Globalization has gifted us with a few certainties: we know that wherever we go in the world we will have the opportunity to eat the same things, drink the same beverages, and buy the same clothes from the big chains and brands. We have entered an international comfort zone but, in the process, we trade uniqueness for convenience. Shopping, except in rare cases, is less and less of an experience to discover. Most of us do not pay too much attention to the over-familiar shop or department store window before we do our routine shopping. To ease that boredom, consider the historical storefronts and spaces captured in photographs that show what has and has not changed through the decades.
Florence
This late nineteenth-century photo of the Anglo-American Pharmacy and Perfumery at Via dei Tornabuoni in Florence shows the detailed storefront of the shop founded in 1843 by pharmacist Henry Roberts. The brand changed over the decades to Manetti & Roberts and grew bigger and bigger. Generations of Italians, especially women and newborn children, have grown up surrounded by the scent of the talcum powder Mr. Roberts invented and made famous throughout Italy. Today the shop is home to a famous Italian clothing brand.
The story of the celebrity shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo is similar to that of the Gucci family. From an artisan workshop in Florence, here portrayed in 1956, Salvatore exploits his experience of mastery in American cinema to start what would become a successful saga, still synonymous with world-class elegance and quality. Truly all the greatest Hollywood divas of the 50s and 60s have worn Ferragamo shoes: Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Marylin Monroe, and hundreds more. A personal wooden shaped foot was crafted for each of them and these artifacts are now collected in the Ferragamo Museum in Florence.
Rodolfo Gucci’s story would inspire the script of a Netflix series. His father, Guccio Gucci, founder in Florence of the family-named Italian fashion maison with the two overlapping GGs, didn’t want him to be a movie actor, so Rodolfo set out to be an actor with the stage name Maurizio D’Ancora. In 1949, after a proper career, he returned to his family role as an heir to the fashion system, working as a scarf designer and director of the Gucci store at Via Montenapoleone Milan, where he is portrayed in this 1971 photo. The murder of his son Maurizio in Milan in 1995 inspired, sadly, film director Ridley Scott’s 2021 House of Gucci starring Lady Gaga and Jeremy Irons.
In Milan, the historic shops are countless. Among them is the Italian icon of Christmas food excellence: the Panettone, a traditional Italian cake with raisins and orange peel. The Motta Panettone has carried a guarantee of quality, excellence, and goodness since the Motta bakery began selling it in 1919. That’s why many VIPs, such as Margot Fontaine, the prima ballerina of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, shown here purchasing one in 1957, serve themselves in one of the most renowned pastry shops in the city.
Capri
Capri Island has seduced movie stars and jetsetters for generations, including those from Italy and America. In this 1950 photo, Rita Hayworth is shopping with a friend. Then and now, the blue of the sky, yellow of the lemons, colors of the vegetation, and amazing food are pure magic. And the shops of the island are famous for handmade leather sandals—flat, comfortable and elegant—which have always dictated fashion among celebrities such as Jacky Kennedy Onassis and Grace Kelly.
Venice
Venice, a popular destination for tourists since 1800, is full of jewelry shops selling pearl necklaces or precious glass, such as the beloved glass works from the nearby island of Murano. Today, the crowd of visitors is less selective and, on average, less demanding than it used to be, but the historicity of Venetian craftsmanship leaves the mark of a glorious past.
Barbara Benzoni
Barbara Benzoni was born in Milan and lives between Rome and Tuscany. She is devoted to USA, the land of courage and innovation. She’s Peter's super-lucky mum and Ale's wife. Cinema, art, good food and only beautiful things are the themes of her existence. With a degree in Italian literature and a Masters in Sports Management she can both enjoys books and basketball matches. In 25 years she has been organizing sport events all over the world and she’s been lucky enough to meet the greatest champs ever. Curiosity in everyday life and people are her drivers. Her personal icon is Mohammed Ali : "It's not bragging if you can back it up".