It was New Year’s Eve, 1991. A caller on the show Non è la Rai correctly guessed a crossword answer (”Eternit”) before the question was even asked. The host, Enrica Bonaccorti, stopped the show cold and called it what it was: a fraud. On live television. In front of millions.

And for her trouble, she was the one who paid.

The story of the Cruciverbone scandal is, on the surface, a tale of game show cheating. But it’s also a story about furbizia (the Italian cult of cunning), about who gets punished when the rules break, and about a television show that, looking back with adult eyes, raises questions far more uncomfortable than a rigged crossword.

What Was Non è la Rai?

For non-Italian readers, here’s some context. RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) is Italy’s public broadcaster, the equivalent of the BBC.

In the early 1990s, Italian television was essentially a duopoly: RAI operated three channels (Rai 1, Rai 2, Rai 3), funded by advertising and license fees (the so-called canone RAI, something every Italian with a TV has to pay).

Opposing them was Silvio Berlusconi with his three private channels (Rete 4, Canale 5, Italia 1), run through his company Fininvest (later Mediaset), entirely advertising-funded. Together, the six channels accounted for over 90% of the national audience. That was, for the most part, Italian TV.

Non è la Rai premiered on September 9, 1991, on Canale 5. The name translates to “It’s not RAI,” and it’s a bit tongue in cheek. The show’s creator, Gianni Boncompagni, had spent his entire career at RAI before Berlusconi poached him.

He’d co-invented groundbreaking radio formats with Renzo Arbore in the 1960s, created live telephone game shows, and built a reputation as the most innovative mind in Italian broadcasting.

When asked what his new show was about, he was brutally honest: he said he was making a program without content, and he didn’t want to send any message. Not a “show about nothing” in the Seinfeld sense. More like a show about young girls dancing.

Specifically, what he made was this: roughly 100 girls, aged 14 to 22, performing daily on live television. They danced, lip-synced to pop songs, did sketches, and hosted call-in games where viewers could win cash prizes. The show aired in the early afternoon, five days a week. It moved to Italia 1 in 1993 and ran until June 1995.

At its peak, around 3 million people watched every day. For a daytime slot, those were and still remain extraordinary numbers. When the audience started declining towards the end, Boncompagni replaced most of the girls with 100 younger ones (i.e., with an average age of 14).

I was a kid when Non è la Rai was on. The show was designed to be addictive for someone my age: full of energy. The girls were ragazzine (very young girls), and as a child watching girls your age, or a bit older, having fun you didn’t think twice about it. It felt like a party you wanted to be invited to.

Looking back as an adult, though, I see something very different. I see a show built around putting very young girls on display for a national audience, choreographed by men three times their age, in an environment where the power dynamics were, at best, deeply unequal. But I’ll come back to that.

The Cruciverbone: How the Scam Worked

One of the show’s most popular segments was Il Cruciverbone, a giant crossword puzzle. Home viewers would call in and try to guess words for cash prizes that could reach 100 million lire (basically €50,000). It was simple, interesting, and it kept people glued to the phone lines.

On December 31, 1991, a caller named Maria Grazia from a small town in the province of Viterbo had been answering with suspicious precision. She correctly guessed “Egon” (the first name of painter Egon Schiele) with barely any letters visible.

Bonaccorti joked, calling her Einstein. But something felt off. As she later told the newspaper La Repubblica, the caller was too cultured for the show’s typical “simpler” audience.

Then Maria Grazia chose 96 across. The cells were completely blank. No letters revealed at all. Already a rather bizarre option, when semi-completed words appeared on the board. And before Bonaccorti could even read the clue, the caller blurted out the answer: “Eternit.”

She was right.

What followed is one of the most replayed moments in Italian television history. Bonaccorti killed the suspense music, told the production team to get rid of it, and addressed the caller directly.

She demanded to know how Maria Grazia knew the answer. She called it a truffa (fraud), an imbroglio (swindle), and reminded the audience that real people with real pensions were counting on these prizes.

The clip still circulates as a meme in Italy, and the line “Io non ti ho fatto nessuna domanda, Maria Grazia” (”I didn’t ask you any question, Maria Grazia”) is a bit of a catchphrase.

Eternit: Not Hidden Advertising, Just Plain Cheating

You might assume this was about pubblicità occulta (hidden advertising) for an asbestos company. It wasn't.

“Eternit” appeared as a legitimate, if obscure crossword answer. No evidence links the asbestos company to any paid placement. The scandal was simpler and, in some ways, more damning: someone inside the production had leaked the crossword answers to the contestant.

An internal investigation confirmed that staff members and outside collaborators had access to the answer folders, which were prepared by specialist puzzle-makers and were meant to be secret.

The suspected leakers were removed from the production. Maria Grazia’s winnings were suspended and she never saw a cent.

A criminal case was opened. Bonaccorti testified three times. And here is where the story takes a turn that could only happen in Italy: Maria Grazia’s defense claimed she was a sensitiva (psychic) who had dreamed the answer.

The court acquitted her on the grounds of insufficient evidence of fraud.

A woman guessed a word on a crossword with zero letters showing, on live national television, and her defense was a premonition. And it worked. If you ever want a single courtroom verdict to explain Italy to a foreigner, this is the one.

Being Furbo: Italy’s Complicated Relationship with Rule-Bending

The acquittal is absurd, but it’s also very Italian. And to understand why, you need to understand the concept of furbizia.

Being furbo (clever, cunning, sly) is one of the most distinctive features of Italian cultural identity. It doesn’t just mean being smart.

It means bending rules, exploiting loopholes, and finding creative workarounds, and being admired for it rather than ashamed.

The concept is so embedded in daily life that it has its own hand gesture: you pull down the corner of your eye with your index finger.

Giuseppe Prezzolini, who wrote a popular book called Codice della vita italiana (Code of Italian living) over a century ago, divided Italian citizens into two categories: the furbi and the fessi (suckers).

The fesso follows rules faithfully. The furbo finds workarounds. He argued that the Italian has such a cult of furbizia that he even admires those who use it against him.

The Cruciverbone scandal was a textbook case of furbizia colliding with accountability. Someone inside the production fed answers to a contestant. That’s the mossa furba (cunning move).

What nobody expected was that the host would refuse to play along. The network’s response to Bonaccorti wasn’t “thank you for protecting our integrity.” It was: you could have looked the other way. You could have glissato (glossed over it).

In the logic of furbizia, the fraud wasn’t the problem. Exposing it was.

This same dynamic plays out across Italian public life, again and again. In soccer, diving to win a penalty is often viewed as tactical brilliance rather than dishonesty.

In the 2006 World Cup final, Italy’s Materazzi said something to France’s Zidane that got under his skin, and Zidane responded by headbutting him in the chest. Zidane was sent off. Italy won on penalties.

Back home, Materazzi wasn’t blamed for provoking the incident. He was largely celebrated for it. Getting your opponent ejected from a World Cup final with a few well-placed words was a mossa furba.

On tax returns, creative accounting is practically a civic tradition for quite a few. The Mani Pulite investigations that shook Italy’s entire political class during the same period Non è la Rai aired? The prosecutors succeeded precisely because they broke the unwritten rule that furbizia at the top was supposed to be tolerated.

But furbizia has its limits. Even Dante put the furbi in the deepest circles of Hell. And Italy’s most famous practitioners (Berlusconi, convicted of tax fraud; Bettino Craxi, who fled to Tunisia to escape corruption charges) suggest that the line between celebrated cleverness and outright corruption is thinner than the culture is willing to admit.

What Happened to Enrica Bonaccorti

After the scandal, Bonaccorti left Non è la Rai. She was replaced as host, and Boncompagni eventually handed the show’s front-of-camera duties to a 15-year-old named Ambra Angiolini, who became the most famous teenager in Italy.

Bonaccorti kept working for over three decades, but her own account of what happened to her career is the most honest. In a 2022 interview, she said her reaction to the fraud was perhaps excessive, but she didn’t regret it.

She couldn’t let it slide. But her reaction didn’t help her professional relationships or her career; in her words, “fece un testacoda.” (It did a tailspin.)

She added, with the kind of cynical resignation that defined her: “As they say, our destiny is our character.” She was, de facto, punished for her courage and integrity.

She returned to RAI, hosted I fatti vostri for a couple of years, became a regular panelist on talk shows, published three novels, and did radio work. She was never unemployed, but she was never again the star she’d been in the mid-1980s.

Before television, she’d been a songwriter of genuine talent: she co-wrote the lyrics to Domenico Modugno’s “La lontananza,” a song that remains an Italian standard. That creative legacy is more enduring than any game show.

In September 2025, she announced publicly that she’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died on March 12, 2026, at age 76. And in every obituary, the same moment was replayed: Maria Grazia, Eternit, the blank crossword cells, the host who refused to look away.

The woman who told the truth on live television became defined by that truth for the rest of her life. Whether that’s a tragedy or a legacy depends on how you feel about furbizia.

And What Happened to Boncompagni?

Gianni Boncompagni died in April 2017, at 84, from a cerebral hemorrhage. The obituaries were mostly reverent. He was remembered as a genius of Italian broadcasting, the man who taught the medium how to be young.

Whenever critics raised the obvious questions about what he had done with those girls, his answer was always the same: the show had given them a platform, a shot, a way into an industry that didn't hand anything to young women. A hero for women's equality, essentially.

To him, the outrage was just the price of innovation. He never walked any of it back. The man who whispered lines into a 15-year-old's ear through a hidden earpiece died celebrated. The woman who had refused to stay silent about a rigged crossword died remembered mainly as someone who overreacted.

The Uncomfortable Question: What Were We Actually Watching?

My sister and I watched Non è la Rai as kids, and it was fun. The energy, the music, the chaos. You didn’t analyze it. You just watched. But as an adult looking back, the show was, at its core, a daily broadcast of very young girls dancing for the camera. Under the direction of men in their fifties and sixties. And the stories that have emerged since suggest the off-camera reality was worse than anything visible on screen.

Laura Colucci, a cast member from Season 1, gave an interview in 2021 with a headline that translates to “Compromises, sex, and filth: the dark side of Non è la Rai.” She said she personally witnessed girls confiding that they had to make “compromises” to get more screen time. When asked if minors were involved, she answered: “Of course.”

She described how parents were supposed to be present in the studio to protect underage daughters, but in practice, some parents were pushing their daughters to do more, not less. Some families had gone into debt relocating to Rome for auditions.

Ambra Angiolini herself has spoken with increasing candor over the years. In 2025, she revealed she developed severe bulimia during the show. She said that if you watch the last episode, she was at the peak of the illness. She recalled tabloid headlines mocking her weight with cruel puns. She has written an autobiographical book, InFame, about the experience that is worth reading if you speak Italian.

Boncompagni himself described, apparently with pride, how he whispered lines to Ambra through an earpiece during live broadcasts, controlling what she said and did.

During the show’s run, feminist groups, parent associations, and Telefono Azzurro (Italy’s child protection organization) all protested the sexualization of the young performers. Even Vasco Rossi wrote a song (i.e., Delusa) criticizing it, pointedly asking what exactly Boncompagni did with those girls. Boncompagni’s response was to air an episode where the girls wore wedding dresses. As provocation.

I keep coming back to the same thought. I was 11 when the show first aired. The ragazzine on screen were not much older than me, and I watched the show as a child does. No analysis, no suspicion. But plenty of adults watched the show too. Plenty were in the room where decisions were made.

That is what furbizia costs, in the end. It is easy to find it amusing as a national character trait when the stakes are a crossword puzzle or a dive in the penalty area. It is harder to admire when the rule being bent is the one protecting a child from being dressed in a wedding gown on live television as a provocation aimed at critics.

The Cruciverbone fraud was the small version of the story.

A host caught a cheater and was punished for catching her. The larger version was playing out on the same set, in the same studio, every afternoon, for four years, and almost no one with the power to stop it did.

Bonaccorti refused once, on live television, over something as trivial as a crossword. It cost her a career. Whatever you think of the price she paid, it is worth asking what might have been different if more of the adults around her had been willing to pay it too.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

The reasoning is simple. Linguetto is now the place where I teach Italian. This newsletter is where I share everything else I know about the country: its culture, its regions, its quiet contradictions. Over the past month I put consistent effort into the publication, and the response has been clear. You want more about Italy itself. Happy to oblige.

You can expect three posts a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. With this announcement, you get four this week.

The new name reflects what this publication has actually become: a column about Italian life, culture, and the practical realities of the country from a native perspective. Regional guides. Cost of living. Bureaucracy translated into plain English. What to eat, where to go, what to know before you travel or move there.

Everything else stays the same. The archive, your subscription, the writing.

If you came here primarily for the language side, you’ll still find Italian sprinkled throughout but Linguetto is where it’s at. Paid subscribers to this newsletter will get the upcoming Linguetto premium tier included as a bonus.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow you’ll get a piece about a TV scandal that explains a small but telling aspect of how Italy works.

A presto,
Antonio

They’re happy. Not the performative happiness of expats who need to justify their decision on Instagram, but the quiet, settled kind. The kind where you stop noticing the sea because it’s just there, five minutes away, every single day.

I’ll be spending a few days in Pesaro myself in May, and I’m looking forward to it like a kid counting down to summer. This guide is the one I’d want to read before going. It’s also the first in the series I promised paid subscribers in the Moving to Le Marche article: a city-level deep dive with the kind of granular detail you’d need to make an actual decision.

What follows is 8000+ words covering neighborhoods, rent prices, property costs, taxes, healthcare, schools, jobs, bureaucracy, climate, internet, social integration, and a 60-day setup checklist. Paid subscribers get the guide as a downloadable PDF and ePub, so you can take it with you on your phone/tablet/e-reader, or simply print it.

So here it is. Everything you need to know about moving to Pesaro, including the stuff that doesn’t make the tourism brochures.

