I confess: I hate shopping. The crowds. The large confusing selections. Just about everything concerning shopping -- I dread. But during the Christmas season, I drag myself out of my ba-humbug attitude so as to cultivate a little bit of generosity al materialismo. And Naples certainly provides a bevy of shopping opportunities. Most of the locals tell me that the open markets are the best way to shop.
So here I'm listing some of the top places to shop as suggested by my favorite guide to the city, Lonely Planet's: Naples & the Amalfi Coast
Via Mezzocannone: A great street for Catholic kitsch. You'll find the Virgin Mary with a blinking crown as well as a glow-in-the-dark Jesus here.
Mercato di Poggioreale (Via Nuova Poggioreale; Fri-Mon 8am-1pm): Set in the city's old slaughterhouse, there are over 40 shoe stalls as well as casual wear, suits, and kitchenware.
OK-KO Research (Via Cavalerizza a Chiaia 63): Funky housewares include Andy Warhol light boxes, plastic chairs, clocks, CDs and handbags in the shape of watering cans. (The draw: Aperitivi are served upstairs in the winter.)
Bowinkel (Via Santa Lucia 25): Vintage prints, photographs, watercolor paintings and classic frames.
Whew! I'm already tired. Does anybody have other recommendations and comments about shopping in Naples?
3 comments:
Hi there! Wonderful site you have here and great Naples resources. Looking forward to reading more and going to follow you on twitter now. :-) Ciao!
Hi Barbara..... I LOVE shopping at Christmas in Naples for figures, scenes, props in all sizes to make a Presepi ( nativity scene). In Italy this scene is not just the nativity but a whole village with workers, houses, animals, and of course, food. You can buy there a mountainous backdrop in which to put the figures also.
The Christmas market is open all year there and goes for 3 or 4 blocks on San Gregorio Armeni and San Biagio Lebrai. (sp) There is an old nativity scene you can see from the 1800's, I think. You pay a small admission. There streets are full of outdoor stalls selling everything from gorgeous handpainted porcelaine figures made in Italy to Christmas kitsch from China.
At Christmas time throughout Italy most towns sell things for the presepi. In Lecce they do beautiful papier mache figures for it . But I have never seen anything like the Christmas Market in Naples. It is fabulous. Enjoy. Melinda
Hi Melanie! Thanks for reading!
Hi Melinda -- yes, Christmas Alley for sure. Stay tuned next week when I will write all about it! But our description is also so wonderful of the one-and-only street in the world dedicated to Christmas all year round. I was there today and it was absolutely PACKED!
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