Let’s find your perfect Italian memento. Bring some dolce vita into your life — sustainably!

Let’s find your perfect Italian memento!

Sustainable stylist Desirée Marie Townley sources housewares and personal accessories from Rome’s bustling flea and street markets, teaches you how to shop the markets yourself, and shows you how to care for your treasures so they’ll last.

Bring some dolce vita into your life — sustainably!

Souvenirs with soul

Kitchenware, linens, signage, tarot, jewelry — all vintage, all Roman, all better at capturing memories of the city than a plastic Colosseum.

Shop dècor & accessories
Shopping & Care guides

Find your own vintage treasures with market shopping guides, then take care of them for a lifetime. (And be a better shopper at home!)

Shop guides
Printables

Maps, botanical prints, and vintage ads, sourced from vintage books and converted into saturated PDFs for you to print at home.

Shop printables

Kitchenwares, signage, tarot, jewelry, and more — all vintage, all Roman.

Shop products

Market guides for finding treasures, and care guides for helping them last.

Shop guides

Art from vintage books, converted into PDFs by a graphic artist for you to print at home.

Shop printables
Bright yellow text on a teal background reads: The Insider's Guide to Porta Portese

NOW AVAILABLE:
The Insider’s Guide to Porta Portese!

Every guidebook recommends a trip to Porta Portese… but online reviews of Rome’s oldest and biggest flea market are brutal: “a waste of time,” “cheap, tacky, or overpriced,” “don’t bother.” “Nothing authentic.” Oof.

Porta Portese is a treasure trove — if you approach it the right way. This comprehensive guide makes the classically Roman chaos manageable with four curated routes for different shopping experiences, detailed maps, market etiquette tips, details on can’t-miss vendors, and info on where to find basics like ATMs, food and drink and, bathrooms — along with Desirée’s pro tips. Download to read and/or print at home and save the mobile version on your phone to keep all the info at your fingertips, and have a great day at the market!

Learn more and purchase!

About Desirée &
The Pewter Thimble

I grew up wearing hand-me-downs. As an adult and sustainable stylist, I still do — proudly. A well-constructed garment made of quality fabric and well cared for can live many lives! The same is true of most of the objects that surround us. Buying pre-loved items brings their unique beauty, character, and history into our homes. It also keeps them out of landfills, and puts your money in the hands of small and local businesses.

The markets of Rome — my home — are as full of history as the streets. Shopping there gives you a new look at the city and gives you the chance to bring home a truly memorable souvenir, one that’s filled with history, is uniquely Italian, and sustainable. I began The Pewter Thimble to share my love of vintage and bring some dolce vita to wherever home is for you, whether you want to head to the market yourself to haggle or opt for one of my finds.

Let’s go shopping!

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