Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
How to Shop in Venice
Let's get one thing out of the way up front: shopping in Venice can be intimidating. All
of us want to come home from La Serenissima with a special souvenir, but selecting
which carnival mask or which piece of Murano glass to buy can be an overwhelming
experience. How do you know if you're buying something authentic, something made in
Venice, something made in a traditional way? How do you gauge how much you should pay,
and how do you know if you're being ripped off? How do you determine if you have fallen
prey to one of the city's many tourist traps?
When I was a teenager, I had the fortune to visit Venice for the first time. I had a pre-
conceived notion that I was supposed to go home with Murano glass, but honestly, I had no
idea why. I was lured to the famous “glass island” of Murano by a fast-talking hawker in the
Piazza San Marco and whisked onto an overcrowded, stinky boat. After a whirlwind factory
tour, I waited in line behind several dozen American and Japanese tourists to pay an exor-
bitant price for a little green glass fish. Today the fish sits on the windowsill of my study as
a testament to this bewildering experience.
Even after my Murano glass-buying debacle, the artistic traditions of the world still lured
me to travel and inspired me to pursue advanced studies in art history. Eventually it became
my mission to lead travelers beyond the tourist traps to discover authentic, local, handmade
traditions. My focus is on cultural immersion through a greater appreciation of authentic arts
and the people who make them.
In the following sections, you will find specific guidance on how to recognize quality
and value in the most traditional Venetian arts. If you follow these guidelines, when you do
find a treasure, you will know it beyond a doubt, and the touristy kitsch lining the streets will
fade into the background. The richness and tradition of Venetian authentic arts make sorting
through the tourist traps to discover a treasure not only worth the effort, but especially re-
warding.
Although some Venetian shops break the tradition of closing at lunch in order to accom-
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