By way of preview, here is the table of contents:

• Introduction

• What Pesaro Is (and What It Isn’t)

• The Climate: Not What You’re Imagining

• Where to Live in Pesaro: A Neighborhood Breakdown

• How Much It Costs to Live in Pesaro

• Buying Property in Pesaro

• Internet and Connectivity

• Jobs and the Local Economy

• Taxes: The Part Nobody Wants to Read (Read It Anyway)

• Your First 60 Days: A Reality Checklist

• Healthcare: Ospedale San Salvatore and What It Can (and Can’t) Do

• Schools, Families, and Autism Support

• Speaking English in Pesaro: Don’t Count on It

• The Expat Community: Small, Scattered, Self-Reliant

• Safety: The Short Version

• How People Actually Integrate Here

• Getting Around: The Bicipolitana and the Bologna Connection

• Cultural Life: More Than Rossini (But Also Very Much Rossini)

• Fitness and Outdoor Life

• Food: What to Eat and Where to Find It

• What Pesaro Lacks: An Honest Assessment

• Day Trips and Nearby Towns

• Seven Mistakes People Make Moving to Pesaro

• Is Pesaro Right for You?

Read more

The weather was nice, the food and the wine delicious, people were friendly and by golly, so well dressed. In an act of courage and slight recklessness you finally tell yourself that you’re going to move to Italy!

It’s more of an admission than a decision, because your heart already decided it during your trip; it’s just your mind finally catching up to it.

You’re excited and you should be. However, the romantic part is easy. You don’t have to worry about keeping that passion alive. Italy is a country that will constantly make you fall in love over and over again.

What you do need to worry about is the legality of you moving there. Because Italy will quickly remind you that it’s a real country, with laws, consulates, police stations, and a penchant for bureaucratic rigor that would make Franz Kafka himself weep.

There are at least nine different answers to the question of how to move to Italy legally in 2026. Pick the wrong one, and you just wasted a year.

My Italian students ask me about this constantly and there are a lot of myths and misinformation online, so I decided to put together a current, accurate guide with every legal path to living in Italy.

If You’re an EU or EEA Citizen, Stop Reading

Citizens of the European Union (EU) plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland can live and work in Italy without a visa.

So if you hold a, say, French, German, or Romanian passport, you can waltz through Italy. Your only obligation is to register with the anagrafe (civil registry office) of your local comune (town) if you stay for longer than 90 days. That’s it. As easy as it can possibly get.

Go find an apartment and start learning Italian. For everyone else: buckle up.

Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis): The Rules Changed in 2025

This used to be the golden ticket. You simply had to find one Italian ancestor born after the unification of Italy (1861) and you could claim citizenship regardless of how many generations had passed. Essentially, half of Brazil and Argentina qualified under these old rules.

As we say in Italy, “la pacchia è finita.” The party’s over.

As of May 2025, citizenship by descent requires you to have at least a parent or grandparent born in Italy. Provided you applied after March 27, 2025, the new rules apply, and your great-grandpa no longer gets you an Italian citizenship.

The actual implementation depends on individual consulates and comuni, but the direction is clear. They are closing the doors for people who have distant Italian relatives.

Aside from having applied before the cut off date, the only other exception to the new rule are the so-called 1948 cases. If your line of descent passes through an Italian woman who had a child before 1948, you might qualify for citizenship and your case is handled through Italian courts as it did before the new rules.

If you still qualify under the new rules, or you fit the exception, I’d highly suggest gathering your documents and applying sooner rather than later at your local Italian consulate. Some of them have multi-year backlogs.

Alternatively, and this is the fastest route, apply directly in Italy by establishing temporary residence in a smaller comune. This can often get you through the process in a matter of months instead of years.

For your documents, you’ll want the usual suspects: birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates for every Italian person in your lineage. Apostilled and translated, of course.

The Digital Nomad Visa: Italy’s Newest Option

Launched in 2024, the Digital Nomad Visa allows people who work for a remote company or have clients based outside of Italy to live and work in Italy.

There are some requirements but they are not particularly strict:

• A minimum annual income of approximately €28,000 (about €2,333 per month).

• Health insurance covering at least €30,000.

• Proof of accommodation in Italy (a real rental contract, not an Airbnb).

• A clean criminal record.

• Evidence of being a highly skilled worker. What does it mean? Highly subjective but they tend to be quite lenient about it. Have a degree or at least three years of documented professional experience, and you’ll be fine.

This visa is annual and is renewable. Plus, there are currently no quota caps imposed by the Italian government. After five continuous years of having it, you can apply for permanent residency. After ten, citizenship.

A few caveats:

• Your income should mostly come from non-Italian clients.

• Your rental or investment income doesn’t count. This has to be remote work, not passive income.

• Application processing varies and tends to be slow, but since it’s a visa and not a citizenship application, we are talking 15-60 days at most, not years.

• For couples, the income threshold becomes roughly €34,000 per year. Every additional child adds about €1,550.

Tax-wise, you can potentially qualify for the impatriati regime which slashes your fiscal load by 50%. Plus, several southern regions have their own incentives on top of that. Talk to a relocation specialist or commercialista (Italian tax accountant) before you move, not after.

The Elective Residency Visa (Italy’s Retirement Visa)

If you have passive income and don’t plan to work in Italy, you can opt for the visto per residenza elettiva. It’s the classic “retire to Italy” visa.

You’ll need approximately €31,000 per year for a single applicant and €38,000-€40,000 for a married couple.

So if your pension, dividends, or rental income from outside Italy amount to at least those thresholds, you qualify. Keep in mind, this has to be passive income, not remote work. With this visa, you are in Italy to retire and live “la dolce vita” (a marketing term Italians are not fond of, as they feel they work all the time only to make ends meet).

Apply at the Italian consulate in your country. You’ll need proof of passive income (tax returns, bank statements, pension letters), proof of accommodation in Italy (again, not Airbnb), and the usual health insurance with €30K coverage.

Much like the digital nomad visa, if approved, you get a one-year visa, renewable annually. After five years, you’re eligible for permanent residency. After ten years, and a B1 Italian test, citizenship.

This visa is genuinely designed for people who want to sit on a terrace with a glass of wine and not think about work. If that’s you, and you can prove the passive income, it’s very straightforward.

If you’re trying to sneak remote work in under the table, don’t. Opt for the more applicable visas. Italy’s tax authorities are used to catching furbi (cunning schemers). If you try to circumvent the visa restrictions, they will catch you and punish you for it in very unpleasant ways.

The Work Visa and the Decreto Flussi

If you are not Italian by blood, don’t plan to work for foreign companies, nor retire in Italy, your next best option is the decreto flussi. It’s Italy’s annual immigration quota system. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Every year, the Italian government sets a cap on how many non-EU workers can enter the country. For 2026, that’s 165,850 or so. It sounds generous, but it actually isn’t. Half of them go to seasonal agricultural and tourism workers. Your Italian employer (if you can find one bothering with it), will compete online with other employers during designated “Click Day” windows. The sobering reality is that the entire agricultural quota was gone in 20 minutes in 2025.

Your employer has to apply for you, essentially sponsoring you. They must prove that no European worker is available for the job. They must pay fees and deal with delays in paperwork. And they are limited to three applications per year.

It’s a viable option if you have a very motivated prospective employer, but it’s one of the most difficult visa options.

Keep in mind that if you’re a highly skilled worker in STEM or Information and Communications Technology (ICT) management, there’s a separate out-of-quota process that bypasses the Click Day chaos. If this is you, ask a relocation specialist or an immigration lawyer about this.

The Investor Visa (Golden Visa): Buy Your Way In

Italy’s Investor Visa program, launched in 2017, grants a two-year renewable residence permit in exchange for a large-ish investment.

If you have the money, this is the easiest way to buy your way into Italy.

The four investment options, in ascending order of cost are:

• €250,000 into an innovative Italian startup. This is the cheapest option but also the riskiest because startups are unproven and fail all the time.

• €500,000 into an Italian limited company. You buy 500K worth of shares (listed or unlisted) and you’re in. Since you can opt for an established company, this is double the money but safer.

• €1,000,000 as a philanthropic donation to a project of public interest.

• €2,000,000 into Italian government bonds with a remaining maturity of at least two years. The price of literal admission is high but the risk profile is great.

You cannot combine options. You cannot use real estate. Buying a villa in Puglia doesn’t qualify, no matter how much it costs. You cannot make the investment before your visa is approved; you have three months after arriving in Italy to complete it.

The process starts online through the Investor Visa portal, where you apply for a nulla osta certificate. Processing typically takes 30 to 90 days. Once approved, you apply for the visa at your local Italian consulate, enter Italy, and file for your residence permit.

With Portugal and Spain having tightened or removed their golden visa programs, Italy’s has seen a lot more interest in this visa program.

There’s also a flat-tax option aimed at wealthy foreigners. You can opt for a €200,000 per year flat tax on all foreign income, with each additional family member paying just €25,000 annually. If you make truly a lot of money outside of Italy, this can be a bargain compared to paying regular taxes.

The Student Visa: A Backdoor Worth Knowing About

Enroll in an Italian university, and you can get a student visa. Italy is home to some of Europe’s oldest and most respected universities: the University of Bologna (founded in 1088, the oldest in the Western world), Sapienza in Rome, Politecnico di Milano, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, etc.

Tuition at public universities is often shockingly low by North American standards, sometimes under €2,000 per year depending on income.

The visa allows you to work up to 20 hours per week, so you won’t need to rely just on savings for the duration of your studies. The permit lasts one year and is renewable for the duration of your studies.

And here’s the part that matters for long-term planning: after graduation, you can convert your student permit to a work permit without leaving Italy, either through the decreto flussi quota (the toughest route) or through dedicated post-graduation pathways that some employers and sectors offer.

You’ll need proof of enrollment, proof of financial means, and health insurance as usual. It’s a remarkably easy way to, de facto, relocate to Italy long-term.

The Self-Employment Visa (Lavoro Autonomo)

Freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners have a dedicated path to live and work in Italy, but it’s part of the same quota system as the workers sponsored by Italian employers.

The decreto flussi reserves a small number of slots for self-employed workers. And I do mean small. Think in the order of 500 for startup founders. More for other, more general self-employment.

You’ll need to demonstrate proof of income/business activity, hold the professional qualifications required by Italian law for your trade (if applicable), and show that your business is viable.

The permit lasts one to two years. This route is slow, competitive, and generally requires an immigration specialist to navigate. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, although it might be the only viable option for some.

The Startup Visa: For Entrepreneurs with Innovative Ideas

If you’re building an innovative startup, Italy offers a fast-track visa outside the regular quota system.

The key requirement of the startup visa is that your company qualifies as an “innovative startup” under Italian law, which generally means it’s a new company, in the tech or STEM space, with certain revenue and R&D thresholds.

This is a genuinely fast track with fewer bureaucratic hurdles and tax incentives. However, it’s a niche option for a specific type of entrepreneur, not a general immigration tool.

Family Reunification

If your spouse, minor children, or (in some cases) dependent parents are legal residents of Italy, you can apply for the family reunification visa.

Your family sponsors you and must demonstrate adequate income and housing. Processing time is 90 to 150 days.

Citizenship by Marriage and Naturalization

Two more paths to full Italian citizenship, not just residency:

1. Citizenship by marriage requires two years of marriage to an Italian citizen if you’re living in Italy (three years if living abroad, less with a child who is a minor). You’ll need B1-level Italian proficiency, a clean criminal record, and proof of income. This is the route my fiancée Alicia will take when we get married. Processing can take up to three years. In the meantime, a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) will get them in the country alongside you. (More on this below.)

2. Citizenship by naturalization is available after ten continuous years of legal residency in Italy (fewer for EU citizens and those with specific Italian ancestry requirements). You’ll need B1 Italian, proof of income, a clean criminal record, and evidence of integration into Italian society. “Integration” is vague on purpose. It’s at the discretion of the reviewing authority.

The Permesso di Soggiorno: The Document That Rules Your Life

Regardless of which visa you get, once you land in Italy, you have eight days to apply for a permesso di soggiorno at your local questura (police headquarters).

You start at the post office, of all places, filling out a “kit” form. Then you go to the questura for fingerprinting and document review. Then you wait.

The permesso is the document that lets you stay, work, access healthcare, rent an apartment, open a bank account, and exist in the Italian system. Without it, you’re a tourist on borrowed time.

Processing times vary absurdly by city. Florence can take eight months. Lucca, in the same region, might take eight weeks. A small comune, even less. Your postal receipt acts as a temporary permit while you wait, but it’s annoying to live in limbo.

You’ll also need a codice fiscale (tax identification number), obtainable at the Agenzia delle Entrate. Think of it as Italy’s version of a Social Security number or Canadian Social Insurance Number, except less private.

(If I know your name, date and place of birth, I can look up your codice fiscale. The generating algorithm is neither secret nor random.)

You’ll need it for everything: signing a lease, opening a bank account, seeing a doctor. Get it before you arrive if possible, through your nearest Italian consulate.

Which Path Is Actually Right for You?

Here’s my honest breakdown.

If you have an Italian parent or grandparent born in Italy: citizenship by descent, assuming you qualify under the new Tajani rules.

If you work remotely and earn over €28,000: the digital nomad visa. It’s the simplest path for most working-age non-EU citizens in 2026.

If you’re retired with passive income over €31,000: the elective residency visa.

If you have €250,000 or more to invest and want maximum flexibility: the investor visa.

If you have a job offer from an Italian employer: the work visa, but prepare for bureaucratic combat.

If you’re a student: enroll first, figure out the rest later. It’s a legitimate long-term strategy.

And whatever you do, know what you’re getting into. Moving to Italy and visiting Italy are different sports.

One is a vacation. The other is a relationship with a country that loves you but also loses your paperwork, makes you wait in lines that move sideways, and charges you €16 for a holographic stamp (a marca da bollo) at a tobacco shop, of all places. (Okay, technically you can pay online for it on PagoPA.)

It’s still worth it. But go in with your eyes open, your documents apostilled, and a good commercialista on speed dial.

Which path are you considering or have taken? Have you started the process? I’d love to hear how it’s going for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move to Italy just by buying property?

