If you visit Italy you MUST go home with at least one pair of exclusive looking glasses! We chanced…read moreupon Venezia Oro & Occhiali and ended up getting at least one each if not more and this after we had bought frames elsewhere. So if you are in Venice, do visit the numerous eyewear shoppes. BUT before you do decide to get any and if you are looking for something really special ... you ABSOLUTELY MUST visit Silvana at her place! She has a beautiful range of unique eyewear that will just astound you. I have never seen eyewear in such beautiful colours and designs to complement every mood that you can possibly have or want to be in. Plus Silvana has years of experience in every aspect of the industry, not just optometry, and has such dedication, and a wonderful personality, and she will help you choose the pair that suits you best. We had such a fun time and enjoyed our experience at Venezia Oro & Occhilali. Don't miss out on the one shop you MUST visit if you are buying eyewear. Hope to visit again in a couple of years!

The lady who is working there is very friendly and patient. Her English level is very decent.read more

A tiny optical store near San Marco square that carries a thoughtfully curated selection of…read moredesigner eyewear and sunglasses including their own label OTTICA URBANI. This family owned business is run by two sisters and a brother. I met the charming Barbara Urbani today as they take turns working in their shop. Their eponymous line is by far the most interesting in the store. I especially loved their natural horn glasses and also the ones with black frames with wooden temples, very subtle yet interesting. They also carry many over-sized sculptural looking glasses for the more avant-garde dresser. Barabara designed a pair of reading glasses with a large ? on the temple which is getting a lot of attention in the design world right now, so I had to buy a pair!!! I've always been told that I ask too many questions so it seemed fitting with my personality!

As much as Venice is one of the world's most visited cities it's hard to find a high-quality…read moresouvenir made locally, despite souvenir stores making up a huge portion of the stores in Venice. These stores or stalls look practically identical; the shop/stall owner may or may not be Italian and they'll be selling the same types of t-shirts, magnets, keychains, Carnevale masks and jewelry made of Murano glass. These souvenirs can be of dubious quality and most likely not be made in Italy. When I souvenir shop for people I avoid those stores like the plague. I try as much as possible to shop locally wherever I go and in most places when I do find a good shop I find it by accident. Feelin' Venice is an example of a local shop. A group of Venetians artists and architects got together and created a shop to share their passion of Venice through their art (https://prontopia.com/venice/feelin-venice-local-venice-shopping-with-a-sustainable-city-vision/). You'll notice immediately as you step in the shop the difference in the layout and content from other souvenir stores. The shop feels more clean, the layouts is more simple and the designs in their merchandise is more contemporary. More importantly you see the people running the shop passionate about both their business and their home city. The shop has the staple T-shirts, bags, mugs and stationery but the designs are obviously more thought out and represent the city well. However this particular business has won me over because this was the store that I bought my most favorite souvenir of my 2 week trip: a rope bracelet with an attached iron prow that adorns all Venetian gondolas. I immediately fell in love with the bracelet at first sight and purchased it immediately. My only regret was that they sold it in only one size. I ended up losing it 2 weeks later and had to order a replacement online in a smaller size. The shop is located somewhere along San Marco. Use Google Maps if you don't want to get lost finding the store.

Small shop. Only adult sizes. Mostly just t-shirts and posters, but some designs are nice.read more