20 Great Escapes • D Magazine - Dallas, USA • March 2006 • (www.dmagazine.com)

...But perhaps the most special boutique, one that we stumbled upon quite by accident—on the way to dinner at Garga, actually—is Il Tamarino Stampe d’Arte (Via del Moro 46/r, +39 055 282457; www.iltamarino.com ), which combines Florence’s two finest assets: art and shopping. Here they make fine limited-edition etchings using a process believed to have originated in Florence in the early 16th century, in which a copper plate is covered in a wax varnish and etched, then immersed in a mordant that corrodes the copper where the wax has been removed. The plate is then inked, covered with a dampened piece of paper, and passed through the printing press. The dry print is then watercolored, producing a unique image. You’ll be hard-pressed (sorry) to choose between from pristine Florentine cityscapes, Tuscan landscapes, and darling botanicals and butterflies—each a special keepsake from this magical and majestic place.    
by Jennifer Chininis