No. You can buy a house in Italy as a non-resident and can visit it for 90 days at the time. However, this doesn’t grant you permanent residence or citizenship. You’ll need to pursue other visa options listed in this article. Even the investor visa does not include a real estate option.

How long does it take to get Italian citizenship?

It really depends on the type of route you took. For most visas, it’s a matter of staying in the country for 10 years and then naturalize after passing a B1 Italian language test. If you are marrying a European citizen, then you need two to three years of marriage, plus processing time which can take up to another three years. Finally, if you are opting for the citizenship by descent, because you still qualify under the new rules, it can take from a few months (usually from within Italy) to a few years (depending on your consulate backlog).

What changed with Italian citizenship by descent in 2025?

The Tajani Decree (Law 74/2025) limited automatic citizenship by descent to two generations. Before you could have a great-great-grandparent who was Italian and that would entitle you to Italian citizenship. With the new rules, you need a parent or grandparent born in Italy. That’s it. This cut out a lot of descendants from the Americas, and I guess that was the point of the reform.

Is the Italian digital nomad visa worth it in 2026?

Honestly, this is the most accessible visa Italy has ever offered. It’s extremely easy to move and live in Italy legally via the digital nomad visa. All you need to be is a remote worker earning at least €28,000 per year from non-Italian sources. No investment requirement, no Italian employer needed, no quota cap. Plus 50% tax reduction available under the impatriati regime for the first five years. As long as you’re “highly skilled” (have a degree or three years of professional experience) this is a shoo-in.

Do I need to speak Italian to get a visa?

No Italian language requirement exists for visa applications. It’s only a requirement when you try to extend your residence past five years (you’ll need A2-level Italian) and when you apply for citizenship (B1 level, provided you are not a descendant of an Italian). However, practically, Italy ranks last in the EU for English proficiency, so daily life outside major tourist zones will be significantly harder without it. Just learn Italian. Linguetto and I can help.

I grew up between Rome (my childhood years) and Marche (from 9 years old onwards), in a small town called Montegiorgio in the current province of Fermo.

When people ask me where in Italy they should consider moving, I often have to fight the urge to just send them my old address and say “here.”

The Marche region might not be a great fit for everyone, but it’s certainly a fantastic option for the majority of people considering a move to Italy.

The Marche region is what Tuscany was 30 years ago: relatively affordable, rolling hills, medieval hilltop towns, excellent wine, beaches on one side and mountains on the other.

The difference is that you won’t find hordes of tourists in Le Marche, and a three-bedroom house with a view costs what a studio does in Florence.

Chock Full of Beautiful Towns and Beaches

The region has 31 towns certified among I Borghi più belli d’Italia (Italy’s most beautiful villages).

Marche also has a coastline with 20 Blue Flag beaches (in other words, high water quality and safety), and a national park with peaks above 2,450 meters (over 8000 feet).

Ascoli Piceno ranks #22 in Italy for quality of life (according to Il Sole 24 Ore, a financial newspaper who investigates this each year) and just a couple of years ago, it even broke in the top 10. Florence? #36. Rome? Only #46.

Nobody talks about Marche. And that’s the point.

Subscribe for Future Articles in the Series

This is the first article in a series on moving to Le Marche. In upcoming pieces, for my paid subscribers, I’ll zoom in on three specific cities and their surrounding areas: Pesaro, Macerata, and Ascoli Piceno.

Each will get the full treatment: neighborhoods, cost breakdowns, jobs, schools, hospitals, where to eat, culture, what daily life actually looks like, and more.

These articles will aim to be genuinely useful to those who are serious about moving to Italy. They’ll be specific to the cities I’m mostly considering myself, for my eventual return to living in Italy.

This article is the foundation: the regional overview that helps you decide if Marche belongs on your shortlist at all.

Where Is Le Marche, and What Does It Look Like?

Le Marche sits on Italy’s Adriatic coast, roughly in the center of the country.

It mostly borders Umbria to the west, Emilia-Romagna to the north, Abruzzo to the south, and the Adriatic Sea to the east. (Technically, it also borders Toscana and Lazio).

Five provinces make up the region: Pesaro e Urbino in the north, Ancona in the center (i.e., the regional capital), Macerata and Fermo in the center-south, and Ascoli Piceno in the south.

Fun fact: Fermo is a newer province. Growing up, Montegiorgio used to belong to the province of Ascoli Piceno.

If you need a refresher on how Italian administrative divisions work, I wrote about regions, provinces, and municipalities here.

The geography is the region’s best feature. From the coast, the land rises quickly and transforms into soft green hills (the famous colline marchigiane), in a similar fashion to Tuscany. Then from there, it climbs into the Apennine mountains along the western border.

I Monti Sibillini (the Sibillini Mountains), a national park, are genuinely dramatic: high alpine meadows, gorges, wildlife, and peaks over 2,450 meters/8000 feet. You can be on the beach in the morning and hiking at altitude by lunch. The marketing copy for Le Marche writes itself, really.

The population is about 1.48 million, spread across hundreds of small and medium towns. Ancona, the largest city, has roughly 100,000 people. Pesaro has about 95,000. After that, numbers drop fast.

If you’re looking for a major metropolitan area, this isn’t the region. There is no Florence. If you’re looking for a life where you know your butcher and your butcher knows your dog’s name and feeds him scraps, keep reading.

Italians sometimes call Marche “tutta l’Italia in una regione.” All of Italy in one region. That’s not far off the mark. Within 60 kilometers you go from sandy beaches to 2,476-meter peaks (i.e., Monte Vettore).

Between the two: vineyards, sunflower and corn fields, and medieval towns sitting like they were placed there by a set designer. Which, in a sense, they were. Centuries of deliberate defensive hilltop settlement created the skyline.

Climate: What the Weather Actually Feels Like

Living in Canada, this is the part that excites me. The weather in the Marche region is mild and pleasant.

The northern coast (Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia): Winters are cool but not brutal: January averages run 2 to 9°C (36 to 48°F). Summers are warm and comfortable, with July highs around 28 to 29°C (82 to 84°F) and the Adriatic breeze keeping things bearable. Annual rainfall is moderate at about 740 mm.

Snow is rare on the coast (maybe 10 cm a year in Pesaro).

The hills and interior (Urbino, Macerata, Fermo): Move 30 kilometers inland and up to Macerata (sitting at about 300 meters elevation), and things shift. Summers get hotter because you lose the sea breeze: Macerata regularly hits 30 to 31°C in July and August. Winters are colder, with more frequent frost and about 45 cm of snow per year. Rainfall climbs to about 800 to 1,000 mm annually. When the buran (the cold northeast wind from Siberia) sweeps through, it can hit fast and hard.

The southern interior (Ascoli Piceno, Fermo): Ascoli sits in an inland valley ringed by mountains. Winters can be properly cold: lows near 0°C in January, with roughly 58 cm of annual snowfall. Rookie numbers by Canadian standards, but still. Summers are hot, especially when the Garbino (a warm foehn-like wind) kicks in. Ascoli holds Marche’s all-time temperature record: 44°C (111°F) in July 2000. Most summers are less extreme.

The mountains (Sibillini National Park): A different world entirely. Winter lows reach -10°C routinely. Basically a cheaper Canada. Summer up there is gorgeous: 22 to 26°C, wildflower meadows, and the famous fiorita (flowering) of Castelluccio in late June.

How does this compare to Tuscany? Similar annual averages. But Marche winters are colder (that Adriatic exposure), while Marche summers on the coast are often milder than inland Tuscany. Florence regularly bakes at 36 to 38°C in July. It can genuinely be uncomfortable and even dangerous. Ancona often stays under 30°C with the sea breeze. If you hate extreme heat, that’s a major plus for Marche.

The bottom line: The coast and lower hills are comfortable year-round. The interior gets proper seasons. If you want 12 months of warmth, look further south. If you like four distinct seasons without extremes, Marche is where it’s at.

Cost of Living in Le Marche

This is the section everyone skips to first and I can’t blame you. It’s a genuine selling point for Marche.

The average property price in Marche is about €1,610 per square meter. Tuscany’s regional average is €2,640. Florence itself averages €3,337. That means Marche property costs about 40% less than Tuscany overall, and roughly half the price of Florence.

Rent: A bilocale (two-room apartment, meaning one bedroom plus a living area) in Ascoli Piceno’s centro storico runs about €350 to €450 per month. In Ancona, expect €450 to €600 for something similar in a central neighborhood. Pesaro is slightly higher, around €450 to €650, because of coastal demand. In smaller hill towns, you can find a decent apartment for €250 to €350. In Florence, the same apartment costs €1,000 to €1,200. That’s not a small difference. For some, that would be the difference between comfortable and stretched.

Buying: Inland areas (think Macerata province, much of Fermo, the foothills) run €800 to €1,200 per square meter. Fermo province is the cheapest at about €1,264/m². The coast, especially near Ancona and the gorgeous Riviera del Conero, pushes €2,000 to €2,500. A solid three-bedroom apartment in a mid-sized town like Macerata or Ascoli might cost €120,000 to €180,000. A recently renovated farmhouse with land in the interior: €200,000 to €400,000, depending on location and how much work has been done. An unrenovated farmhouse with “potential” (read: serious work is needed): €50,000 to €120,000, plus the same again in renovation costs and several months or years of your patience.

Daily expenses: A cappuccino at the bar is about €1.30 to €1.70. A pizza margherita and a beer: €10 to €15. A lunch at a trattoria, €20 to €25 per person. Groceries for a couple run about €250 to €350 per month if you shop at local markets and supermarkets like Conad or Eurospar. An apericena (the aperitivo that comes with enough food to skip dinner) costs €6 to €8 at most bars. A bottle of local Verdicchio at the enoteca even less than that.

Utilities: Electricity, gas, water, and trash for a 70-square-meter apartment: roughly €120 to €180 per month depending on the season. Internet runs €25 to €30 per month from providers like Fastweb or TIM.

Total monthly budget: A single person can live comfortably in a smaller Marche town on €1,200 to €1,500 per month, all in. A couple, €1,800 to €2,400. In Ancona or Pesaro, add 15 to 20 percent. Of course this is highly dependent on your lifestyle and spending habits, but overall the cost of living is quite reasonable and, I speak from experience, a fraction of the Canadian one.

For context: a comparable lifestyle in a Tuscan hill town would cost you 30 to 40 percent more. The quality of the food, the scenery, and the pace of life are indistinguishable. The price tag is not.

The Food

Every Italian region claims to have the best food. Marche’s claim is quiet, which is usually how you know it’s real.

The region sits at the crossroads of four culinary traditions: Emilia-Romagna’s richness to the north, Abruzzo’s mountain cooking to the south, Umbria’s earthy truffles to the west, and the Adriatic’s fish tradition to the east. The result is a cuisine that is comically diverse for a region this size.

Vincisgrassi is the signature pasta dish: a baked layered pasta (think lasagna, but richer, older, and better) with ragu, béchamel, and often chicken livers or truffles. I’ve written about vincisgrassi before. Every family has a recipe. Every family’s recipe is the correct one. It is better than lasagna. I will not be taking questions.

Olive all’ascolana (aka olive ascolane) are large green olives from Ascoli Piceno, stuffed with a ground meat filling seasoned with Parmesan and nutmeg, breaded, and deep-fried. They’re always served as part of a fritto misto that includes crema fritta (breaded fried custard), which is a sweet-savory combination that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.

Brodetto is the coastal fish stew, and every town along the Adriatic will fight you over the authentic version. Ancona’s traditionally includes 13 types of fish and no tomato. Fano’s uses vinegar. San Benedetto del Tronto’s uses green peppers. The arguments about which is best are never ending.

Ciauscolo is a soft, spreadable pork salume from the interior provinces of Macerata and Fermo. IGP-protected, and it exists nowhere else in Italy. The texture is closer to pâté than salami. You spread it on warm bread. My fiancée Alicia tried it and still talks about it. The first time you try it, you’ll wonder why nobody told you about this sooner. The answer is that marchigiani are terrible at self-promotion.

Truffles. Acqualagna, in the Pesaro-Urbino province, generated roughly two-thirds of Italy’s entire truffle production. Four varieties, available year-round. You can eat truffle on everything here without the eye-watering surcharge you’d pay in Piedmont or Tuscany.

And then there’s maccheroncini di Campofilone (PGI-protected egg pasta so thin it practically dissolves on contact), casciotta d’Urbino (a PDO cheese that Michelangelo reportedly adored), and formaggio di fossa (cheese aged in limestone pits, whose origin is disputed with Emilia-Romagna).

The wines: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica are the flagships. Dry, mineral, excellent with fish. Rosso Conero and Lacrima di Morro d’Alba handle the reds. Marche has 5 DOCGs and 15 DOCs across 700+ wineries. The wines rival mid-range Tuscan bottles at a fraction of the cost.

If food matters to you (and if you’re reading an article about moving to Italy, it probably does), Marche can hold its own against most regions in the country. The difference is that nobody’s heard of it, which means the restaurants are still cooking for locals, not tourists.

If you want to go fancy, there are 8 Michelin star restaurants in the Marche region, including a three star one in Senigallia.

The Main Cities: A Quick Tour

I’m keeping this section brief on purpose. Each of the three cities I’ll zoom in on (Pesaro, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno) will get a full dedicated article for paid subscribers, with neighborhoods, specific prices, schools, and honest day-in-the-life detail. Here’s just enough to orient you.

Pesaro

Population about 95,000. On the northern coast, bordering Emilia-Romagna. A beach town with serious cultural credentials: birthplace of the composer Rossini, host of the Rossini Opera Festival every August, designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2017, and named Italian Capital of Culture for 2024. The centro is walkable, the beach is long and sandy, and the 100 km of cycling infrastructure (the Bicipolitana network) is some of the best in Italy. Pesaro’s geographic advantage: it’s the closest Marche city to Bologna, about 1 hour 30 minutes by train. That proximity to a major hub changes everything (more on this below).

Nearby: Fano (old Roman colony, excellent food scene, slightly cheaper), Urbino (one of the most beautiful Renaissance towns in Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to a major university, 40 minutes inland), Gabicce Mare (tiny beach town on the Romagna border, lively in summer, silent in winter).

