4 Best Shopping in Tuscany, Italy

On the third weekend of the month, an antiques market happens in and around Piazza San Martino. Vendors unveil their wares around 8:30, and start packing up around dusk. There's something for everyone, including old-fashioned glassware, ancient coins, and furniture—some items are antique, some are just old.

Just behind the church of San Giusto (off Via Beccheria, which runs for about two blocks between Piazza Napoleone and Piazza San Michele) are bookstalls that open their cupboard doors on clement days (including Sunday), from about 10 am to 7 pm. You may discover anything from hand-tinted prints of orchids to back issues of Uomo Ragno (Spider-Man looks and acts just the same even when he's speaking Italian).

As everywhere else, the town brightens on mercato (open-air market) mornings, every Thursday and Saturday, in Piazza del Duomo. It's the place to pick up fresh fruits and other snacks.

Volterra's market is held on Saturday morning from November to April in Piazza dei Priori and from May through October on Viale Ferrucci (just outside the city walls). In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, vendors selling everything from corkscrews to intimi (underwear).