Shopping in Italy and Italian Stores Vocabulary from Milan

In this video, I am at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, arguably Italy’s most famous shopping mall.

Famous brands are represented here, including Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.

Not everyone in Italy, of course, can afford an Armani suit. However, other famous brands are high-quality and familiar to Italians.

As seen in the video, the Galleria Mall in Milan features numerous religious frescoes and depictions. It is very ornate and beautifully filled with mosaics and colorful tile flooring.

It is part of a complex that features an indoor shopping mall, along with an outdoor promenade lined with numerous stores and upscale dining establishments. The location is near the iconic Cathedral of Milan (Duomo), with its fairy-tale-like features.

I compare the malls in Italy with those in the United States. Malls in the United States often feature a food court with Chinese restaurants or other fast-food establishments. In the United States, a mall typically has a movie theater. In Italy, the malls do not typically have theaters.

Italian Vocabulary Related to this Video

Store – negozio
Stores – negozi
Shopping mall – centro commerciale
Shopping malls – centri commerciali
Pigeons – piccioni
Center – centro

In the video, you will see a woman with a pigeon resting on her arm, and then she will release it into the air. This square, which features Milan’s cathedral, is filled with pigeons, much like Saint Mark’s Square in Venice.

Legend has it that if you stand in the center of the Galleria Mall on top of the bull mosaic and spin around three times on the bull’s testicles, particularly with your heel, you will receive good luck and return to Milan. It is a similar tradition to throwing the coins in the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Above this mosaic lies an octagonal dome. As seen in the video, a group of people created a selfie by placing a camera on the ground while looking up at the octagonal dome in the background.

Common Types of Stores You Will Find in Italy

edicola – news stand/kiosk
libreria – book store
tabacchaio- tobacco store, look for the sign with a black ‘T’.
Farmacia – pharmacy
pasticceria – pastry shop
cartoleria – card store
ferretteria – hardware store
macelleria – butcher
bar – sells coffee, pastries, snacks

Note: The concept of a bar in Italy is different than the bar you will find in the United States that sells alcohol.

enoteca – wine shop
gelateria – ice cream shop
tintoria – dry cleaner
lavenderia – laundry mat
ristorante – restaurant, more formal, usually higher priced
trattoria – restaurant, more relaxed, typically family-run
cambio – currency exchange
camioncino di cibo – food truck

Shopping in the Smaller Italian Towns:

In Italy, you will find high-end stores, as well as outdoor markets or stalls called bancarelle. The further south you go in the country, the more likely you will discover the bancarelle. They are especially popular in Palermo and Naples.

In the tiny Italian towns, some vendors only appear in town on certain days.

For example, the bread vendor may only come by on Tuesday.
The fisherman might stop by on Wednesday, and so on.

Pictured in this video from Milan:

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan
There are inside pictures, along with a night time picture (Galleria Milano di notte).
Cathedral or Duomo of Milan by day and by night