Macerata

Population about 42,000. Sits on a hill in the dead center of the region. Known for the Sferisterio, a neoclassical open-air arena that hosts an internationally respected opera season every summer. A proper university town (Università di Macerata, founded 1290) with a young energy that keeps it from feeling sleepy. The old center is small, beautiful, and very livable. On a clear day you can see both the Sibillini Mountains and the Adriatic from the town walls.

Some will consider it blissful, others death by boredom. That’s a feature, not a bug, if you’re a retiree or a remote worker looking for deep focus.

Nearby: Recanati (birthplace of the poet Giacomo Leopardi, with views that genuinely stop you in your tracks), Camerino (university town, heavily damaged in 2016, slowly rebuilding), Civitanova Marche (the beach outlet for Macerata province), Sarnano (thermal spa town, growing expat community).

Ascoli Piceno

Population about 45,000. In the far south, tucked between two rivers, built almost entirely in travertine stone. Piazza del Popolo is one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, and I say that knowing how many Italian squares compete for that title. Flanked by the Gothic Church of San Francesco and the Art Nouveau Caffè Meletti (serving anisetta since 1870). The Quintana medieval jousting tournament in August involves a 1,500-person Renaissance parade through the streets. It ranked #1 nationally for justice and security, not too long ago.

Nearby: Offida (wine town, famous for lace-making and a genuinely unhinged carnival), San Benedetto del Tronto (the main beach resort of the southern Marche, with the longest palm-lined promenade in the Adriatic), Grottammare (prettier and quieter, medieval old town up on the hill).

Ancona

I won’t zoom in on Ancona in the paid series, but it deserves mention as the regional capital. About 100,000 people, a working port city, home to the region’s main hospital and the Marche Polytechnic University. It’s not pretty in the way Ascoli is. But it’s functional, well-connected, and has the Riviera del Conero on its doorstep: white cliffs, turquoise water, and pine forests that feel like they belong further south. The beaches at Portonovo and Sirolo could pass for the Greek islands.

Fermo

The sleeper pick. Dramatic hilltop position, Roman cisterns underground, Italy’s newest province (2009), and the lowest property prices in Marche. It’s also ground zero of the footwear district where Tod’s, Hogan, and Nero Giardini are headquartered. That said, the shoe industry is in serious trouble (production down over 39% since 2019), which affects the local economy.

Getting Around: Transportation in Le Marche

Here’s the honest truth: you’ll want a car. Every time I visit, I rent a car in the Marche leg of the trip to properly experience the region.

Le Marche is hilly, spread out, and the towns aren’t laid out along a single convenient axis. Public transit within the region is bus-based, infrequent, and oriented toward commuters, not convenience.

You can get away with not having a car if you live (or visit) on the coast and are fine visiting other coastal cities by train.

The good news is that drivers here are not as crazy as in Naples or Rome. You can stop at a red light without the car behind you honking at you.

Trains: The main rail line runs along the Adriatic coast, connecting Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, and the southern coastal towns. It’s well-served: Frecciarossa and Frecciargento services connect Ancona to Bologna in about 1 hour 45 minutes, and to Milan in about 2 hours 45 minutes.

Pesaro to Bologna is even faster, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Once you’re in Bologna, you’re on the main high-speed grid: Milan in one hour, Florence in 37 minutes, Rome in a couple of hours. Bologna is Le Marche’s back door to the rest of Italy.

Going inland by rail is harder. There’s a line from Ancona to Rome via Fabriano, but it’s slow. Macerata and Ascoli are served by slower regional connections, often requiring a change at a coastal station. Not ideal, but functional.

I usually land in Rome and then take a Flixbus to Civitanova Marche from Tiburtina. From there I rent a car from Avis or Europcar.

(If you plan a scouting trip, don’t forget to get an International Driving Permit from your local motorization. You’ll need it to drive in Italy. In British Columbia, Canada, I get mine from BCAA.)

Driving: The A14 autostrada runs along the coast and connects to the A1 (Bologna, Florence, Rome) at the northern end. Driving times from Ancona to both Rome and Florence are about 3.5 hours. Bologna shaves off an hour. Inland roads are winding, scenic, and occasionally frustrating in winter.

Airport: Ancona Falconara (AOI) is small but growing. It entered Italy’s top 10 for passenger growth in 2024. Ryanair flies to London Stansted about seven times a week. Routes to Munich, Brussels, Barcelona, and a few domestic cities. For a broader selection, Bologna’s Marconi airport is not too far away.

It’s not Rome or Milan, but you can live in the Marche region and explore Europe if you wish to do so. (You should.)

Bottom line: Budget for a car and keep in mind that gas is far more expensive in Italy. Trains and buses are a good but more limited option.

Jobs, Remote Work, and the Economy

Let’s be direct: if you need a local Italian salary to survive, Marche will be difficult unless you have a specific skill in demand.

The regional economy is built on small and medium enterprises: shoes (the Fermo and Macerata provinces are the heart of Italian shoe manufacturing), hats, furniture, textiles, machinery, and agriculture.

ISTAT data puts Italy’s national unemployment at around 5.3% in early 2026, and Marche hovers near the national average.

Salaries for local jobs are modest: think €1,200 to €1,600 net per month for many positions. That’s Italy, not just Marche.

The good news: Marche is increasingly viable for remote workers. Fiber optic reaches most towns of any real size. If you’re earning a North American or Northern European salary while paying Marche cost of living, your quality of life will be extraordinary. An American making $70,000 working from Macerata is living large, despite the very high tax system.

Starting a business: Italy’s bureaucracy is real but survivable. Marche has virtually no mafia or extortion presence, which puts it in the top tier of Italian regions for business safety. Just get a good commercialista (accountant) and you’ll be fine.

Plus, despite the punishing tax system, small businesses can take advantage of some pretty sweet deals tax-wise. Soon I’ll cover how the tax system works in Italy; subscribe so you don’t miss it.

Retiring in the Marche region is also a great idea. Services like the north, weather and air quality closer to the south. And safety like few other regions in Italy.

Immigration: Visas and Residency

I’ve covered the pros and cons of moving to Italy in depth before, so I’ll stick to what matters specifically here.

Digital Nomad Visa: Launched in 2024. Requires a minimum annual income of about €28,000 to €33,500, a university degree or equivalent professional qualification, health insurance valid in Italy, and proof you’re working remotely for a non-Italian employer or clients. Valid for one year, renewable.

Elective Residency Visa (Residenza Elettiva): For retirees and anyone with passive income (pensions, investments, rental income). You must prove you can support yourself without working in Italy. Consulates typically expect at least €31,000 per year for a single applicant, plus roughly €6,200 per dependent. There is also a special tax rate for obscenely wealthy individuals who make passive income outside the country. Think millionaires retiring in Italy. If this is you, congratulations. Also, buy a subscription to my Substack. :)

EU Citizens: Freedom of movement applies. You’re gold. Register at the local anagrafe (municipal records office) within 90 days of settling in. Bring patience, photocopies, and a codice fiscale (your Italian tax ID). In future articles, I’ll cover bureaucratic topics, such as acquiring a codice fiscale.

Once you have residency, you can enroll in Italy’s public healthcare system (SSN, Servizio Sanitario Nazionale). Voluntary enrollment for non-EU residents costs a minimum of about €2,000 per year. That gets you a family doctor, specialist referrals, hospital care, and most prescriptions.

The quality in Marche is good. And here’s a data point that no other expat guide mentions: the Pesaro-Urbino province ranks #1 in Italy for lowest avoidable mortality. The best healthcare outcomes for preventable death in the entire country. Ancona and Pesaro have both a genuinely good hospital.

A practical advantage of Marche for immigration: the smaller comuni (municipalities) tend to process paperwork faster than Rome or Milan, where wait times stretch for months. In Ascoli or Macerata, your experience at the questura (immigration police office) and the comune will be less painful as well. Not painless, but less painful.

And a point I’ll keep hammering: you need to speak some Italian. In Marche more than most regions of the north. English proficiency is very low outside the university towns.

In the hill towns, it’s close to zero. People are friendly and will try to communicate with you via everything short of interpretive dancing. But there is a limit.

Learning Italian before you arrive (even to an A2 level) will change your experience entirely. The Marchigiani will forgive bad grammar and appreciate you trying. Linguetto, my adaptive Italian practice site, can help.

Safety and Earthquakes

Safety: Le Marche is one of the safest regions in Italy. I’ve written about Italy’s safety profile in detail, and Marche consistently ranks among the lowest for crime.

Petty theft exists (it exists everywhere), but violent crime is very rare. In small towns, people leave their doors unlocked. I’m not romanticizing this. It’s just true. My cousin still doesn’t lock his car. It drives me slightly insane, but nothing has ever happened.

The lack of mass tourism and major urban centers also means that pickpockets are really not a thing in the Marche region.

Earthquakes: This is the paragraph everyone is afraid to write honestly, so I will.

Le Marche is in a seismically active area. In August 2016, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Amatrice, followed by aftershocks in October that reached magnitude 6.5.

Of the most severely damaged towns, 29 are in the Marche, more than any other affected region. The university town of Camerino, where my high-school best friend teaches, is still rebuilding.

Now the context. The deaths and destruction concentrated overwhelmingly in historic, not up to code, masonry buildings in mountain villages along the Umbria border.

The coastal cities, the hill towns in the center of the region, and the major cities (Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata, Ascoli) were shaken but not seriously damaged. Nobody died or was displaced there.

What should you do? If you’re buying property, check the zona sismica classification (1 through 4, with 1 being highest risk). Check if the building was built to modern seismic standards. Have the property inspected by an ingegnere strutturale (structural engineer) if you are buying an older building.

Budget for potential retrofitting (the Sismabonus tax incentive covers seismic improvement work). And understand that the coast and lower hills carry much lower risk than a 1930s brick house in the mountains.

I would (and probably will) buy a house on the coast of Marche without ever worrying about earthquakes. On a village in zone 1 close to the Apennine spine? I would personally think twice.

So should earthquakes scare you away from Marche? No. The same fault system runs under much of central Italy. If you’re considering central Italy at all, seismic risk is part of the equation everywhere. Millions of Italians live in central Italy without a worry.

Just be informed, buy smart, and don’t build your retirement dream next to an unreinforced medieval tower 20 minutes from Norcia.

Culture, Community, and What Daily Life Feels Like

This is the hardest thing to quantify and the most important thing to get right.

Life in Marche is slow. Not slow in the sense of boring (though some will find it boring, and that’s a legitimate response). Slow in the sense that the rhythm is set by seasons, meals, and local events rather than by a commute or a work calendar.

The sagre (food festivals) that run from spring through autumn in every town are genuinely social events, not tourist performances. There is an overwhelming amount of them.

The passeggiata (the evening walk through the centro) still happens in most towns. The bar where you have your morning coffee is the bar where your neighbors have their morning coffee, and after a few weeks, the barista will start making yours without asking.

The Marchigiani are known among Italians as friendly but reserved compared to, say, Neapolitans or Romans. It takes a bit longer to break in. But once you do, the friendships are deep and the community is real.

Expats who’ve been there a few years almost universally describe the same arc: lonely for three months, tentatively social for six, genuinely integrated after a year. The key is showing up: at the bar, at the sagra, at the local sports club, at the market. Remember: you’re an interesting novelty in Italy. People will want to befriend you.

There’s a meaningful expat community already, concentrated around, of all places, Sarnano and Amandola. As well as some of the coastal towns. English-speaking expats who arrived over the past 10 to 20 years; mostly retirees who bought farmhouses. They can be a lifeline for the first year. Just don’t expect the expat network you’ll find in Florence. Marche offers an authentic Italian experience. You’re diving in with both feet.

The expats who are happiest are the ones who eventually stop socializing exclusively with other expats and build Italian friendships. That’s your goal if you are moving to Italy.

The cultural calendar is richer than you’d expect. The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro (August), the Macerata Opera at the Sferisterio (July and August), the Fano Jazz Festival, the Ascoli Piceno Quintana jousting tournament, and dozens of smaller sagre and exhibitions throughout the year.

Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, just south of Ancona. Raphael was born in Urbino. Rossini in Pesaro. Leopardi in Recanati. For a region most people can’t place on a map, Marche has produced an outsized share of Italy’s cultural giants.

And then there’s proximity. It warrants repeating. Bologna is under two hours north via train and brings everything a big city offers. Rome is three and a half hours south. The Adriatic coast of Croatia is a ferry ride from Ancona. You’re not isolated. You’re just in a place that has chosen not to shout about itself.

The Honest Downsides of Marche

No article about moving somewhere is worth reading if it doesn’t tell you what’s wrong.

No big city. If you need the energy, options, and anonymity of a Florence, a Bologna, or a Rome, Marche will feel small. The cities are beautiful but compact. If you get restless in towns under 100,000, this might not be your region.

No international schools. There isn’t a single one in the region. The closest are in Bologna, Florence, or Rome. If your children are young (under 8 or so), they’ll pick up Italian remarkably fast in a local school. Italian kids are friendly, teachers are patient with foreign students, and children at that age absorb language like a sponge. Older children will struggle more initially. This is a real consideration.

Winter can be isolating. The summer is glorious. But from November through March, many of the smaller towns empty out. Tourist infrastructure shuts down. Restaurants reduce hours. If you don’t have a social network and a tolerance for quiet evenings, February in a hill town will test you. If this is a concern, opt for the larger centers like Pesaro or Ancona.

Language barrier. English proficiency in the Marche, especially outside the university towns, is low. You will need Italian. There’s no shortcut.

Bureaucracy. This is an Italy-wide problem, not a Marche problem. In fact, you’ll face less obstacles than in larger cities. But it’s still Italian bureaucracy. If you open a business, a good commercialista becomes a lifeline.

If you’ve read the downsides and you’re still here, that’s a good sign. It means you’re looking for what Marche actually offers, not what you wish it offered.

In my guide to which region of Italy you should move to, I argue that the right region depends entirely on what you prioritize.

