Amazing store! Toys chosen so adults can play with kids and stay in gauged …read more The owner is passionate and very nice and a must visit Loved it and bought some nice stuff from there

This is the most beautiful toy store, with even more beautiful toys! The owner is the kindest man…read morewho is so helpful. He really cares for the quality of toys he decides to sell in his store. Each toy is unique and a toy you will have in your family for a lifetime! Great place for souvenirs or gifts! We will be back when we visit Florence again!

One of the goals of my visit to Italy last summer was to bring home a La Pavoni espresso machine,…read moreit is much more affordable over there, however, it is hard to find a store that carries one with 120 volts. There is a store at Piazza Navona in Rome that can order one, but they want 100 Euros more than the same model with 240 volts. I came across Braschi in Florence, on a Friday night, saw a machine on display but they were closed, emailed them, got a response the next morning that they do have 120 volts models, they were scheduled to close at 7:30pm, they do not open on Sundays and I will be driving back to Rome. As I rushed back from Pisa, I called them, they were nice enough to wait for me past their closing time. Here is the best part, after I got back to the US, I sent the paperwork to the agency in Milan for the VAT refund, 9 weeks had passed and nothing happened, I emailed the store to see if they can help, the owner called them up, one week later I got the refund! The owner is one of the nicest person that you can meet in Italy! In hindsight, I should have gotten the refund while still in Italy, there is an option to get that before leaving. However, do visit Braschi while you are in Florence, they have plenty of other neat stuff too.

My family and I stopped by this boutique art and craft shop and absolutely loved all of the small…read moreand packable trinkets and souvenirs we could find that had a truly local Florentine vibe. Most sourvenir shops sell miniature David's and things that all reference Florence by name. This shop sells items that are the soul of Florence. We ended up buying much more than we thought as the items "spoke to us". It's worth a few minutes of your time if your in the area.

Mio sells unique designer gifts, from jewelry to scarves and bags…read more A well-curated selection of very cool things unlike the rest and made in Italy designs. A true find in Florence. Very helpful and enthusiastic!

There are several locations around the city. If you call ahead, you might even be able to attend a…read moredemonstration and how they make their paper. If you're going to Venice, then you should wait by your paper products there, but if not shop here. It'll make you want to write letters. The stationary is high-quality and beautiful.

I stumbled into this particular shop with my mother on a whim after visiting one of Il Papiro's…read morelocation on via Guicciardini on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio. This shop is smaller, but it has a much warmer atmosphere. After looking around for a few minutes, the shop's manager, Riccardo, waved us over the back of the shop where he keeps his demonstration station. He gave us an impromptu show of how he creates the marbled paper using a time-honored technique of mixing water, pigments and some wallpaper paste. Despite the ease with which he arranged the pigments in the water-paste solution, Riccardo told us that the difficult part was recreating the same pattern time after time. His jovial attitude and genuine excitement for his hand-made art was extremely uplifting when Florence is being overrun by knock-off and mass-produced products. After the demonstration, my mom and I picked up a number of the marble paper products to give as gifts to friends, and Riccardo was happy to wrap everything nicely for us. My visit here really gave me a new-found appreciation for the marbled paper works.

Such a cute little spot to pick up souvenirs! The space is large and even with tons of people…read morewalking around inside, it doesn't feel overwhelming. Theres a million things to choose from, from postcards to magnets and posters to figurines. Everything is reasonably priced and the staff is very kind. I love that they even sell stamps and have a mailbox inside to send a card out right from the store.

Love a good stationary shop and this place was nice to walk around. It's not huge but it is packed…read morewith various things. Ultimately bought a cute pen and think it'll be a nice desk adornment. Worth at least popping in to browse.

FInd this ceramic studio shop! I have been taking a pottery class, so was intrigued when I saw the…read moreartist siting at a table painting a ceramic plate. I stopped in, and had a wonderful conversation about glazes, her work space and her UNIQUE designs. I did not plan to purchase, but I really fell in love with her scenery of the Tuscan hillside with a villa, and sheep grazing in the meadow. I never saw that site, being it was winter when I was there, but it looked so peaceful. She also has poppies in the meadow and sunflowers in the meadow. I got a beautifully painted with flowers piece. This is a wonderful place to get dishes, mugs, plates, large platters, everything one could want. THere are a lot of places in FLorence that have hand painted ceramics, but I saw so much that 1) looked alike, and 2) I could not tell WHO exactly hand painted it. Thus, to come in here and see Maria's work all done by her own hand, with her our designs. It was magical. Also, I do not speak Italian, and Maria's English is very, very good.

I can't tell you how sweet Maria is, you can see she loves what she does and she's passionate about…read morebeing able to give people the best quality and truly taking care of every single person that walks through her door. I love the two things I bought, and she was so sweet to throw in a wine cap. I'm excited to be able to return someday and buy more. Thank you so much Maria, you are so lovely. If you are in Florence, do not buy anywhere else.

I was gifted these pens about a year ago. Then the second I came back to Rome there was a store so…read moreI go in. It was magical I loved it all i got pens, highlighters, and bunch of other stuff. We need one in Nevada it would be the best thing.

So the wife's big day-bag is slowly coming apart after a couple of months of travel. That means…read morewe've got to get a new one. I vote for a real leather one; after all, we are in Italy and it is what they are known for. There was a flea market near the Medici Chapel with lots of bags. The origins were suspect and the prices varied greatly from booth to booth. Walking along the sidewalk, we saw a leather store. We walked in. No pressure. The place is family-owned and operated and has been for generations. The goods are all top-shelf in quality and made in their local workshop. We explained what we are looking for and the nice "Nonna" shows the wife six styles. After a few minutes, the wife picks the 'winner'. It ain't cheap, but what the heck, it'll probably last a lifetime. We were there on Veteran's Day. So the wife says she wants to get me something for Veteran's Day, but I decline. The "Nonna" says that in the 1930's here father was gone for 7 years fighting in Albania, and to honor me and him and all the Vet's from all the wars, she insists on giving me a really nice leather key fob gratis. It is so nice that I am not sure I'll ever use it! Time for the bill and she basically cuts it in half on the spot. We tried to correct her, but she insisted. So... if you are looking for a great deal on some quality leather goods, go see the "Nonna" at "Leather Point". Tell her I sent you. :-)

Beautiful quality bags, I loved their two-toned bags. Navid was very friendly and helpful. The…read moreowner Marinella was so sweet and gave us a great price for 3 pieces. I'd definitely come back.