SHOPS AND MARKETS - Florence and Tuscany - page 275

SHOPS AND MARKETS
Shopping in Florence can be

fashion, antiques and jewellery
as well as typical Florentine crafts.
Tuscany is dwarfed by Florence
when it comes to shopping
possibilities. However, the rich
traditions of many outlying
towns and villages boast a var-
iety of local crafts and specialities. These
range from ceramics, hand-woven
materials to the region's many gas-
tronomic delicacies. (See also pp30-31.)

a unique experience as
you wander through its
ancient and medieval streets,
exploring the city's renowned
tradition of crafts and family-
run businesses. Few cities of
comparable size can boast such a
profusion and variety of high-quality
goods. Walking around the city
you will find shops selling Italian

Protective bag with
designer label

change the article or give you
a credit note, as long as you
show the till receipt. Cash
refunds are uncommon.

Santo Spirito for furniture and
gift shops where craftsmen
are busy at work. The best
time for bargains is during the
January and July sales (saldi) .

VAT EXEMPTION

DEPARTMENT STORES

Visitors from non-EU countries
can reclaim the 20 per cent
sales tax (IVA) on purchases
from the same shop exceeding
€160. Ask for an invoice (la
fattura) when you buy the
goods and inform the shop of
your intention to reclaim the
tax. You will need to show
your passport and the shop
will fill out and stamp a form
which can be taken to the
relevant office at the airport.

The city's main chain store is
Coin , a popular independent
department store with branches
in Montecatini Terme and
Livorno. This store stocks mid-
range casual clothing, shoes,
toiletries, children's clothing
and toys, and a huge range of
fashion accessories, including
hosiery, sunglasses, bags and
scarves. It also has an
extensive home collection.
Rinascente in Piazza della
Repubblica has designer
clothing, lingerie, household
items and a rooftop bar with
direct views of the Duomo.
Principe has classic menswear
and women's and children's
clothes as well as upmarket
home accessories.

A colourful shop display of elegant
handbags

WHEN TO SHOP

SHOPPING IN FLORENCE

Generally, shops open around
9am and close at 1pm. In the
afternoon they re-open from
3:30pm to 7:30pm, though
food shops tend to open
earlier in the morning and
remain closed from 1pm to
5pm. Most shops are shut on
Monday morning but food
stores are closed on
Wednesday afternoon.
Almost all shops close on
Saturday afternoon in summer,
and shops and markets tend
to close for two or three
weeks around 15 August, the
national holiday (ferragosto) .

The centre of Florence is
packed with shops selling
everything from designer
clothes to second-hand books.
It is compact and easy to get
around, as many streets are
pedestrianized. It is also
worth exploring the streets
away from the centre around
Piazza di Santa Croce, Piazza
dei Ciompi and Piazza di

CLOTHING

In Florence the big names in
Italian fashion - Gucci , Armani ,
Ferragamo , Versace , Prada and
Roberto Cavalli - are mostly
found in Via de' Tornabuoni
(see p105) . This elegant street
is also home to the French
designer Yves Saint Laurent
and, at the top of the street
in Piazza Antinori, is Hermès .
Opposite the imposing Palazzo
Strozzi is Louis Vuitton , with
its impressive collections of
footwear, clothing and luggage;
Dolce & Gabbana is in Via
degli Strozzi nearby and
Valentino is in Via dei Tosinghi.
On Via della Vigna Nuova
(see p105) , you willl find
affordable fashions at Mariella

HOW TO PAY

Major credit cards are usually
accepted in larger shops, but
smaller ones prefer cash.
Travellers' cheques are now
rarely accepted for goods
and services.
Shopkeepers and market
stallholders should by law
give you a receipt (ricevuta
fiscale) . If a purchased item is
defective, most shops will

Window shopping in the Via de'
Tornabuoni, Florence