Umbria for free or dead cheap

With the pound at an alarming level against the euro, you might think this summer's expenses are heading through the roof. But if you're renting holiday rentals in Umbria, the good news is that the best of Italy's only region without sea or an international border needn't cost much at all. Here are four ways to make your holiday in Umbria an affordable one.

Choose churches over museums

But that doesn't mean missing out on great art... far from it. The very best frescoes in Umbria are generally free.

Giotto, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti in Assisi’s Lower Church, Filippo Lippi’s Life of the Virgin in Spoleto cathedral, Pinturicchio’s three panels inside Santa Maria Maggiore in Spello, and 15th-century Umbrian School painter Ottaviano Nelli’s Life of St Augustine covering the apse of Sant’Agostino in Gubbiook. At most you'll need a one-euro coin to fire up the lights. (Photo Credits: Jim Linwood & Webponce)

See the Stones of Perugia

There's no charge for wandering, and Umbria's (relatively) cosmopolitan capital is one place to take your camera. The bowels of the former Rocca Paolina were flung open when this hated symbol of Papal oppression was torn from its foundations in 1860, leaving a subterranean warren of streets and stone chambers. All free.

Better still, the Fontana Maggiore is one of the best examples of Gothic fountain scultpure in Italy. Panels carved by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano in the 1200s illustrate the life and rituals of medieval Perugia. (Photo Credit: Maong)

Catch a free festa

Like everywhere in Italy, Umbria always has something going on festival-wise. The end of this month sees a spectacular kite and balloon festival over Lago Trasimeno: Coloriamo I Cieli starts in the skies above Castiglione del Lago on April 30th. Equally colourful is the Infiorate di Spello. The tiny medieval town is carpeted in petals to celebrate the Christian festival of Corpus Christi, 60 days after Easter. Sunday 14th June is this year's edition.

An alternative spot to see Corpus Christi (called Corpus Domini here) is the town where it all began in 1264, Orvieto.

Eat smart

If you make lunch your main meal of the day, a sit-down menù del giorno including wine and coffee should come in under €15 a head. Swapping the panoramic terrace for a seat inside could save €2 each in cover charges. The house red is always drinkable, and often much better: look out for 'Montefalco' on the list, home of Umbria's best reds. Umbrians also love their self-service canteens, where the food is always fresh and tasty, and a notch cheaper than any regular trattoria. La Stalla outside Assisi and the Osteria del Turreno opposite Perugia’s cathedral are my favourite budget lunch stops here in the 'Green Heart of Italy'.