During holidays, many people search for Sicilian souvenirs or Sicily gifts online. With this post, I want to help you find true and original Sicily souvenirs on the web. I thought of those people who can’t afford to visit my loved Sicily and have the strong desire to have a gadget or souvenirs from Sicily into their home. Maybe they need to have a Sicilian gift for a Sicilian host, but they don’t trust many online shops where the Sicilian gifts are sold.
If you are one of these people, I say that you are right to not trust many online shops that boast to sell Sicily souvenirs, because, often, these souvenirs are not made in Sicily, but made in China or India, even though they depict traditional Sicily products and scenes. I wrote, hence, this post to help you choose authentic Sicilian souvenirs online by authentic Sicilian and Italian artisans. Are you ready to discover more about the most interesting and traditional Sicily souvenirs, gadgets and gifts? Well, follow the subsequent paragraphs, where I listed the evergreen symbols of Sicily’s tradition that you can buy online straight from your device and in a few clicks!
Sicilian cart souvenir online
The one which is regarded as the most important souvenir of Sicily is in reality an ancient transportation mean developed in Palermo in the early years of the XIX century. At that time, the conditions of the Sicilian roads were very bad and there was not any opportunity to move through the island. In this framework, for Sicilians, the cart became the easier way to transport goods and agricultural products, such as olive oil, wine barrels and wood. This transportation tool consisted of a wooden chariot carried by a donkey.
Sicilian farmers used the Sicilian cart, even to transport their families to the beach or to the countryside for a picnic. The trip usually lasted several days also to cover short distances, because a cart is slower than a car, obviously. My mum always reminds me that she grew with and on the Sicilian carretto. When she was a little girl, my maternal grandfather, who was a Sicily’s peasant, used his cart (carretto in Sicilian) and his donkey, to take his daughter, his wife and the other sons to the beach. Hence, I know Sicily’s cart very well thanks to the remembrances of my mother. This private scene of the private life of my mother dates back to the 1950s.
Yes, even in the past century, poor peasants who couldn’t afford a car, always moved through their cart. The Sicilian cart made big steps forward since then and today it is a much searched small souvenir that depicts the style and the colours of the traditional cart used by the ancient Sicilian peasants like my grandfather. The Sicilian cart souvenir you can buy online is, in reality, an item made by an Italian artisan who lives in the South of Italy. This item is a perfect toy for your children. You must know, indeed, that the chariot was also used in other villages of the South of Italy and over time became one the most relevant Italian gadgets.
The Sicilian cart can also be the subject of other Sicily souvenirs, such as ceramic plates depicting traditional Sicilian items. The artisan who makes this kind of artworks is Antonino Finocchiaro, from Catania. He crafts ceramic plates hand painted with the traditional Sicilian scenes, Sicilian cart included! You can buy this product for you or as a gift for Christmas or for a Sicilian host or as a gift for ceremony. The online shop by Antonino is called Terre del Sud. The artworks by Antonino as a rare and bright example of decorative painting for collectors and for this reason the price of these items is higher than common ceramic plates. A creation by Antonino Finocchiaro has a price of 150 euros per piece.
Sicily ceramic souvenirs online
As you surely understood in the previous paragraph, ceramics are unmissable products for those who love Sicily souvenirs. These kinds of products are widespread online and for this reason the risk you stumble upon fake Sicily souvenirs is very high. Many ceramic gadgets can be made in India and China. However, ceramic Sicilian souvenirs are the most traditional products in my island and it is right that you buy them from true Sicilian artisans. Indeed, ceramic has been prehistorically known in Sicily. My region, land of tradition, art and culture, the cradle of the Mediterranean Sea and of several civilizations contains endless testimony of the age of the ceramic artifacts.
The first ceramic artifacts appeared in the Neolithic age in the zones of Noto, Milazzo, Catania and Palermo. Those were pots, big amphorae, hourglasses and fruit bowls. Other findings of ancient ceramic artifacts were discovered in Pantelleria and in the Aeolian islands. The ancient and valuable art of ceramic has been resumed by skilled Sicilian artisans over the centuries. Many of them work and live in the province of Catania. All of the ceramics made in the above mentioned territory, are handmade and handpainted and perfectly refined with the unique and passionate charm from Sicily. Nowadays, you can buy these precious authentic Sicily artworks online.
The prices of handmade ceramic pots and bowls can be expensive sometimes, but since my mission is to help you find authentic Sicilian gifts and souvenirs with very affordable rates, I suggest you to buy the wonderful ceramics by Sicilian artisan Ketty Messina. Ketty lives in San Gregorio di Catania and creates stunning ceramic artifacts with a range of prices from 10 to 50 euros per piece (shipping cost excluded). You can buy her creations on her online shop. Ketty makes ceramic plates, bowls, pots and even soap dispensers, hand painted and perfectly refined with the most precious ceramic from Sicily. These products are not only souvenirs, but also gifts to donate for Christmas or for every occasion of your life. Ceramics are also suitable as wedding favors.
Other Sicilian souvenirs and gifts online
In addition to the above mentioned Sicily souvenirs, you can buy many other kinds of different Sicilian online gifts. They can be jewels, hats, bags and other interesting fashion accessories. I discussed about these products in my previous posts, for this reason, here, I added only some really marvelous gift ideas you can buy online straight from authentic Sicilian artisans. What do you think about the crochet Sicilian marionettes? Marionettes, also known as Pupi in Sicilian, along with crocheting, are the other symbols of Sicily tradition. The artisan who makes crochet Sicilian marionettes (see the image) is Francesca from San Michele di Ganzaria, a village near Caltagirone, always in the province of Catania, the same province where I live. Francesca creates handmade and eco-friendly Sicilian gifts and souvenirs at very affordable rates, such as bags, glooves, pencil cases with the shape of Sicily (see the featured image) and scarfs. You can buy her wonderful creations on her online shop called Fimminazza.
Another Sicilian artisan who creates compelling gifts and Sicilian souvenirs is Lalleru. She is from Catania and creates traditional Sicily’s bags, necklaces, lamps, jewel cases, spice rack chairs (see the image above) and other handmade creations for your home, yourself and your ones.
As you can see, the traditional Sicilian souvenirs go across many types of gadgets, from pottery, cases, jewels, hats, bags and fashion. Explore all of these products and enjoy your online Sicily shopping to have the best of my loved island at your home, everywhere and anytime. By the way: everything is absolutely made in Sicily and in Italy.
Photocredits:
The images belong to the artisans mentioned in the post
Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor for the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.
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I am looking for an example of Sicilian embroidery or crewel work depicting a donkey cart with people in a very simple street scene. Background is beige maybe muslin. This belonged to a friend who’s family was from Sicily. She went to visit maybe 10 years ago. Definitely done by hand. It has been lost and I would like to replace it. Any idea of where I could find it? I think she bought it from a street vendor. Thank you.
Hi Linda,
Yes, I think your friend bought that from a street vendor.
Unfortunately, Sicilian embroidery is a lost art, today.
You can try to reach a Sicilian tailor who still crafts this type of creations.
There are several Sicilian women who craft coffa bags. Maybe they also make what you search.
Try contacting them here https://www.sicilyonweb.com/where-to-find-the-original-sicilian-coffa-bag/.