Marche is for people who prioritize quality of daily life over access to a metropolis. It’s for people who’d rather eat well every night for €20 than eat expensively once a week for €120. It’s for people who hear “there’s no international school” and think, “good, my kids will actually learn Italian.”

What Comes Next in This Series

This article is the overview. In the coming weeks, paid subscribers will receive deep-dive guides to three cities:

• Pesaro and the northern coast: beaches, Rossini, proximity to Bologna, and what life looks like in a mid-sized Adriatic town with cultural ambitions.

• Macerata and the central hills: university life, the Sferisterio, property bargains in the surrounding comuni, and the rhythm of a genuine Italian hill town.

• Ascoli Piceno and the southern Marche: travertine beauty, the expat community, olive ascolane on every corner, and whether this is really Italy’s best affordable small city.

Each guide will include current rental and purchase prices, neighborhoods, school and healthcare specifics, transport links, and the kind of detail that only matters once you’re seriously considering a move. Subscribe to get them when they are released and to support my work.

National Geographic named Marche a “Best of the World” destination for 2025. Lonely Planet ranked it the #2 region globally in 2020. Foreign tourist arrivals are up 45% since 2019. The window of “nobody knows about it” is closing. I know, amusingly, I’m not helping.

If Le Marche sounds like it might be your place, start with my list of 7 must-see cities in Marche to get a visual sense of the region. Then come back and wait for my deep dives into the three cities I myself am considering.

What draws you to Italy? And have you considered a region that isn’t Tuscany? Tell me in the comments. I read every one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Le Marche a good place to retire in Italy?

Yes. Le Marche consistently ranks among Italy’s top regions for quality of life, with low crime, affordable property, excellent food, and a mild coastal climate. Ascoli Piceno ranked #10 nationally in the 2024 Il Sole 24 Ore index. The cost of living is 30 to 40 percent lower than Tuscany for a comparable standard of living. The main trade-offs are lack of major cities and the need for a car.

How much does it cost to buy a house in Le Marche?

Property in Le Marche averages roughly €1,610 per square meter, compared to €2,640 in Tuscany. Inland areas (Macerata, Fermo provinces) run €800 to €1,200 per square meter. Coastal areas near Ancona or the Conero can reach €2,000 to €2,500. A renovated three-bedroom apartment in a hill town typically costs €120,000 to €180,000.

Do I need to speak Italian to live in Le Marche?

Effectively, yes. English is spoken in university towns and some tourist-facing businesses, but daily life, bureaucracy, healthcare, and social integration all require Italian. Reaching an A2 level (test your Italian level here) before arriving will transform your experience and your ability to build real friendships.

Is Le Marche safe from earthquakes?

The western interior, along the Apennine border, is in a high seismic zone and was significantly affected by the 2016 earthquake sequence. The coast and central hill towns are in a moderate-risk zone with modern building codes. If you’re buying property, check the zona sismica classification and have older buildings inspected by a structural engineer. The risk is real but manageable with informed choices. On the coast, in a modern building, you don’t have serious cause for concern.

How does Le Marche compare to Tuscany for expats?

Marche offers similar landscapes, food, and wine culture at 30 to 40 percent lower cost. Tourism density is about a quarter of Tuscany’s. Marche also has 180 km of Adriatic coastline with 20 Blue Flag beaches. What Marche doesn’t have is a city like Florence, extensive international flight connections, or global brand recognition. If you want the Tuscan lifestyle without the Tuscan price tag and tourist crowds, Marche is the answer.

What is not always intuitive, especially for foreigners, is navigating how to book them, the gotchas, the occasional strikes, the scams, and so on.

In this complete guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Italian trains, from someone who grew up riding them and now mostly visits them with the slightly amused eyes of a returning expat.

Trenitalia vs Italo: The Two Operators You Need to Know

Italy has two main train operators.

Trenitalia is the state-owned giant. It runs the entire regional network plus the high-speed Frecce (literally: arrows), the slower Intercity trains, and the international connections.

Italo is the private upstart, launched in 2012, the only serious private competitor. It runs only in selected cities on the high-speed network.

Italo doesn’t have as much coverage but they serve a surprisingly large portion of the most travelled routes (e.g., Naples-Rome-Florence-Bologna-Turin). They are also adding a growing list of less prominent stops.

For more offbeat areas in several regions of the south and center, Trenitalia is essentially your only option.

The differences matter. Italo trains tend to be cheaper, newer, the seats are Poltrona Frau leather even in the cheapest class, and the staff tend to be friendlier and more attentive in my experience. Trenitalia trains, particularly their Frecce, are perfectly fine, just less consistent.

As an aside, keep in mind that if you book a Trenitalia train from, say, Turin to Rome and board at Florence instead of your ticketed origin, your assigned seat may not be waiting for you.

Italo passengers are less likely to experience the issue, but both companies expect you to board at the station printed on your ticket.

Where to Book: Apps, Websites, and Third Parties

Buy directly from Trenitalia or Italo. That’s the short answer. Both have decent English-language apps and websites, both accept foreign credit cards (mostly), and both give you the cleanest refund and exchange options when something goes wrong (more on this in a moment).

The Trenitalia app is the workhorse for most Italians. It handles digital tickets, automatic check-in for regional routes, season passes, and the CartaFRECCIA loyalty program. The Italo app is sleeker but covers fewer routes as already mentioned.

Trainline and Omio are the two third-party aggregators most foreigners end up using. They’re legitimate. They’re not scams. They charge a small booking fee and they smooth out the rough edges of the Italian-language user experience.

If your card keeps getting rejected by Trenitalia or you genuinely cannot figure out which fare type to pick, use Trainline. Keep in mind that any modification or refund will route through Trainline rather than the operator, which adds a step.

Otherwise, just stick to Trenitalia/Italo directly.

Avoid the random Google ads at the top of search results. Sites with names like “italyrail-tickets.com” or “europetrains-discount.net” are usually reselling Trenitalia tickets at a markup, sometimes a steep one. There’s no need to ever pay 30% above face value for a ticket you can buy yourself in five minutes. Those are genuine scams in my opinion.

How far in advance can you book?

Trenitalia opens its high-speed fares roughly 90 to 120 days before departure. Italo follows a similar window. Don’t try to lock in a Frecciarossa from Rome to Florence six months out, because the timetable simply doesn’t exist yet.

When the schedule does open, the cheapest fares (Trenitalia’s “Super Economy”, Italo’s “Low Cost”) release in tiny batches. They’re the first to disappear. A Rome to Florence Frecciarossa booked four months out can cost as little as €15 to €20. The same train booked the morning of departure can hit €70 or €80. The earlier you commit, the more you save. There is no “secret code” or hidden discount: the system uses dynamic pricing, just like an airline.

Regional tickets are a different story. They have a fixed price regardless of when you buy them. You can walk up to any station, buy a ticket from a self-service kiosk, and ride the next train. There’s no penalty for waiting. So: book Frecce and Italo early, buy regional tickets at the same time or whenever.

Train Categories: Frecce, Intercity, and Regional

Italian trains come in roughly three speeds, and the price difference between them is significant.

Le Frecce are the high-speed flagships. There are three sub-categories:

• Frecciarossa (”red arrow”) tops out at 300 km/h and runs the main high-speed lines: Turin-Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples-Salerno, plus Venice and a few extensions. The newest Frecciarossa 1000 is the train to beat.

• Frecciargento (”silver arrow”) runs at up to 250 km/h, partly on high-speed track and partly on conventional rail. It serves places like Rome to Bari, Rome to Lamezia, and Rome to Verona.

• Frecciabianca (”white arrow”) is the slowest of the three, capping out around 200 km/h on conventional lines. Slowly being phased out.

• Intercity is the middle tier. Slower than the Frecce, cheaper, with seat reservation included. It’s the train you take to places the Frecce skip: Reggio Calabria, Cosenza, parts of the Adriatic coast, sections of Sicily. The Intercity Notte is the overnight version, with sleeping bunks.

• Regionale and Regionale Veloce are the workhorses of daily Italian life. Regionale stops at every village. Regionale Veloce skips the smaller stops and gets you there 20 to 30 percent faster on the same route, for the same price. Tickets are interchangeable. No seat reservations. Cheap, simple, sometimes slow, occasionally crowded, quite often on time when there’s no strike. If you’re going from Florence to Lucca, Naples to Sorrento, or Rome to Tivoli, you’re taking a regional train.

Ticket Classes on Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa

Frecciarossa has four classes, and the difference between them is bigger than most travelers assume.

• Standard is the cheapest. Cloth or leather seats in a 2+2 configuration. Power outlets, free WiFi, perfectly fine for a couple of hours.

• Premium gets you leather seats in the same 2+2 layout, a (poor) complimentary welcome snack-and-drink pack, and glass dividers between rows for a bit of added privacy.

• Business moves to a 2+1 configuration, more legroom, reclining leather seats, a real welcome drink (coffee or prosecco), crystal privacy dividers, a quiet car option (the Area Silenzio, usually in coach 2), and at-seat service by staff.

• Executive (Salottino) is the top tier. Ten seats per carriage, champagne-colored leather wider seats, served meals on real china, and complimentary access to FrecciaClub lounges at major stations up to four hours before departure. Is the upgrade worth it? Almost never on a sub-90-minute trip. Standard is fine for Rome to Florence. On Milan to Rome (just under three hours).

Business is genuinely nicer than Standard and often only €15 to €25 more if you book early. Executive is a splurge that mostly makes sense if you want to work, eat, and arrive feeling unbothered. The FrecciaClub lounge access is a real perk in Roma Termini, where the standard waiting areas can feel sketchy and a stress test.

Ticket Classes on Italo

Italo’s official class structure has three levels, though some older trains still have a Comfort section with slightly more legroom between Smart and Prima.

• Smart is the base class. Reclining leather seats, 2+2, free WiFi, vending machines in the Snack Area. Roughly equivalent to Trenitalia Standard, but with better seats and carpet underfoot.

• Prima (sometimes branded as Prima Business) moves to 2+1, wider leather seats, at-seat snack and drink service, and Fast Track in Rome and Milan. Fast Track lets you skip the queue at platform checkpoints. Prima is roughly comparable to Trenitalia Business.

• Club Executive is Italo’s flagship. Eleven seats in an open salon plus two intimate four-seat compartments called Salotto, Poltrona Frau leather throughout, complimentary wine or prosecco served by a dedicated steward, and lounge access up to 90 minutes before departure. The expensive Salotto compartments are unreasonably enjoyable and worth booking on a long route if you can find one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

My take: Italo’s Smart beats Trenitalia’s Standard. Italo’s Prima is roughly Trenitalia Business. Club Executive and Trenitalia Executive are close to a tie on comfort, and which one you prefer is mostly aesthetic. However, Italo’s Salotto is the benchmark.

Loyalty Programs: Are They Worth It?

CartaFRECCIA is Trenitalia’s free loyalty program. You earn one point per euro spent on Frecce and Intercity, half a point per euro on regional. Hit 1,000 points and you reach Silver (10 to 15% bonus points, FrecciaClub access). Hit 3,000 and you reach Gold (25% bonus points, FRECCIALounge access). Hit 7,500 and you reach Platinum (50% bonus, more perks).

Italo Più works similarly. You earn points faster on Flex fares, slower on Low Cost, and the higher tiers unlock lounge access and class upgrades.

Should you sign up? Yes, it’s free. Will it change your life? No. Even if you move to Italy, unless you’re a business commuter doing the Milan-Rome run weekly, you’ll never accumulate enough points to redeem a meaningful reward.

Discount fares almost always beat what your points are worth. Sign up so you have the account, but don’t pay extra for any “preferred” fare just to earn more points. It isn’t worth it.

Refunds, Vouchers, and the Rimborso Process

The word for refund in Italian is rimborso. The word you’ll actually get is sometimes “voucher”, which is not the same thing.

The general principle with both Trenitalia and Italo is that the cheapest fares are non-refundable and often non-changeable. If you can’t go, the money is gone, unless you purchased the optional add-on at booking, which allows for a substantial (though partial) refund.

Take the following fare options for a train from Milan to Rome:

The 4 classes (Standard, Premium, Business, and Executive) can be selected in three possible reservation categories:

• Super Economy: No refunds, no time changes.

• Economy: No refunds, time changes accepted.

• Base: Substantial, partial refunds and time changes accepted.

Now, let’s take a look at a similar trip on Italo:

Again, you can choose between Smart, Prima Business, Club Executive, and Salotto, and then pick three possible reservation categories:

• Low Cost: No refunds, changes allowed 3 days before departure for a substantial 60% fee.

• Economy: 60% refunds, changes for a reasonable 20% fee.

• Flex: 80% refunds, free changes.

Your plans in Italy can and will change. A ride will be delayed enough that you’ll miss your connection. I recommend you select either a fare that allows for changes and refunds or at least opt for the tiRimborso (Trenitalia) and Refund option (Italo) add-ons for a couple of extra euros.

When you cancel a refundable ticket, the default is often a credit voucher rather than money back to your card. Read the cancellation page carefully and pick the cash refund option if it’s offered, otherwise you’ll be stuck with credit you may never use. The voucher usually expires in 12 months.

For delay compensation (more on that below), Trenitalia defaults to a “bonus” you can use against future tickets. If your delay was 60 minutes or more, you can demand cash or a credit-card refund instead. They won’t volunteer this. You have to choose it.

Strikes (Sciopero) and Your Rights During Delays

Italian rail strikes happen. They’re announced in advance, they follow legally enforced rules, and they’re nowhere near as catastrophic as foreign coverage suggests. But they will ruin your day if you don’t see one coming.

Expect roughly one or two scioperi (strikes) per month somewhere in the system, usually 24 hours, sometimes shorter. National strikes are rarer but more disruptive and not unheard of.

The official calendar is published by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT scioperi page) and Trenitalia mirrors the relevant ones on its own information page. Check before any long trip. Bookmark the MIT page.

