Amalfi shopping: glamour and craftsmanship on the coast

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«Today, the Shopping Maps column offers a shopping tour of the Amalfi Coast, with all its colorful clothes, fine ceramics and typical products of Campania. Read on to get an idea what the amazing Amalfi shopping can offer»

We continue our tour with Shopping Maps (click here and here for the first two episodes). Today we take you an idea what the amazing Amalfi shopping can offer, in one of the most popular places in Italy, an ideal place to spend a wonderful holiday surrounded by nature.

The Amalfi shopping fashion is famous for the hippy-chic style, made of clothes that recall the style of ‘flower power children’ and handmade low sandals, modeled on those from Capri. One of the ideal places for Amalfi shopping: its streets are, in fact, filled with shops and workshops where you can find clothes, handmade shoes and wonderful jewels. Not far from  Positano, an ancient fishing village whose style has become famous all over the world, Vietri sul mare, with its pottery and its jewels, or even Maiori  and Minori, with their many craft workshops.

But what Amalfi shopping offers is not limited to fashion. In these beautiful seaside resorts you can also buy typical products of Campania or small local crafts. Because, after all, Shopping Maps really thinks of everything!

In short, whether you are a gourmet traveler, a handicraft enthusiast or a tireless fashion addict, shopping on the Amalfi Coast will satisfy all your needs, giving you an unforgettable experience. The colors, the smells and the flavors of this wonderful land will make your holiday truly unique. Now, let’s discover together what are the shops and boutiques to visit absolutely.

Let’s start from Vietri sul Mare. This town is famous all over the world for its colorful ceramics. Therefore, if you are passionate about craftsmanship, you should definitely stop in one of the many laboratories, located mostly along Corso Umberto I. We point out one of the historical pillars of the Vietri ceramic tradition, Vincenzo Solimene’s Solamica Artistic Ceramics firm. Vincenzo has been operating in Vietri Sul Mare since 1947 and his family has been working in the ceramic sector for more than a century. A true highlight of Amalfi shopping.

The current headquarters of the Ceramica Artistica Solimene is located in Viaduct Madonna degli Angeli, and is one of the most significant architectures of the ‘900. The production of tableware, floor and wall tiles entirely worked and decorated by hand, combines the respect of ancient techniques, such as the use of the lathe, with the adoption of the most advanced technologies, to ensure the robustness, durability and also the practical use of the dishwasher for the tableware. The Solimene Artistic Ceramics, which exports all over the world, is also an open space both for the preparation of exhibitions and exhibitions, and for professional training, thanks to the Vietri Art Study Center, which holds annual courses annual authorized by the Campania Region, for the preparation of future potters.

If you are a lover of good food and of Italian food and wine, you will have to stop in  Cetara, a small village on the Amalfi Coast famous for its production of anchovies. Snap Italy’s Shopping Maps advises you to buy the famous anchovy sauce, obtained from the fermentation of the anchovies put to marinate in the jars.

We continue our tour and arrive in Maiori. Here you will find the ideal place to grab a pair of handmade sandals without spending a fortune. We are talking about Alfonso Dattilo’s workshop, Sandali Tipici, where the shoes are handmade, by assembling the pieces according to the requests of the customers. Fruit of passion, creativity and tradition, Alfonso Dattilo’s sandals are made following the ancient artisan techniques, to offer customers products of the highest quality and linked to the tradition of Campania.

Once in Minori, however, it is essential to stock up pasta Al Pastaio, the Antonio Ruocco laboratory shop, strictly made of durum wheat semolina. Another unmissable stop is the Pasticceria di Sal del Riso, inventor of the  ricotta and pear cake and tireless creator of a thousand other delicacies.

If you are looking for a unique and inimitable souvenir,  Amalfi is the right place for you! The former maritime republic, in fact, is famous for the production of handmade paper. Paper has a history closely linked to the city that has also decided to dedicate a museum to it. The Amalfitans learned to produce paper from the Arabs with whom they traded. The Amalfi paper, produced by rags and fabrics, was used to transcribe commercial transactions, the main activity of the maritime city. At the  Scuderia del Duca, in addition to paper, you will also find antique and modern prints, sealing wax, inks and antiques. Managed by Andrea De Luca and Giovanna Fusco since 1980, has been defined as the “Land of Wonders”, where the precious Amalfi paper, with its unchanged edges, reigns superbly. These are all emblems of the gorgeous Amalfi shopping.

Now we get to the favorite place for every fashion victim: Positano, the true shopping hub on the Amalfi Coast. Its boutiques, along Viale Pasitea, via dei Mulini, via Colombo and via Marconi, fill the outer walls of the shops with bright colors and precious fabrics, making this pearl of the coast even more alive and rich. If you are looking for a Positano-style dress, there are Brunella Bottega’s looms that have been weaving the linen for clothes and the fiandra for the bridal outfits since the 60s. The founders Vito and Brunella managed to convey their enthusiasm to their children Cristina, Annamaria, Baldo, Antonio and Francesco. Thus the character and warmth typical of family management have fascinatedUrsula Andress, Zeffirelli, Zucchero, Eleonora Brigliadori and Enrica Bonaccorti.

To complete the look in full Positano style, you can not miss a swimsuit, perhaps decorated with turquoise and corals, such as those made by Antica Sartoria, on Positano’s Grande beach.

Raffaella Celentano

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