The “Ceramica Raku” shop is another of Rome’s boutique stores that exclusively sells ceramic clocks. The shop has been part of the Montesi family business which was established in 1985 and which sells these Italian ceramic clocks locally and internationally.

The shop is located halfway between the Pantheon and the Piazza di Pietra. The name comes from a special firing technique for the ceramic and all the pieces are handmade. They say: “We make everything by hand exclusively by Italian crafstmen. The only exception is the mechanical pieces which are German.”

The Raku ceramic is characteristic for its shine which comes from the firing process. The brightness can be seen in this gallery of the clocks, where we can also see some the different pieces. Many of the clocks are dedicated to Rome’s icons (the family is proud of its Roman heritage), and some are more metaphoric with old Latin sayings. Prices are reasonable, ranging from 25 to 130 euros. The store is on Via dei Pastini and you can also visit the Raku website for more information.

Shopping in Rome: Raku ceramic clocks

Photos | Sara Regimenti

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Cultural and women’s design association Leartigiane.it recently opened their new shop in Rome, near Torre Argentina, where you can find furniture, interior decorations, jewellery and handmade clothes on display. The association is design to support women’s craftmanship and the shop is a showcase for paintings and accessories, too, being a small corner of art and design on the Rome shopping scene.

The association was established in 1999 and now the Leartiginae.it shop provides a space for weekly “exhibitions” where the members change the works on sale. Sometimes running to a particular theme, the shop recently had a focus on pets and was selling the service of pet portaits done at owners’ homes.

Other creations, including examples like cachemire fabric sold for made-to-measure pullovers, can also be purchased online and the name of the shop as a website is designed to promote the online component of the association. Bruna Pietropaoli of the organisation says:

Shopping in Rome: Leartigiane.it

Continue reading: Shopping in Rome: women's design shop Leartigiane.it

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Christmas shopping in Rome will provide you with one of those opportunities to troop the streets of the city, really getting to know Rome’s shopping districts as you buy for Christmas. The problem is that shopping in a big city can be very tiring, especially if you want to look good while doing it. So in the interests of helping you out, here are some tips for shopping in Rome that will help you get around.

The high period of shopping goes from December 8 to 24 (until 9pm) and then for the after-Christmas sales from January 2 to 30, and the Rome city council is putting on extra transport links and shuttles. Three shopping buses will be available in Rome, for free, to get shoppers around the city. “Shopping 1″ takes in the historic city centre from the end of the line in the centre to Porta Pinciana. The “Shopping 2″ bus goes from Tor di Quinto to Largo Augusto Imperatore, and “Shopping 3″ takes in the via Pieve di Cadore to piazzale delle Canestre/piazzale Flaminio.

Extra buses and trains are planned for the other Rome transport routes and for the Termini and Giardinetti train stations. If you’re planning on driving in Rome for your shopping (which we would advise against), there are additional no entry and no parking zones in the city centre at peak times of the afternoon and evening, and on weekends, so you’d best check before you negotiate traffic only to find you can’t park anywhere.

There are some free parking deals to take advantage of at the Villa Borghese parking station and the Piazzale Partigiani parking station costs just one euro for three hours, with transport deals into the centre of town available. Additional pedestrian zones have been established so that you can enjoy your Christmas shopping while strolling the streets of Rome.

Source | 06Blog.it

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When next you’re shopping for some Italian lingerie, especially if you pop in to an Intimissimi store, you might find a surprising sign out the front. It happened to me recently and I thought ‘as if!’ but it turns out that you can actually trade in your old bras for a three euro discount off new ones. The initiative comes from the Italian brand who is interested in the life cycle of bras - traditionally garments that are difficult to recycle because of the many, and often synthetic, materials used.

Intimissimi is already a famous brand in Italy for its good quality, stylish and affordable underwear. Improving its brand image even further, it’s offering the bra trade-in and is looking greener for it. According to Italymag, since October 18 when the program launched, about 30-40 percent of new bra sales are taking advantage of the trade-in scheme.

If you’re doing some shopping in Italy for Christmas, you’d best get your old bras lined up for the recycling (if you’re a guy buying for your girlfriend this might be more difficult - we recommend you check it’s not one of her favourites before trading it in…). The campaign is supported by Intimissimi brand ambassador, Irina Shayk, who you can see in the commercial above.