Fasce di garanzia: the trains that still run

By Italian law, even during a strike there are guaranteed service hours called fasce di garanzia. These are typically 6:00 to 9:00 in the morning and 18:00 to 21:00 in the evening. Trains scheduled to depart, arrive, or be in transit during these windows must run.

If that train ride is critical to you, book it during those times for good measure.

Trenitalia and Italo publish lists of “guaranteed trains” (treni garantiti) on their websites the day before the strike. Find your train on that list, and you’re fine. Don’t find it, and assume it’s cancelled.

If your booked train is cancelled by a strike, you’re entitled to a full refund. Request it through the app or at the ticket office.

Delay compensation: what you’re owed

For Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, and Frecciabianca, the rules are layered. Trenitalia offers its own voluntary bonus on top of what EU law requires:

• 30 to 59 minutes late: 25% of the ticket price as a Trenitalia credit voucher (bonus), usable within 12 months. They are willing to refund a portion because delays past 30 minutes are not very common. The train system in Italy mostly works.

• 60 to 119 minutes late: 25% of the ticket price as cash, voucher, or card refund (your choice), per EU Regulation 2021/782. Applies to tickets costing at least €16. This level of wait sucks so at this point, you finally get cash instead of a voucher.

• 120 minutes or more: 50% as cash, voucher, or card refund. Applies to tickets costing at least €8. You have up to one year to file the claim, through the app, the website, or any biglietteria (ticket office). Thankfully this level of ritardo is fairly rare.

Italian Train Vocabulary You Actually Need

Italian train signage is mostly bilingual at major stations. At smaller ones, it isn’t. These are the words that matter.

• Binario: track. Trains depart “from binario 5”.

• Piattaforma: platform. Used less than binario.

• Carrozza: carriage / coach. Your ticket says carrozza 7, posto 14A.

• Posto: seat.

• Andata: one-way.

• Andata e ritorno: round-trip.

• Prima classe / seconda classe: first / second class (mostly on Intercity and regional, not Frecce).

• Convalida: validation of your ticket. More on when and if you need to validate your ticket, in a moment.

• Biglietteria: ticket office.

• Obliteratrice / Validatrice: the little machine you stamp your regional ticket in before boarding.

• Coincidenza: connection.

• Ritardo: delay, followed by a number in minutes.

• Sciopero: strike.

• Soppresso: cancelled. If you see your train marked soppresso, head straight to customer service.

• In orario: on time.

• Fermata: stop.

• Capotreno: train manager.

• Controllore: ticket inspector.

• Supplemento: surcharge.

• Prenotazione obbligatoria: mandatory reservation.

• Posto a sedere non garantito: seat not guaranteed (typical on regional and during strike-disrupted travel).

• Partenze / Arrivi: departures / arrivals.

• Salita / Discesa: boarding / disembarking.

Train vs Flixbus: When the Bus Actually Wins

Italy’s love of trains is well-earned, but trains aren’t always the answer.

Take Flixbus when:

• The route involves crossing the Apennines on a less-traveled axis (Naples to Bari, Rome to Pescara on certain schedules, anything across the spine of central Italy that doesn’t follow a high-speed corridor). The bus often beats the train because the train route is indirect. I often take it to go from Roma Tiburtina to Civitanova Marche.

• You’re going to or within Puglia, Calabria, or Sicily, where rail service thins out and the bus has direct routes.

• Your budget is tight and your schedule is loose. Naples to Rome on Flixbus can be €5 versus €25 on the train, for an extra hour.

• You’re going to a smaller town that simply has no station nearby.

• A train would require two or more “cambi” (train changed).

• Buses are also nearly immune to rail strikes, which is occasionally a good reason to choose them.

Take the train when:

• You’re on a high-speed corridor (anything from Naples to Turin via Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan).

• You have direct regional or intercity trains from point A to B with no cambi.

• You get sick on winding roads.

• You value not sitting in summer holiday traffic on the A1 highway.

Practical Tips for Riding Italian Trains

Validate your regional ticket before boarding. Find the small green or yellow box near the platform entrance, marked “Convalida il tuo biglietto”. Insert your paper ticket, wait for the stamp. Skip this step and a controllore will fine you €50 or more, and “I didn’t know” is not a defense.

Digital regional tickets bought on the Trenitalia app now check in automatically at departure time. You do not need to validate your digital regional train ticket at these machines. It is only valid for a specific date and time so there is no risk of you reusing it.

High-speed and Intercity tickets do NOT need validation either. They have a date and time printed on them. Show the QR code on your phone when asked.

Download your actual ticket. When you buy online Italo will send you the QR code in the confirmation attachment. Download the PDF on your phone for offline access and you’re good. Trenitalia will not. What they send you is a receipt not the actual ticket.

For the actual ticket click on the barcode button in the email and screenshot the screen including the QR code. That’s your actual ticket. No QR code, no valid ticket. Make sure you also have an ID on you. A controllore will require both.

You might also want to have a printed copy of your ticket, just in case your phone runs out of battery.

Watch your luggage. Italian Frecce and Italo trains have luggage racks at the carriage ends and overhead. The end racks are convenient and larger but they’re also typically out of sight from your seat. On a busy route, sit near them or use a small cable lock if you’re going to place them there. Theft is rare but not zero, especially at station stops where thieves will occasionally grab a bag and step off before the doors close.

Stations at night. Roma Termini, Napoli Centrale, and Milano Centrale are fine during the day but grim at night. Avoid lingering. The areas immediately surrounding Termini (e.g., Via Giolitti) and the streets behind Napoli Centrale aren’t dangerous in any serious sense, but they attract the kind of people you don’t want to face at 1 a.m. with a suitcase.

If you’re catching an early train, take a taxi from your hotel to the station rather than walking. For more on this, see my full guide on whether Italy is safe for travelers.

The “porter” scam. At Roma Termini, Napoli Centrale, and to a lesser extent Firenze SMN, you’ll be approached by men in vaguely official-looking jackets offering to help with your bags. They are not employed by the railway. The railway eliminated official porters at most stations years ago. They will help, then demand €5 or €10 per bag. Politely decline. “No grazie” works. Be firm. Walk on.

Don’t tip. No tipping at the biglietteria, no tipping the controllore (a crime, since it’d be a bribe), no tipping the food cart attendant. It’s not part of the culture, and it’s not done.

Pets travel free or cheap. Trenitalia allows small pets in a carrier (max 70x30x50 cm) for free, one per passenger. Larger dogs need a muzzle, a leash, and a ticket: €5 Sunday through Friday, €1 on Saturday. Italo allows small pets in carriers for free; for medium or large dogs, you add the “Dog” fare when booking, and the dog gets a mat in Smart or Prima class but must be leashed and muzzled. Some Executive cars do not allow pets on either operator.

Accessibility. Both Trenitalia and Italo offer free assistance for travelers with reduced mobility. Trenitalia coordinates through the Sala Blu service at major stations; Italo has a dedicated hotline (+39 06 07 08). Book at least 24 to 36 hours in advance through the website or by phone. Most Frecce and Italo trains have wheelchair-accessible carriages with bookable spaces.

Tight connections. Italian Frecce can be late by 5 to 15 minutes regularly enough that a 20-minute connection is a coin flip and a 10-minute connection is a bad idea. Build in 30 minutes if your itinerary depends on the second train. For the more paranoid among us, shoot for 60 minutes and enjoy a coffee break or quick meal at the station.

Snack bars. On that note, most stations have decent espresso and a passable cornetto. The bar at Bologna Centrale is genuinely good (try their piadina). The one inside the FrecciaClub at Roma Termini, if you have access, is excellent. The food cart on the Frecce is fine for emergencies, not for pleasure. The freebie they give you in business class is probably the worst snack you’ll have while visiting Italy. Edible but that’s it.

Reading the Boards and What to Do If You Board the Wrong Train

Every Italian station has two main boards: Partenze (departures, usually yellow) and Arrivi (arrivals, usually white). Find the yellow one. Look up your train number and destination.

The binario is shown on the right, often updated only 15 to 20 minutes before departure. If “binario” shows nothing, your platform hasn’t been assigned yet. Wait. Don’t ask the staff: they’re looking at the same board you are.

In some smaller stations you’ll still find paper timetables, the yellow Partenze and white Arrivi posters glued to a wall. The format is the same: train number, departure time, stops along the way, arrival time at major destinations.

If you board the wrong train, get off at the next stop. Don’t try to ride it back: that’s a different ticket and you risk a fine. Walk to the opposite platform, board the next regional going the right direction, and explain to the controllore.

If you bought a Frecciarossa and ended up on a regional going the same way, the controllore will sometimes let you stay with a small supplemento, sometimes not. I mean, technically you’re in the wrong and they could fine you. Honesty plus a slightly lost expression goes a long way. As always, knowing some Italian is super helpful.

If you’ve spent any time thinking about moving to Italy, the train system is one of the things that quietly makes daily life better than people assume. It’s a fantastic way to explore the country.

It’s one of the things I miss the most about Italy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early should I book train tickets in Italy?

For Frecciarossa or Italo, book as soon as the schedule opens, which is roughly 90 to 120 days before departure. The cheapest fares sell out fast and prices climb steeply in the final weeks. Regional tickets have fixed prices, so booking those in advance has fewer benefits.

Is Trenitalia or Italo better?

Italo trains are newer and slightly more comfortable, with leather seats in every class and consistent service. Trenitalia covers far more of the country, including every regional route and most slower destinations. On routes where both compete (Naples-Rome-Milan-Turin-Venice), Italo usually wins on comfort and price, while Trenitalia often wins on schedule frequency. Compare prices and times for your specific route.

Can I use my Trenitalia ticket if I miss my train?

If you bought a Super Economy or Economy fare, no: missing the train means losing the ticket (unless you purchased the tiRimborso add-on at booking). Base fares can be changed for a fee. Regional tickets are valid for any regional train on the same route within four hours of validation, which gives you more flexibility than you’d expect.

Do I need to validate Frecciarossa or Italo tickets?

No. High-speed and Intercity tickets have a printed date, time, and seat assignment. Just show the QR code or printed ticket to the inspector. Only regional tickets without a fixed date and time need to be stamped in the obliteratrice before boarding.

What happens if there’s a train strike during my trip?

Strikes are announced days or weeks in advance. Check the MIT strike calendar before any long trip. Even during strikes, trains run during the fasce di garanzia (typically 6 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.) and Trenitalia and Italo publish lists of guaranteed trains the day before. If your train is cancelled, you’re entitled to a full refund.

Is it safe to travel by train in Italy at night?

The trains themselves are safe. The major stations (Roma Termini, Napoli Centrale, Milano Centrale) become less pleasant after midnight without becoming truly dangerous. Take a taxi from your hotel for early-morning departures rather than walking, watch your bag at all times, and decline help from men in vaguely official-looking jackets at the entrance.

Have you taken Italian trains? What surprised you, what tripped you up? Drop your story in the comments.

Italian rail travel is one of those rare things in life where the system is excellent and the rules are mostly fair, but only if you know what you’re doing.

You can rent an apartment, buy groceries, and sit in a café in Rome with zero Italian. Thousands of people do it.

But “living in Italy without Italian” ranges from manageable to genuinely frustrating, and the version you get depends a lot on where you are and what you expect from the country.

Here’s the part nobody tells you: Italy is the worst English-speaking country in the European Union.

In 2025, the EF English Proficiency Index gave Italy a score of 513 out of 700, placing it dead last among EU member states. Even France, which has a famously complicated relationship with English, beat Italy. The highest-performing region in Italy, Friuli Venezia Giulia in the northeast, still scored below the European average.

That shows up in very practical ways. It’s the pharmacist who doesn’t have the English for what you’re describing. It’s the functionary at the municipal office who glances at his colleague, then back at you. It’s the landlord who sends the lease in Italian and expects it signed by Friday. And as we’ll cover shortly, there is a more insidious issue.

What English Actually Gets You in Italy

In the tourist-heavy cities, English functions well enough. Rome, Florence, and especially Milan have English-speaking staff in hotels, many restaurants, and some banks.

Younger Italians, particularly anyone who finished school after 2010, tend to have basic English, especially if they work in any sector with international exposure.

Step outside that bubble and things go south quickly. Literally. A mid-sized city like Pescara, Lecce, or Reggio Calabria has far fewer English speakers than Florence.

Move to a hill town in the Marche region or a village in Basilicata, which is where many expats end up after deciding they want the real Italy, and the working assumption is that you speak Italian. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but you should make a bona fide effort.

Across the whole country, only around 34% of Italians report speaking English, according to European Commission data. Most of that 34% is concentrated in cities and among people under 40.

I grew up in this country and though my English when I left was appalling, it was considered very advanced by Italian standards.

The north-south gap is real too. At some point after your relocation, you’ll meet your 73 year old neighbor who is a lovely lady, has a wealth of recipes and knowledge to impart, and would give the shirt off her back for this new quirky international neighbor (you). And you simply won’t be able to communicate past gestures.

When Italian Becomes a Legal Requirement

This is where that “I’ll figure it out” plan stops working: paperwork.

If you plan to stay in Italy long-term and want the legal security that comes with it, Italian is not optional.

After five years of legal residency, you can apply for the permesso di soggiorno CE, the EU Long-Term Residence Permit. The requirement is A2 Italian: a basic level, enough for simple exchanges, everyday transactions, and following straightforward instructions. Not fluent. But not zero either.

Want citizenship through marriage or after ten years of continuous residency? The bar rises to B1, an intermediate level. That’s been the law since December 2018.

Citizenship by descent is different. No language test. Though the appointment at the consulate will be considerably more pleasant if you arrive with some Italian.

The short version of the tiers: A2 to secure long-term legal residency. B1 to become Italian through naturalization or marriage. Nothing required for descent, but you’ll want it anyway.

The Bureaucracy Problem

Nothing brings the language gap into focus quite like Italian bureaucracy.

The codice fiscale (your Italian tax identification number, needed to sign a lease, open a bank account, register with a doctor, or essentially exist in the system) is usually obtainable in English through a consulate. That’s the easy part.

Everything after that gets harder. Registering your residency at the anagrafe (the local registry office) happens in Italian.

