then send it to yourself so you can relive your Italy memories as you return home!
(Or a few weeks after, really–we’ve found that it takes quite a while to receive postcards from Italy in the USA).
Christmas Ornaments
The best place to go shopping in Florence for Christmas ornaments is at the annual Christmas market, of course–but you can find beautiful ones year-round!
Easy to buy and easy to pack, Christmas ornaments also make excellent gifts from Florence for people you love back home.
Tips for Shopping in Florence
Get beyond Mercato Centrale and Mercato San Lorenzo.
The iconic Mercato Centrale is vibrant, colorful, and a fun place to visit (we still stop by once on most trips to Florence)… but it’s also extremely crowded and dominated by tourists, as is the leather/souvenir Mercato San Lorenzo that surrounds it.
If you want to see a different side of Florence’s shopping, though, you can head a bit further afield!
For food, the Mercato Sant’Ambrogio is significantly more relaxed than Mercato Centrale, and parts of it (the outdoor produce stands, mostly) do still feel as though locals shop for food there.
Right next door you’ll find the Mercato delle Pulci (flea market), which is a great place to shop for one-of-a-kind souvenirs from Florence!
Depending on which day you visit, you’ll find plenty of seasonal farmers’ and artisans’ markets scattered throughout the city, too–the one in Piazza Santo Spirito was a delight when we visited, though this dog stole the show for us and we have more photos and videos of him than we do the market overall:
Check food certifications.
Italy takes its food incredibly seriously–so seriously, in fact, that there are different certifications a product can earn, stating that it was made in a particular place, with particular ingredients, or with a particular technique.
Look for the DOP and/or IGP labels when shopping in Florence for food products, and you’re bound to come away with a great example of Italian gastronomy.
… and transportation regulations, if you live outside the EU.
If you live outside the EU and have your heart set on bringing home, say, some prosciutto or parm, be sure to check the transport regulations for your home country before committing!
For Americans like us, check the USDA regulations here.
Don’t forget about shipping!
If you’re carrying back something particularly fragile, heavy, or potentially regulated, it’s definitely worth at least inquiring about the cost of shipping.
Many small businesses and artisans in Italy are able and willing to ship their goods abroad, so be sure to ask!
It can definitely make your travels simpler if you don’t have to worry about carrying any particularly heavy or delicate purchases home with you.
Go grocery shopping.
Looking for inexpensive but delicious souvenirs from Florence?
Skip the aesthetic enotecas and head to the grocery store!
Whether you’re looking for inexpensive but tasty table wine, simple cheeses, and cured meats for a picnic, or packaged Italian snacks to put in your suitcase, you’ll find plenty to shop for in a standard grocery store–and personally, I think it’s a very fun cultural experience to go grocery shopping in different countries too!
No trip to Italy is complete for us until we pick up some taralli (a crunchy snack from Puglia, though you’ll find them in supermarkets around the country) and a bag of Mulino Bianco cookies to enjoy on long travel days.
Sometimes they even make it onto the plane home!
Read More About Visiting Florence (+ Tuscany)
If you found this guide to Florence souvenirs helpful, we’d love to continue to be part of your travel planning process here on Our Escape Clause!
You can browse our 100+ Italy blog posts here, or you might like to:
- Read up on how to plan the perfect Tuscan road trip.
- Decide which of the best Florence viewpoints you should add to your itinerary.
- Figure out how to ditch the crowds and find some hidden gems in Florence.
- Plan what to do in Florence at night.
- Learn how to avoid common travel mistakes in Italy.
About Kate Storm