Holiday markets abound all over Italy between Christmas day and Epiphany

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Apart from the Epiphany Fair in Piazza Navona, there are many specialty markets where you'll find great holiday shopping. Here are a few we recommend, because even if you don't buy anything, a stroll around the nearby streets will amply repay your efforts.

• Prato (Tuscany): On the Saturday before Christmas, 50 stands spring up around the Town Hall building (or under the porticos if the weather is bad). With heavy emphasis on linens and old books, this is a great place to find gifts you can actually fit into your suitcase. Click here for lodgings in the area.
  
  
• Bastia Umbra (Umbria): On the Sunday before December 21, this charming old town near Assisi hosts a bric-a-brac fair, with a heavy emphasis on old prints, stamps and local handicrafts. Make sure you pop into the 13th-century church of Santa Croce, an artistic treasure trove that serves as a backdrop for the market. Click here for lodgings in the area.
  
  
• Venice: This is a great opportunity to seek out Campo San Maurizio, a picturesque square not far from St. Mark's. On December 16-18, collectors from the entire northeastern corner of Italy gather to sell small objects and paintings. Prices can soar, but it may be the only chance you'll ever get to hold an authentic 16th-century ornament in your hand.

• San Marino: On December 17 and 18, a small group of antiquarians sell their wares in the very photogenic Borgo Maggiore castle. Small items abound, including old maps and coins. When your shopping is done, visit the local Picture Gallery to see Titian's portrait of St. Francis and many other lovely paintings. Click here for lodgings in the area.

• Trentino-Alto Adige: Sadly, Christmas has become a commercial opportunity in Italy too, but since time immemorial the mountain communities have been staging wonderful outdoor markets for this season. All manner of wares are sold, including tacky toys and crass video games, but the emphasis is on exquisite hand-made artifacts to be used as gifts or as decorations. The atmosphere is best after dark, when hundreds of lights create a festive atmosphere and huge clouds of steam hover over the cider and cioccolata of which everyone partakes. Our very favorite market is in the picture-perfect town of Merano (Alto-Adige). Click here to learn more about this wonderful holiday destination.
  

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