In 1996, a best-selling book titled Under the Tuscan Sun, which recounted how the author restored an abandoned villa in Tuscany, established that area of Italy as a popular vacation destination for Americans.  Umbria, Tuscany’s next door neighbor, hasn’t been so glorified. Yet that often-overlooked region encompasses scenic, artistic and other treasures that reward those who seek them out. For starters, Umbria – pronounced Oom-bria by those who live there -- boasts a setting of magnificent landscapes. The jagged Apennine Mountains lead to rolling hillsides that flatten into lush valleys blanketed by wild flowers.