When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Umbria, shop. For tapestries, jewelry, glasswork, ceramics, clothes, and more. In addition to its many indoor shops and markets, Umbria has several yearly and monthly outdoor markets where you can thumb through books new and used, study paintings, or invest in antiques.

At Palazzo della Prefettura in Perugia, you'll find ceramics and antique costume jewelry. In Spoleto, Umbria's historic center, on the second Sunday of every month, you're sure to find something you can't leave without. Bastia Umbra's Piazza Mazzini hosts a market four times a year with as many as 50 vendors selling mostly inexpensive items: novelties, knick-knacks, and various other junktique items.

Among year-round shops, there is Deruta Bella, where the ceramics are locally and totally  hand-made from start to finish. Visit the link for a virtual tour of the process.

A visit to Umbria is not complete without a bottle of Umbrian wine from the Tenuta Poggio Del Lupo Winery near Orvieto. Having been wine country since the time of the Etruscans, you could say that Umbria has some experience under its proverbial belt.