In Rome, Newsstands as Mini-Malls (And Unlikely Architectural Wonders).

ROME -- They're not exactly Borrominis or Berninis. But some of the newsstands around here, in their crazy, Collyer Brothers fashion, have come to look almost as baroque. Kiosks, here and across Europe, have increasingly become like mini-shopping malls, to a degree that would surprise even New Yorkers accustomed to buying sodas and candy from corner newsstands. Customers hunting for the latest issue of Corriere dello Sport can also find dinner plates and encyclopedias, which are shoehorned among copies of Chinese Vogue, Der Spiegel and The Economist. Plastic food containers, toy Vespas and CDs featuring obscure chamber music ensembles or weepy Italian pop crooners compete for space with the usual postcards, guidebooks, weight loss DVDs like ''SOS Cellulite'' and beefcake calendars of Roman priests. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]