It almost always goes the same way: you leave the centre of Verona with a plastic bag, a fridge magnet of the Arena inside and a little box with Giulietta's balcony. Two weeks later you can't even remember where you put it. An authentic souvenir works the other way around: you use it, drink it, touch it — and Verona comes back to you every time.
This guide is written for those who want to bring home something that has a genuine connection to the Scaligero city — its hills, its marble, its table.
The Veronese Souvenirs Worth Packing
The first rule I've given myself over the years: if you can find it at Milan Malpensa, it isn't a souvenir from Verona. What follows is a considered selection, not a shopping list.
Wine: Amarone above all, but not only. The Scaligero city boasts 8 production areas, 11 Doc denominations, 5 Docg and a vineyard surface of around 28,000 hectares, equal to 35% of the entire Veneto region. Bringing home a bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella means carrying with you a precise landscape — one of hills and grapes drying slowly on the arele. But if Amarone feels daunting in price, a Valpolicella Ripasso or a Soave Classico are equally Veronese and far more versatile at the table. There is also no shortage of DOP products such as the delicate Garda olive oil, or the prestigious wine lists that name the finest labels available — Bardolino, Amarone, Rosso Valpolicella and Bianco di Soave among them. Practical tip: step into a wine shop in the historic centre — La Botteghetta in Via Leoncino 31, a few steps from the Arena di Verona, is a historic establishment recognised by the Municipality for its excellence, with a wide selection of quality local products including wines from the Valpolicella, Soave and Lake Garda areas, and the indispensable Garda DOP olive oil.
Verona Red Marble: the city's stone in a pocket-sized format. Rosso Verona, or Rosso Ammonitico Veronese, is the most prized marble in the province of Verona, recognised worldwide for its distinctive colour, with shades ranging from brick red to rose-red. As a souvenir, Marmo Rosso Verona has the remarkable quality of being literally the same material you see in the city's historic buildings. Small decorative objects in red marble — coasters, paperweights, small tiles — can be found in the craft shops of the historic centre. The furniture and interior design sector is well known for making wood and marble the most cherished and celebrated materials in the Scaligero city.
Local food: soppressa, Monte Veronese, mostarda. Soppressa veronese is the most distinctive and prized salame of Veronese charcuterie, crafted for long curing times. Among the cheeses, Monte Veronese DOP stands out — a cheese with origins stretching back to the medieval period. Traditional mostarda veronese is a fruit preserve that captures the slow rhythm of the seasons and the domestic wisdom of Veronese cooking. All three travel well in a cooler bag or vacuum-packed — many delicatessens in the centre offer vacuum sealing on request.
Amarone grappa: the souvenir for spirits lovers. For a uniquely Veronese recipe, there is grappa al pino mugo — made by macerating a few mugo pine cones from the Lessinia hills in grappa for several months. Exceptionally hard to find outside Verona and its province: that, in essence, is the true meaning of a souvenir.
Where to Buy Authentic Souvenirs in Verona Without Falling into Traps
Avoid items with no indication of origin, ceramics and gadgets with no maker's mark, food products in generic packaging, and anything priced in a way that is incompatible with artisan production. In Verona as elsewhere, "typical" without a specified territory is often a sign of mass production. My practical rule: if the shopkeeper cannot tell you where what they're selling was made, walk away.
Piazza delle Erbe and surroundings: the city's historic market is alive every morning. Local produce is on sale here too — olive oil, wine, and during the winter season, mandorlato and pandoro. Keep your eyes open: alongside the authentic stalls there are also vendors selling generic gadgets. The difference lies in the detail: a label bearing the winery's name, the DOP logo on a bottle of olive oil.
San Zeno quarter — the antiques market: In the San Zeno quarter, an antiques and collectibles market takes place on the first Sunday of each month, with the exception of August. The stalls spread across Piazza San Zeno, Piazza Corrubbio, Piazza Pozza, Via S. Procolo, Via Lenotti, Via Porta San Zeno and Vicolo Fossetto. With over 200 exhibitors from across northern Italy, the market is open from 8am to 6pm (April to October) and from 8am to 5pm (November to March). If you are looking for an object with a real history — a copper engraving, an antique book, a Scaligero clock — this is the place.
Historic shops away from the Arena: The shop at Osteria Verona Antica in Via Sottoriva 12/A offers both sale and tasting of local products such as mountain-pasture cheese, local extra-virgin olive oil, cured meats, organic wine, rice, flours, preserves and local honey. Via Sottoriva is one of the least tourist-worn streets in the centre — and for that very reason, one of the most authentic.
How do you recognise an authentic Veronese souvenir?
Ask the seller where and how it was produced. A genuine artisan will answer with precision. For food products, look for DOP or IGP marks on the label: they are a guarantee of territorial origin, not just of quality.
What is the most original Veronese souvenir to bring home?
It depends on who you are. For wine lovers: a bottle of Amarone from a small winery in the Valpolicella Classica — not from an industrial producer. For those who enjoy unusual flavours: grappa al pino mugo from the Lessinia hills. For those who prefer objects: a piece of red marble worked by a local craftsman — the same marble as the Arena and the Scaligero palaces.
Do Veronese products hold up on a flight?
Wine and grappa go in checked luggage, well wrapped. Aged cheeses and soppressa travel easily for 12–24 hours without refrigeration. Many shops vacuum-pack on request — ask at the time of purchase.
For your next stay in Verona, the apartments of The Verona Stay — near the Arena in Via Roma 21 or a short walk from the Teatro Ristori — put you two minutes on foot from the historic centre's best shops. Everything you buy, you carry back comfortably to your apartment. Check availability at theveronastay.it.