In The Bag Valentino is the most important Italian fashion house based in Rome, finding a home in the Eternal City since the 1960s. Already famous for its classic looks, Velentino launched the current "vintage" trend in high fashion when actress Julia Roberts received her Oscar in 2001 wearing vintage Valentino. The iconic design house is well known for its ladies' handbags that start around 600 euro and can go much higher, with matching belts costing between 250 euro and 500 euro.

Taste of Tuscany Super Tuscan wines are a combination between the modern and the ancient, a mix of state-of-the-art techniques and international grape varieties harvested from the Tuscan countryside that has produced renowned wine since Roman times. Tignanello is a trailblazer among Super Tuscans, and it remains a good bet for world-class wine. Pay 60-75 euro for a bottle from a good vintage, which in the case of Tignanello is any year between 1997 and the recently-released 2003.

Kitchen Friends The company's playfulness is evident in Alessi colorful tabletop kitchenware, which resembles children's toys as much as useful and stylish additions to a modern home. From left to right: a hard-boiled egg stand, a toothpick holder, a sugar pourer, and a wine opener. Prices range from 8 euro to 40 euro.

Bowled Over Alessi kitchenware has been one of the leaders of Italian design since Giovanni Alessi founded the company near Italy's border with Switzerland in the 1920s, and it has never looked back. Some of its products have even been displayed in museums of modern art. This red metal fruit bowl from Alessi, called Mediterraneo, recalls wild corral. Alessi bowls start at 30 euro.

Classic Glass Fearing the risk of fire, the canal city of Venice ordered all its foundries to move to the nearby island of Murano in 1291. With so many talented artisans in one spot, creativity and competition spurred glassmakers to ever-greater heights. That tradition continues today, with age-old technique still employed to make world-renowned works of art. One-of-a-kind objects like this 50-cm tall lamp start at 400 euro.

Hats Off Borsalino's classic style has for the most part remained unchanged since the then-tiny northern Italian company started to export hats to England in the 1870s. As an unintended tribute to its past, the company's logo dates to 1909 and its literature carries an image of a "Borsalino man" from the 1920s. But modern elegance emerges from a classic style that is still a cornerstone of many Italian men's wardrobes. Prices range from 100 euro to 350 euro.