The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Rome

With this small and discriminating book as their guide, visitors find themselves strolling down cobblestone back streets that only native Romans know well. Rome's ancient streets are filled with shops that reflect its centuries-old culture and world-renowned artistry and design excellence. Nine walks direct shoppers to unique stores—jewelers, stationers, clothiers, grocers—that uphold the Italian standards of quality, craftsmanship, and creativity.

Some shops are included because of their traditional merchandise: micromosaics whose roots reach back to the nineteenth-century Grand Tour; classical plaster based on Roman motifs; jewelry based on Etruscan designs and methods; or jewelry featuring nineteenth-century designs. Many other shops have served famous Roman figures throughout the decades and many merit inclusion in the guide simply because they offer unique, one-of-a-kind handmade articles.

Cafes and restaurants dot each walk. Practical information, including size conversion charts and how to file for a tax refund, is also included.

Pamela Keech is an artist, curator, and collector. She is on the staff of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City and a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome.

Margaret A. Brucia has taught Latin in New York and Rome for many years and is a Fulbright scholar, the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome.