I've always been so impressed with the care and attention given to table settings--particularly the beautiful woven and colored linens and napkins-- in even the tinest of Italian restaurants and trattorias. We have a wonderful collection of Italian pottery, but have not been able to find a source for tablecloths, napkins and the like. Does anyone know of a source here in the United States...or perhaps an on-line site?
Posts: 366 | Location: Belmont, MA and Bados, northeast Sardinia | Registered: 11 February 2003
Kathrine: I always shop for fabric, table and bed linens while in Italy. Busatti is a renowned producer of exquisite fabric and linens, but I do not know of an American website from which you could order. Perhaps contact with the factory could help you with your quest. Here is the address: Busatti Linens, via Mazzini 14, Anghiari (Arezzo). Fax: 0575 789819, Tele: 0575 788424.
Posts: 1456 | Location: on the Alabama River | Registered: 22 July 2002
Kathrine, Frette makes wonderful - albeit expensive - linens for beds and tables. I know they have stores in the US - HERE is the link to their website where you can search for store locations and download a catalog.
Colleen in California
Posts: 14201 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Busatti has a production site in Umbertide as well as a store. Several years ago (4 maybe?) the owner told me that they were opening a store on Rodeo Drive in LA and his daughter would be running it. I don't know if that happened or not. Just looked up a web site for Busatti and here is the page with their stores in America.
Won't help you in the USA or online - but our favorite linen store is Frette's outlet in Milano. They have over-runs and seconds at incredible prices. Linen napkins were 50-75 cents last time we were there. A great thing they sell is linens that were made for different hotels and restaurants around the world with the logos on the linens. Not too long ago, we read an article about Frette in which it said Frette did not make fitted bottom sheets - yes they do.
We have a Busatti in Citta di Castello. One of the very nice things is that you can pick your fabric and/or trims and have bed or table linens made to fit your needs. The bolt fabrics are very reasonable. Since I have American beds, I plan to take my aging sheets in when they need replacement and have them copy them in the fabrics I choose. A reminder to measure your table and the desired drop in centimeters before coming here.
Posts: 2770 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 13 September 2001
I have bought many a lovely thing at the Frette in Verona - on sale. We usually go to Italy in April, so I'm guessing that's when the sale is. I have never seen a sale at the Frette in Venice - probably enough tourists that a sale isn't necessary. I have also found some lovely things at COIN. Not Frette quality, but for my breakfast room table, quite nice.
Posts: 655 | Location: Maine | Registered: 23 November 2002
I was planning to make a day trip Anghiari to see the town, eat at the family-run trattoria Carla Capalbo recommends and shop at the Bussati factory store -- have others done this? Is it worthwhile? Are the prices or selection any better there than in other places?
Thanks for the suggestion about acquiring Italian table linens in the US and in Italy.I guess I've got to get myself to Italy in April for the Frette outlet bash!
Tracy, a friend just told me that she had been to Anghiari and to the Bussati factory store. She did find the prices to be quite a bit lower than retail, but the selection was limited. She still thought it was worth checking out if you happen to be in the area.
The Piero della Francesca fresco cycle in Arezzo...La Lagenda della Vera Croce...is absolutely not to be missed. It is one of the few exhibits where I would recommend getting the audio tour. It would be very easy to miss some of the exquisite details were it not for the taped presentation.
Posts: 366 | Location: Belmont, MA and Bados, northeast Sardinia | Registered: 11 February 2003
If in Italy, no one interested in linens and other textiles would bypass the weekly markets in hilltowns. They don't have the Frette or Busatti logos, but some are really quite beautiful. I have found some beautiful hand-made (locally!) table linens from the Garfagnana in the Lucca market, and I can imagine that there would be an even greater selection in the monthly antique markets in Lucca and Arezzo. The prices are astoundingly reasonable, unfair, really. If you know your table dimensions in advance, these can be great sources of authentic and beautiful pieces. However, there are also lots of cheap imported pieces from the Far East, some of which could be very nice, but not the real thing.
Posts: 2054 | Location: Suburban Philadelphia | Registered: 08 July 2002
Pratesi makes beautiful table linens-at www.pratesi.com you can view some of their merchandise and request a catalogue. The e-mail address for the shop in Florence is pratesiflorence@giotti.com The shipping charge is 40 Euro, and I've heard that even with the shipping charge it is less expensive to order from a Pratesi shop in Italy than to purchase their things in the US.
Carol M's suggestion about the markets is a good one; some wonderful reasonably priced table linens! The Tuesday market at the Cascine in Florence has some nice offerings.
Maureen
Posts: 4724 | Location: Boston or Florence | Registered: 07 July 2001
One last note...Montefalco in Umbria is famous for its textiles, especially table linens done in historic designs (mostly stylized animals and plants). I haven't done a google search, so perhaps there is a way to order them online, though they are sold through a myriad of tiny little shops in town, not a big industry like Frette or some of the others mentioned. This was more a heads-up message to those interested who may be passing through Umbria.
I am very interested in shopping (or at least looking!) at the hilltown markets in both Tuscany and Umbria -- is there a calendar that lists the market days/hours (generally mornings I assume?) somewhere?
Initaly.com used to have a page on their site under Umbria that listed the markets in the area. I haven't taken a look in quite awhile.
Otherwise, the couple I happen to know are every Friday am in Bastia Umbra, every Saturday am in Perugia in Piazza Umbria Jazz and the last Saturday and Sunday of the month for antiques the the Giardini Carducci. The also have a natural/biological wares market in Piazza Piccinino the first Sunday of every month. In the same Piazza, you can hit the Pizzeria Mediterranea, where they serve the only decent pizza north of Naples. The Assisi market is every Saturday am, but has slowly died out since no one actually lives in the center of town anymore, so don't waste your time.
They may list the markets at some of the official Umbria sites, too. Try umbria2000.com, for example.
Rebecca
P.S. The Arezzo market is quite famous (Tuscany), but I don't remember when it is. Anyone?
Harumph! Un Pensiero Stupendo in San Giustino is a pizzeria (open only in the evenings) owned and run by 5 Neapolitan girls who make astoundingly good pizza using only bufala for mozzarella. Retro is an antiques and old junk market every third weekend of the month in Citta di Castello.
Posts: 2770 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 13 September 2001
The Arezzo antique market that Rebecca mentions is the first Sunday of each month and the Saturday that precedes it. I think it is a worthwhile destination, but go early. There are usually several vendors with a nice selection of antique linens.
Posts: 1456 | Location: on the Alabama River | Registered: 22 July 2002
quote:Originally posted by tracy in portland, oregon: I am very interested in shopping (or at least looking!) at the hilltown markets in both Tuscany and Umbria -- is there a calendar that lists the market days/hours (generally mornings I assume?) somewhere?
Fabulous bed and kitchen linens also at Mastro Raphael shops (all over Italy) and factory outlet near Spoleto. Designer Bargains in Italy lists lots of other linen outlets. Mary Jane
Mary Jane Elegant Etruria: Cultural Holidays - Travel Consultancy
Mastro Raphael also has a discount shop just outside Perugia. And the shop selling Montefalco fabrics in the centre of Perugia is having a half price sale right now!
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