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If you want a treat for your shopping in Rome, you should check out the boutique shop Candle’s Store located in the San Lorenzo district, in via dei Campani. Giving candles as a gift has taken off in many countries, and with Christmas coming up, what better place to get some shopping done as well as exploring Rome?

The shop offers traditional candles as well as more authentic pieces, with candles in the shape of animals, glasses for tealights and bowls for other scented decorations. The shop belongs to the Moraes family who have dedicated their family business to the shop.

The story goes that one day Andrea said to his brother Antonio: “Do you remember that when we were children I used to call you ‘Vela’ [the Portuguese word for candle]? Well, I believe that everyone has a divine purpose in life, or at least I like to believe it…. How about we make candles from now on?” And since then, they haven’t looked back.

Continue reading: Shopping in Rome: boutique candle store

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Upim stores here in Italy have gone through a major makeover and one of its representatives told reporters that although the stores will continue to be middle-class oriented, they  have in mind a few surprises for their customers. From now onwards  Upim  will in fact become more like an American mall - one of those places where people can not only find almost anything they want but also relax and enjoy themselves. This new phase in the history of the chain store  will be marked by an exhibition of pop art (September 15); customers visiting the stores in Via Buenos Aires and Piazzale Corvetto in Milan will have the unique opportunity to see 12 paintings by Andy Warhol, including the portrait of Marilyn Monroe and the famous Campbell’s soup dress! There’s no doubt that Upim is stepping into a new era!

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Marco Carta’s new album Il Cuore Muove or The Heart Moves will hit stores on 25 May.
According to our sources, the album contains a mysterious duet with a famous female singer whose identity is still top secret (some suggest Alessandra Moroso, others Emma Marrone)! The Internet has been abuzz over this song since the news leaked to the press!! Unfortunately there’s no way to find out who this mysterious artist is (sorry that you must wait until the album comes out)!! But in the meanwhile you can console yourself by listening to Quello che dai , the first single released from the album!

Continue reading: Marco Carta's new single "Quello Che Dai" from "Il Cuore Muove"

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Yesterday while I was walking through the streets of Rome, I came upon the strangest shop I had ever seen; unable to check my curiosity I went in and found a series of artefacts and products from the major abbeys and monasteries here in Italy. The shop owned by Mr Umberto, a biologist who teaches botany at the Catholic University of Rome, told me that his father who fought in East Africa during world war 2 had a passion for officinal herbs and somehow this passion was passed down to him! The products in the shop are all from monasteries and nunneries and include alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, tea blends and chocolates! So if you are in Rome, check it out! It won’t disappoint you.

Ai Monasteri
Corso Rinascimento 72

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It’s true that you can do just about anything with pasta, but I would never have said there were 500 types of pasta in the world. But if you’re shopping in Rome and exploring its boutique stores, you might find yourself at Pastateca - a pasta shop in the centre of Rome where you can find all kinds of homemade pasta. It would make for a perfect pasta night with friends.

While you can find the classic types of pasta and types from Italy’s rich regional cuisine, there are also aromatic kinds of pasta and some weird shapes too. If you want gluten-free or organic pasta, this is the place to come - meaning you can still indugle in Italy’s national dish.

Try the small rose-petal pappardelle or red chilli linguine, or even balsamic vinegar-flavoured tagliatelle. The shop has its own online search engine where you can play around before being assaulted in-store by all the different types. See the Pastateca search engine here.

Photos | Pastateca

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Exploring Rome’s byways brings out the romance of the eternal city. There is nothing quite like the city of Rome, with its history, its busy hub of Italy’s colourful population, its popular tourist sights, and of course all the mystery and romance of its little alleys and shops. In what seems to be a household bookcase, the book shop on via Tomacelli welcomes the passer-by with its enormous windows showing shelves of books and the ladder used to reach them.

It is one of those wonderful suprises in Rome. When you least expect it, between the fashion shops and Rome’s Ferrari Store, a real antique bookshop features; and stepping inside you do feel like you’ve entered an ancient part of the city that isn’t just about the Colosseum or the Pantheon. In fact, the bookstore on via Tomacelli is full of vintage postcards and maps of ancient Rome.

Other gems in the shop include advertising from the turn of the century and autographed texts, and you can ask the owners just about anything, and they’ll ferret it out for you. If you have a day to dedicate to Rome, away from the tourist sights and crowds, exploring Rome’s boutique shops and out-of-the-way places could be just what brings you closer to the kaleidoscope essence of the city.

Photos | Sara Regimenti

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