2024 Holiday Season Italian Gift Guide
Nine gifts from Florence, and three gifts from other Italy hotspots for the Italy lovers in your life.
Ciao from Florence!
Keep reading to find my favorite Italian gifts for this holiday season, mostly based in Florence, but also from elsewhere in Italy. The gifts range from delicious baked goods, to beauty products, home decor, clothing, and everything in between. You may have already seen a few if you follow me on Instagram, but most are newsletter-only recommendations.
Florence-based shops
Some addresses to visit for those who prefer to shop in person, but you can also find most of the following online as well.
Something to wear: Frau Leman was founded in 2019 by Stephanie Lehmann, who came to work in Florence after her training to become a bag maker in Berlin. She makes authentic, quality leather goods, including key chains in the shape of moka coffee pots and iconic Florentine monuments like Brunelleschi’s Dome and the Santo Spirito church façade. Address: via dei Serragli, 61r.
Something that smells extraordinary: Farmacia SS. Annunziata is a beautiful historical "pharmacy" (since 1561!) in Florence’s city center. They produce a wide selection of goods, from body care to home fragrances, and much more. A special nod goes to their quite potent, handcrafted, scented candles with harmonic wood wicks, which sound like a fireplace and make even the smallest apartment feel like a mansion. Via dei Servi, 80r.
Something to read: Wine Windows in Florence and Tuscany by Lucrezia Giordano and Diletta Corsini. Florence is full of wine windows, and you see them all over social media, but what you don’t see as much of is information about their history is and what original purpose was, and it might not be what you think it is! This slim and entertaining read will provide all the context you need to truly appreciate this unique, Florentine-born architectural quirk. The authors are two historians who are in charge of the association that helps upkeep the original wine windows. Available for purchase in Italian or English in most Florentine bookstores.
Something to eat: Leonardo’s artisanal, handmade panettoni are beautifully alveolated, light, and full of flavor thanks to production processes passed on through generations and high-quality ingredients. Leonardo makes classic panettoni, but also more fun and contemporary combinations like apricot and Moscato, or zabaione and pear, which are all beautifully packaged in an impressive white and Tiffany blue, plastic-less, paper box, tied with a flowy, peach-colored ribbon. Via de’ Macci 65r
Something to drink: La Via Del Tè is a fabulous woman-led, and Florentine-based brand that has been sourcing and selecting high quality teas since 1961. They’re most well-known for their unique blends, and each year they come out with a very special Christmas selection. This year’s was inspired by the Nutcracker. Visit their original shop in piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti 22/23r.
Something to pour: my friend Alexa Dombkoski’s Bellemille premium extra virgin olive oil. Bellemille olives are carefully sourced from one single family farm that has been producing olive oil for generations, using sustainable farming practices. No fillers, no preservatives, no gimmicks or tricks. The olives go from the farm, to the on-site mill, to the bottle, to your doorstep. Online only.
Something for the house
La Casa della Stampa is a small, family-run shop, hidden in a skinny alley where you can find the most beautiful hand-painted, press print reproductions of antique manuscripts. A little Florentine treasure. Address: sdrucciolo de' Pitti, 11
Mio Concept is a concept store like no other, a shop-cum-gallery where you’ll find original art, handmade jewelry, environmentally conscious gifts and more. Specifically, this is the place to go to find pieces by some of the most interesting contemporary artists in Florence: street artists! Some favorites are BLUB, who reimagines notable people and art subjects underwater, and LEDIESIS, who depict famous female figures from today and the past as the “superwomen” they are. Via della Spada, 34r.
The cutest coasters ever, made by Geraldina, a Florence-based artist who makes coasters, placemats, chargers, tote bags and matches with the most beautiful prints: risqué produce, famous Florentine monuments, and a brand-new Christmas-themed selection that is perfect for the holidays. You can find her pieces online, but also in various shops in Florence, including S.Forno, on Via Santa Monaca, 3r
Three more favorites from elsewhere in Italy
Something to eat: panettone, it’s a rule in Italy that you must have at least one each holiday season. If you want a really high quality panettone shipped directly to your door pronto, I recommend Olivieri 1882, which is an artisanal producer based in Northern Italy that has 48-hour shipping to the USA.
Something to wear: Slutti Spaghetti, is my friend Victoria Cece’s Italian-food-themed clothing brand, based in Rome, guaranteed to ruffle some feathers amongst the Italian fashionistas. Why be bad and boujee when you can be bad and bucatini?
Something to smell amazing: Cenere is a woman-led business based in Palermo, Sicily, that makes the most beautiful and delicious beauty products that smell like a literal SPA: soaps, body butter, shampoo bars, chapstick, scented candles and more. All organic, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Here’s what I found interesting recently
This podcast episode about panettone and its history, including an interview with Nicola Olivieri of the aforementioned Olivieri 1882 bakery. “If you’ve sworn off panettone because you think it’s dry, bland, cottony, and uninspired, then you haven’t tasted good panettone”.
I hope you enjoy the above recommendations and I hope you’ll have a fabulous holiday season. What are you going to be up to? I’ll be spending Christmas with my family and then flying to Zanzibar with some friends for New Year’s.
Happy holidays!
What a thoughtfully curated list of gift suggestions! I hope to collaborate with Stephanie Lehman to design a custom bag one day soon. Love her work! 🥰