Finding and enrolling with a medico di base (general practitioner) within your district happens in Italian. Renewals at the Questura, the local police office where most permit extensions actually get processed, happen in Italian. Dealing with utility companies, notai (notaries) for property purchases, or writing a formal complaint to your landlord: Italian.

Government offices have no legal obligation to accommodate you in English. Some expats solve this by hiring a commercialista (an accountant who also handles administrative matters) or an immigration lawyer who speaks English.

Others lean on English-language expat networks. Both approaches work, up to a point. But they buffer you from Italy rather than putting you inside it. Every problem you outsource to a translator is a problem you haven’t actually learned to handle.

Can You Build a Real Life There Without Italian?

In major cities like Milan and expat zones in Tuscany, more or less yes. There’s enough English-language infrastructure around private clinics, Facebook groups, English-speaking agents and accountants, that a determined person can manage daily life without much Italian.

What you miss is less obvious, but more important. The neighbour who mentions offhand that the water will be shut off tomorrow. The landlord who explains that the boiler needs to be bled before winter. The shop owner who tells you about the sagra (village food festival) happening down the road next weekend. The friend who takes your side in a dispute with a contractor.

These things don’t happen in the expat group. They happen in Italian, in passing, unremarkably.

A lot of expats in Italy describe the experience as living behind glass: everything visible, nothing quite touchable. That’s not bitterness. It’s just an honest accounting of what you trade when you can’t participate in the daily texture of where you live due to language barriers.

What Level of Italian Is Actually Enough?

You don’t need to write a novel in Italian. Most expats who feel genuinely at home in Italy are operating somewhere between B1 and B2 in conversation.

Achievable for most adults, and required to sustain real friendships with Italians, but it takes consistent and serious focus over a fairly long time.

The A2 level you need for long-term residency is a lower bar. A few months of focused study can get you there even before you land in Italy, and it’s a good base to perfect on site.

If you’re not sure where you’re starting from, this free Italian level test of mine on Linguetto.com gives you a CEFR placement in about ten minutes, no sign-up required. So you know where you stand.

For building from there, sign up with the site. It uses an adaptive rating system calibrated from 0 to 3000 (structured like a chess rating) so every quiz matches where you actually are, not where a generic curriculum assumes you should be. As you improve, your rating goes up and so does the difficulty of the quizzes.

You get audio pronunciation guidance, instant explanations, and a concrete sense of progress toward A2 or B1.

If you like more structure than just taking quizzes at your level, head right for the Linguetto Articles. They’ll teach you vocabulary and grammar and allow you to practice with quizzes specific to the article you just read. Then from time to time, you can keep testing your level as it improves, with the more general quiz sessions not specific to an article.

I’m biased of course, but I think it’s quite good, though in its early days and definitely a work in progress in terms of content. A fellow Italian teacher was very impressed with it.

As she found out, it’s a site that you cannot outgrow. It will adapt quizzes to your level. Even if you are a highly educated native Italian speaker, some of the tougher quizzes will challenge you.

So, should you learn Italian or not?

Moving to Italy without Italian is survivable. Done every day. But planning to stay indefinitely while treating the language as optional is a setup for either permanent dependence on intermediaries or a quiet, creeping isolation that most people don’t see coming.

Keep in mind that most Italians will think you are cool for being an expat. They’ll have a natural curiosity towards you. They’ll want to be your friend. But most, simply won’t be able to communicate with you unless you know some Italian.

Start learning before you board the plane. Not because you’ll arrive fluent, but because you’ll arrive with a foundation instead of starting from scratch while also managing everything else that comes with relocating to a foreign country.

Immersion is genuinely valuable once you have something to immerse. Without a base, Italian just washes over you.

For a fuller picture of what life in Italy actually looks like once you’re there, Living in Italy: Pros and Cons of Moving There covers both the things that will genuinely improve your life and the ones nobody mentions until you’re already committed. And if you haven’t settled on where in Italy you’d even want to be, Which Region of Italy Should You Move To? is the right place to start.

The country is worth learning the language for. That’s not enthusiasm talking. That’s a lifetime of knowing both.

Did you take the Italian test I mentioned? How did you score? Let me know in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you live in Italy without speaking Italian?

Yes, in practical terms, especially in major cities like Rome, Milan, and Florence where English-speaking services are more available. But daily life becomes significantly harder without Italian for anything involving bureaucracy, healthcare, or legal matters. Most expats who have lived in Italy for more than a year strongly recommend learning at least conversational Italian before the move.

What level of Italian do you need for an Italian residence permit?

For the EU Long-Term Residence Permit, available after five years of continuous legal residency, you need to demonstrate A2 Italian proficiency. A2 is a basic level covering simple conversations and everyday transactions. For Italian citizenship by marriage or naturalization, the requirement rises to B1, an intermediate level, and that rule has been in place since December 2018.

Do Italians speak English?

Some do, particularly younger Italians in urban areas and those working in tourism or international business. As a country, Italy ranked last in the European Union for English proficiency on the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index. English knowledge and accessibility drops like a stone outside major cities and in rural or southern regions.

Is Italian hard to learn for English speakers?

Not especially. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute classifies Italian as a Category I language, one of the more accessible groups for English speakers, requiring roughly 600 to 750 class hours to reach professional working proficiency. Most motivated adults reach conversational A2 within 6 to 12 months of consistent, focused study.

What Italian certification do you need for citizenship?

For citizenship by marriage or naturalization, you need a B1 certificate from an institution recognized by Italy’s Ministry of Education (MIUR) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI). The most widely accepted certifications are the CELI (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera) and the CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera). Citizenship by descent has no language requirement.

The first is learnable. Once you know that a trilocale has two bedrooms (not three), that “da ristrutturare” is a polite way of saying “budget twice what you’re thinking,” and that a classe G energy rating is about to become a legal liability, you’re already ahead of most foreigners browsing immobiliare.it or idealista.it.

The second language requires understanding concepts that don’t exist in North American real estate at all. Nuda proprietà, aste giudiziarie, the caparra; these aren’t translation problems. They’re system differences.

This guide covers both.

How Italian Properties Are Actually Counted

Let’s start with the vocabulary that confuses people as soon as they open a listing.

The -locale system:

• A monolocale is a studio apartment.

• A bilocale is a one-bedroom apartment. Unlike listings in North America, the living room counts as one of the rooms. Plus kitchen and bathroom, of course.

• A trilocale has two bedrooms.

• A quadrilocale has three.

The confusion comes from “trilocale” having “tri” in it, which means three. So you expect it to have three bedrooms but it doesn’t, because the living room is counted in that total. If an Italian tells you they live in a trilocale, picture what an American would call a two-bedroom apartment.

Alongside the -locale name, every listing shows a vani count.

A vano (literally a “compartment” or “unit”) is a cadastral measure from Italy’s land registry, the catasto. Not a room count. Main rooms like bedrooms and living rooms each count as one vano. A kitchen also registers as one. Bathrooms, corridors, and balconies contribute fractions.

So “trilocale, 4 vani” means a two-bedroom apartment whose spaces add up to four cadastral units. Focus on locali and number of bagni (bathrooms) rather than vani.

Superficie Commerciale vs. Superficie Calpestabile

This is the single most misunderstood number in Italian listings, and it trips up almost every foreign buyer.

Superficie commerciale is the figure you see advertised. It includes the actual floor area of the apartment/house plus a percentage of walls, balconies, terraces, cantina (cellar), and sometimes a share of common spaces. It’s the “marketing” number.

Superficie calpestabile is the actual walkable floor space inside the apartment. The area you can physically stand on. This is the real number.

The difference between the two is typically 15-25%. An apartment listed at 100 sqm commerciale might only have 75-85 sqm of actual livable space. Ask for the calpestabile figure. Some agents will provide it readily; others will need to pull it from the planimetria catastale (the official floor plan registered with the catasto).

If you need to convert square meters in listings to square feet, multiply the number by 10.76 (since 1 square meter = 10.76 square feet). For quick mental math, you can simply multiply by 10 or 11. So a 100 sqm apartment is roughly equivalent to 1000-1100 square feet.

Property Types

Italian listings can use terms that don’t map cleanly to English. Below are common terms (some obvious some much less so):

• Vendita means that the property is for sale. Affitto means that it is for rent.

• Appartamento is any apartment or flat, regardless of size.

• Attico is a penthouse or top-floor apartment, usually with a terrace. Commands a premium, but also means higher heating costs (top floors lose more heat) and potential roof maintenance responsibilities shared through the condominium.

• Mansarda is an attic apartment with sloped ceilings. These can be charming, but check the altezza minima (minimum ceiling height). Italian building codes require a minimum average height of 2.70m for habitable rooms in most regions (some allow 2.40m). Parts of a mansarda that fall below this threshold may not count toward the official livable area, even if you can physically use the space.

• Villetta a schiera is a townhouse or row house. Shared walls with neighbors, but typically with a small private garden.

• Casa indipendente is a detached home.

• Villa is a detached home, often with its own land or garden.

• Unifamiliare is a single-family home, which can overlap with villa but sometimes refers to more modest detached properties.

• Casale is a rural farmhouse, common in Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, and Puglia. Often sold da ristrutturare. Renovation scope on these can be enormous.

• Rustico is similar to casale but usually refers to a smaller rural structure, sometimes a converted barn or outbuilding.

Buying an Apartment in a Casale

If you see a listing described as an apartment but the photos show a large casale in the hills, you are typically buying a single unit within the property. Think of it as a duplex, triplex, or fourplex (or larger multi-unit building) in a scenic countryside setting rather than suburbia.

Don't assume you're getting the entire property for around 150,000 euros. These conversions are common in rural Italy, where historic farmhouses have been legally divided into multiple residential units, each with its own deed.

Always verify the exact square meterage, which specific portions of the building and land are included, and how common areas are shared.

Building and Floor Details

• Piano terra is the ground floor. In Italy, this often means potential humidity and damp issues, especially in older buildings. They are also more subject to break ins, though Italy is generally safe. Ground-floor apartments also tend to have lower resale value and less natural light. Not always a problem, but worth investigating.

• Piano rialzato is a raised ground floor, slightly elevated above street level. A meaningful step up from piano terra in terms of damp risk and security.

• Primo piano, secondo piano, terzo piano are the first, second, and third floors. Note that in Italy (as in most of Europe), the “first floor” is one level above the ground floor, not at street level.

• Ultimo piano is the top floor. Great light, but see the mansarda and attico notes above.

• Ascensore means the building has an elevator. Its absence matters more than you’d think. A fourth-floor walk-up in a palazzo d’epoca with 3.5-meter ceilings means climbing the equivalent of five or six North American flights of stairs. Every single day. With groceries.

• Portineria means the building has a concierge or doorman service. Convenient for package deliveries and building security, but it significantly increases the spese condominiali (monthly condominium fees).

• Posto auto is a (typically outdoor) parking space. In cities like Milan, Rome, or Florence, parking can be sold separately from the apartment and can add tens of thousands of euros to the total cost. Some listings include it, many don't. Always ask. And of course, you already know what a garage is, though it might also be referred to as a box (or box auto) in Italian listings.

• Cantina is a cellar or storage room, usually in the basement of the building. Common in older properties. Useful, but check for damp.

• Soffitta is an attic storage space, distinct from a mansarda (which is a livable attic apartment).

• Soppalco is a mezzanine or loft level within the apartment. Attractive for extra space, but sometimes not counted in the official square footage.

What “Condition” Means in Italian Listings

Condition descriptions are honest… up to a point.

• Ottimo stato (excellent condition): take it at face value. Someone spent money recently. You’ll also find recentemente ristrutturato/a (recently renovated) which typically means the apartment or house looks fairly new and modern inside.

• Buone condizioni (good condition): usually accurate. Maybe some tired finishes, nothing that breaks the bank.

• Abitabile (habitable): this is where the hedging starts. Abitabile means the property legally meets minimum standards to be occupied. It doesn’t mean you’d want to move in tomorrow. Old plumbing, appliances from 1987, a bathroom untouched since the previous owner’s grandmother married. All technically abitabile.

• Da ristrutturare (to be renovated): the listing is telling you the truth, but possibly understating the scale of the project. In Marche or Umbria, where labor is cheaper and contractors are easier to find, this might mean a manageable renovation. In a historic palazzo in Rome, Florence, or other major art cities, it can mean a multi-year process involving the local heritage office. In some areas of the south, particularly rural locations, you might struggle to find reliable contractors with availability, though this has improved in recent years.

• Stato originale (original condition): nothing has been touched since the property was built or last seriously renovated. Could be 50 years ago. Romanticized in listings. It isn’t romantic.

Real Estate Agent Vocabulary

Then there’s the common vocabulary agents use to describe a property’s surroundings and character:

• Palazzo d'epoca (historic building): this means the building is old and has architectural character, often with high ceilings, ornate facades, and period details. But it also means renovation restrictions will likely apply, especially if the building is under the oversight of the Soprintendenza (the Italian governmental body responsible for protecting cultural and architectural heritage).

• Signorile (elegant, refined): the building has a certain prestige. Expect marble staircases, a portineria, and higher condominium fees. Wealthier families live here.

• Zona animata (lively area): it’s loud right outside the place.

• Zona emergente (up-and-coming): not currently desirable, and the timeline for improvement is anyone’s guess. Think of it as “developing.”

• Ben collegata (well-connected): there’s a major road or railway close by. This can also genuinely mean good public transit access, which in Italian cities is a real advantage. Context matters: ben collegata in central Milan probably means excellent metro and tram service; ben collegata in a rural area likely just means an autostrada (motorway) nearby.

• Luminoso (bright): usually means good natural light and favorable exposure. South-facing apartments in Italy are prized.

• Silenzioso (quiet): often signals an internal courtyard-facing apartment, which trades street noise for less direct sunlight.

• Vista aperta (open view): no building directly blocking the windows. Genuinely valuable and relatively rare in dense Italian city centers.

• Immersa nel verde (immersed in greenery): often this means in the middle of nowhere.

