Newsstand

The giornalaio or newsstand is a hub of activity in the Italian town. In addition to stocking national, international and local daily papers, the newsstand also carries magazines, comic books, and some audio and video cassettes. One can also buy phone cards, bus tickets, train schedules, post cards, guides to cities and maps. Sometimes customers pick out their own items and sometimes they have to request them from the clerk. Newspapers are very common in Italy and provide the topic of many conversations. People who don't purchase their own paper will frequently read the ones provided by the bars. Papers represent various large Italian cities (for example, La Repubblica is Roman and La Corriere della Sera is Milanese), or various political slants.