Lived there for 3 years..if you really want quilt quality fabric you won't find it in Italy!
You can find some cotton flat folds at local markets, and some better cottons at a dress maker's shop, but they don't have quilt shops!

Not sure where you will be in Italy but Ercolano is the Garment/Costuming district and I found you could buy scrap bags of various fabrics/yarns/trims there pretty reasonable. Of course that was back when the $ to Lire was really good...now that the $ is in the toilet and Euro reigns, things are not cheap in Europe!

90% of my customers are in Italy, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Russia....They spend big too as even with duty taxes and shipping it is so much cheaper!

and do not forget about Lemoncello!!!!

LOTS of Churches and fountains..ehhehehe

I lived in Naples, Italy for over 2 years, I just left about 3 days ago. I found reasonably priced material at the outdoor markets. Learn your Italian numbers to haggle and you can find some great finds! If you go near Naples, Caserta is a big market where I'm sure you can find some material.

you get on facebook and friend Alex Veronelli....he is MR Aurifil thread! HE knows Italy as he lives/works there!

Also, I used some of the fabric in my quick strippie FMQ, the blue checked material, from an outdoor market. I just posted some pictures.

I miss the markets around Naples...I remember when they opened the big Caserta market and was so happy to offer the AMERICAN's (mostly military wives) a public bathroom.....imagine our shock when we found it to be nothing more than holes in the floor that you had to stand over with only a curtain to pull in front of you..heheheh

Italy was a great place to live if you could over look the filth...we always told our visitors look at Italy from front door UP....and always carry your own toilet paper!

That is too funny! I was so ready to come back to the US. It was a good experience, but it definitely made me glad to be an American!

Since there is not a quilting tradition in Italy there aren't many shops. I go to a couple in Milan and one over the border in Switzerland but they are expensive. We pay from 18 to 20 Euro per meter! Quilting fabric is not produced here. Most is imported from the USA or Japan, some from England.

Hope you enjoy your trip. There is so much to see in all three cities and they are so different. I love Rome and Florence but Venice is magic!

Pippa