• Termoautonomo (autonomous heating): more on this below, but when you see it in the listing summary, it’s a selling point.

Legal and Administrative Terms in Listings

As you look up listings, you might also see a bunch of legal terms. Understanding them saves you from unpleasant surprises:

• Catasto is Italy’s land registry, maintained by the Agenzia delle Entrate (the Italian tax authority). Every property has a cadastral record that includes its official category, size in vani, etc.

• Rendita catastale (cadastral income) is the tax-base value assigned to the property by the catasto. It is not the market value and is almost always much lower. It is used to calculate property taxes (IMU, TASI), registration tax at purchase, and other fiscal obligations.

• APE (Attestato di Prestazione Energetica) is the energy performance certificate. Every property listed for sale or rent must have one. It’s the document that assigns the classe energetica (energy class) rating.

• Certificato di agibilità (habitability certificate) confirms that the property meets safety, hygiene, and energy standards required for legal occupancy. Not every older property has one, and its absence can complicate a sale. Ask your notaio (notary) to verify it exists.

• Concessione edilizia (building permit): relevant if the property has been expanded, modified, or if an extension was built. Unauthorized building work (abuso edilizio) is more common in Italy than you might expect, and it can block a sale or create legal headaches down the road.

• Proposta d’acquisto (purchase offer): the formal written offer you submit to the seller through the agent. This is the step before the compromesso (the preliminary sale agreement). Once the seller accepts it, the proposta becomes legally binding. Money is typically attached. Do not sign one without understanding that it commits you.

• Provvigione (agent commission): in Italy, both the buyer and the seller typically pay the agent a commission, usually 2-5% each. This is a shock for North Americans used to the seller covering the full commission. Budget for it. It’s negotiable in theory, less so in practice, especially in hot markets.

• Imposta di registro (registration tax): the tax paid at purchase when buying from a private seller (not a developer). For a primary residence (prima casa), it’s 2% of the rendita catastale (with a minimum of EUR 1,000). For a second home, it’s 9%. When buying new construction from a builder, you pay IVA (VAT) instead, at 4% for prima casa or 10% for second homes, calculated on the purchase price rather than the cadastral value.

The Energy Class Problem Every Foreign Buyer Ignores

Every Italian listing now should include a classe energetica, running from A4 at the top to G at the bottom. Most older properties in Italy land somewhere between E and G.

This used to be a footnote. It isn’t anymore. The EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires all Italian residential properties to reach at least class E by 2030 and class D by 2033. Italy has accepted these targets. A class F or G property isn’t just expensive to heat. It’s a depreciating asset with a legal renovation requirement attached to it.

When you see “cl. en. G” in a listing and the price looks attractive, run the numbers first. Bringing an older apartment up to class D can cost EUR 20,000 to EUR 80,000 or more, depending on what needs doing: new insulation, window replacement, full heating system overhaul.

That’s before whatever other renovation you already planned. The bargain might still be a bargain. Or it might not.

Centralizzato vs. Termoautonomo: The Heating Question

Look for termoautonomo (autonomous heating) in listings. It means the apartment has its own independent boiler, which you control and pay for directly. This is what you want.

Centralizzato (centralized heating), in the context of aparments, means the building shares a single system managed by the condominio, the building’s governing body (roughly an HOA or strata). You pay a fixed monthly share regardless of how much heat you actually use. If your neighbors run the heat at 22°C/72°F all winter while you’re abroad for three months, you’re still splitting the bill. Some buildings with centralizzato have since added individual metering systems. Ask specifically.

On that note: every listing should show spese condominiali (condominium fees), the monthly charge covering shared building costs: insurance, elevator maintenance, cleaning, and ongoing repairs. EUR 100-200/month is standard for a basic apartment. Detached houses do not typically have such an expense.

Old buildings with doormen (portinai), ornate facades under restoration, or recent elevator installations can run EUR 400-600/month or more. Before signing anything, request the verbale dell’assemblea condominiale, the minutes from the most recent building meeting, to see what major expenses are planned or already approved.

The Concepts With No English Equivalent

These are the ones that actually trip people up because they require a different mental model.

Il notaio

Italy requires a notaio (notary) for every property transaction. Not optional. The notaio is a state-appointed professional who checks the property’s legal status, verifies there are no outstanding mortgages or liens (ipoteche) registered against it, and finalizes the deed of sale, the rogito (notarial deed). Their fee should be flat and not a percentage of the purchase price. It is paid by the buyer.

The notaio is not your lawyer. They’re a neutral party ensuring the transaction is legal. Consider a separate property lawyer as well, if you’re buying as a foreigner.

Il geometra

A geometra is a licensed technical professional, roughly between a surveyor and a building technician. They handle cadastral surveys, building permits, property boundary disputes, renovation compliance checks, and the technical paperwork that connects a physical property to its legal records in the catasto.

Many foreign buyers skip hiring one and rely entirely on the notaio, which is a mistake: the notaio checks legal status, but a geometra checks that what's physically there matches what's on paper. Their fees are small relative to the problems they catch.

Caparra confirmatoria vs. Caparra penitenziale

When you sign the compromesso (the preliminary sale agreement, also called contratto preliminare di vendita), you pay a caparra (deposit), usually 20% of the price. The type matters more than most people think.

A caparra confirmatoria: if you back out without legal justification, you lose the deposit. If the seller backs out without legal justification, they must return double the deposit. However, if the buyer can prove higher losses they can sue to recover them.

A caparra penitenziale: if the contract expressly grants a right of withdrawal, known as diritto di recesso, to one or both parties, the deposit functions as the agreed price for withdrawing. If the buyer exercises this right, they lose the deposit. If the seller exercises it, they return double. No further legal claims for damages can be made.

The compromesso is legally binding once signed. Read it with a lawyer before you touch a pen.

Nuda Proprietà: Buy a Home You Can’t Live In Yet

Nuda proprietà (bare ownership) splits a property into two legal interests. You buy the title. The seller keeps the usufrutto (usufruct), the legal right to live in and use the property, typically for the rest of their life. You become the owner on paper. But you can’t move in, rent it out, or do anything with it until the usufructuary dies or the term expires.

In exchange, you pay significantly below market value. From as little as 20% to as much as 50% off, depending on the age of the seller.

The risk: they live longer than expected. It happens, and there’s no recourse. Also, Italian banks generally won’t finance nuda proprietà purchases, so you’re usually paying cash.

What’s going on here is this: an older homeowner, especially someone without kids, can improve their cash flow by selling their home while still living in it for the rest of their life.

From the seller’s perspective, this can provide much needed cash without downsizing.

From the buyer’s perspective, if there is no urgent need to move in, this can be a way to purchase a property far below its current market value.

Win win. Except sometimes things go south because the old lady that sold you the house lives to 122 and you die before she does.

Aste Giudiziarie: Italy’s Least-Known Property Discount

An asta giudiziaria (judicial auction) is a court-ordered sale of a property seized from a debtor who couldn’t pay their creditors. The tribunal sets a prezzo base (starting bid) below market value, and the property goes to the highest bidder.

Discounts of 20-40% below market are real and achievable, particularly in the south, where properties sometimes go through multiple failed auction rounds. Each failed round typically triggers a further 25% reduction to the base price. By the third or fourth round, the numbers get quite low.

These auctions are public and listed on regular real estate sites as well as platforms like astalegale.net. To participate you need a codice fiscale (Italian tax identification number), a 10% cauzione (deposit) paid via certified bank transfer before bidding, and the remaining balance settled within 60-120 days of winning.

The risk: Inspection rights are limited. You can request a visit, but it’s not guaranteed, and properties are sold as-is. Previous occupants sometimes haven’t left or they vandalized the property in frustration.

I wouldn’t recommend them. The savings are real but so are the complications and headaches.

Have you started looking at properties in Italy? What’s confused you most when reading the listings?

If you’re researching where to live in Italy or still deciding whether to make the move at all, consider my articles below:

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget beyond the purchase price?

The listed price is far from the final number. For a private property purchased as a primary residence, expect to add 10-15% of the purchase price when you add in registration tax (2% of the rendita catastale, minimum EUR 1,000), notaio fees (typically EUR 2,000-4,000), agent commission (2-5% of the purchase price), geometra, and any legal fees if you hire a separate property lawyer (which you should as a foreigner). If the property needs energy class upgrades to meet EU 2030/2033 targets, add EUR 20,000-80,000 or more. If there’s renovation beyond that, budget separately.

Can I get a mortgage as a foreigner in Italy?

Yes, but the process is slower and more restrictive than for Italian residents. Italian banks will typically finance 50-60% of the property value for non-residents, compared to 70-80% for residents. You’ll need proof of income, tax returns from your home country (often translated and apostilled), and a codice fiscale. The process from application to approval can take 60-90 days or longer. Interest rates and terms vary by bank. Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, and Monte dei Paschi di Siena are among the banks with the most experience lending to foreign buyers. Some buyers use mortgage brokers who specialize in non-resident applications.

What is the typical timeline from offer to keys?

The process has three main stages. First, you submit a proposta d’acquisto (purchase offer), which becomes binding once accepted. This is usually accompanied by a small earnest deposit. Within a few weeks, you sign the compromesso (preliminary contract) and pay the caparra, typically 20% of the price. The period between compromesso and rogito (final deed) is usually 60-120 days, during which legal checks, mortgage approval, and other due diligence are completed. At the rogito, signed before the notaio, you pay the balance and receive the keys. Total timeline from first offer to ownership: roughly 3-5 months, assuming no complications.

What are the biggest hidden costs in Italian real estate?

Agent commission from the buyer’s side is the one that shocks most foreigners. At 2-5% of the purchase price, it’s a significant expense that doesn’t exist in many other markets. Beyond that, spese condominiali (condominium fees) in older, well-maintained buildings can run EUR 300-600/month, far above what many buyers expect. IMU (the municipal property tax) applies to second homes and is calculated from the rendita catastale. And the EU energy compliance deadlines mean that any property rated F or G comes with a mandatory renovation cost that is essentially a hidden surcharge on the purchase price.

What does trilocale mean in Italian real estate?

A trilocale is a two-bedroom apartment. Despite the “tri” prefix, it doesn’t mean three bedrooms. Italian property counts rooms including the living room, so a trilocale has three rooms total: a living room plus two bedrooms. A quadrilocale adds a third bedroom. Always check the actual layout on the planimetria (floor plan) rather than relying on the -locale label alone, since room sizes can vary wildly.

What is nuda proprietà and is it a good investment?

Nuda proprietà (bare ownership) means buying a property’s legal title while the seller lives there until death. You pay well below market value: usually 20-50% less, depending on the seller’s age. It can be a strong long-term investment if you don’t need immediate use of the place and can pay cash, since Italian banks generally won’t mortgage bare ownership. The main risk is that the seller lives longer than expected, extending your wait with no legal recourse. There is also an opportunity cost since that capital could have been invested instead.

I grew up between Rome and the Marche region. I studied in Milan. My family is from the Naples area. I’ve now lived in Canada for over two decades, and I think about moving back to Italy more often than I’d like to admit.

So this isn’t one of those articles written by someone who spent two weeks in Tuscany, fell in love, and came back with opinions. I have opinions because I’ve lived the regional differences. I still have family and friends scattered across the country who keep me abreast and honest about what’s actually going on.

Most “which region” guides treat Italy like a photo catalog. Oh, Sicily is so beautiful. That’s useless. The real question isn’t which region is the prettiest. It’s which region fits your life. Your income source, your tolerance for bureaucracy, your health needs, your appetite for chaos.

Some people might find the generalizations offensive, but I back them with data, and they are real patterns that would affect your life in Italy.

Let’s start there.

First, figure out what you’re going to do for money

This is far more than important than scenery. Your income situation will eliminate half the country before you even look at the map.

If you’re retiring on a foreign pension, the south becomes appealing. Italy offers a 7% flat tax on foreign pension income if you relocate to a qualifying southern town with fewer than 20,000 people. That covers regions like Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Campania, Basilicata, Molise, and Abruzzo. The tax break is significant.

Combine it with the south’s lower cost of living (rent starting at €350/month in parts of Calabria, groceries 20% cheaper than the national average) and you can live genuinely well on a modest pension.

The trade-off is weaker healthcare infrastructure, fewer services, and depending on how far south you go, a pace of life that is incredibly slow. Some will consider it blissful, others death by boredom.

If you’re hoping to find a local job, your options narrow down dramatically. Italy’s national unemployment rate dropped to a record 5.1% in early 2026, but that number is a lie of averages. The northeast sits at 3.6%. The south at 11.9%. In Calabria, youth unemployment is 42.6%, nearly half of young people looking for work can’t find it. Sicily and Campania aren’t much better at 35 to 43%.

Realistically, if you need a local paycheck, you’re looking at cities like Milan, Rome, Bologna, etc. Milan has the most international job market by far, but I’ll get to why I’m not its biggest fan shortly.

If you have a remote job, congratulations, the whole country is yours. Open a partita IVA (freelance tax registration) or work through your foreign employer, and you can live almost anywhere. Italy’s digital nomad visa requires roughly €28,000/year in income for non-EU citizens.

With remote work, you can choose based on quality of life rather than employment opportunities. That opens up the entire center of the country, which is, in my opinion, the sweet spot.

If you’re thinking of opening a physical business (a shop, a restaurant, a B&B), location matters enormously, and not just for marketing reasons (i.e., location, location, location). In parts of the south, businesses face a problem that relocation guides prefer to gloss over: the pizzo, or protection money demanded by organized crime.

This isn’t ancient history. A February 2025 police operation in Palermo resulted in 181 arrests and documented 50 extortion cases in just two years. Estimates from anti-mafia investigators suggest around 80% of Sicilian businesses pay some form of pizzo.

The amounts aren’t trivial: according to Confcommercio surveys, the average runs about €457/month for retail, €578/month for restaurants and hotels, and over €2,000/month for construction firms. If you refuse, your shop might have an unfortunate fire. Or your car.

There’s a courageous anti-pizzo movement called Addiopizzo with over 1,000 member businesses in Palermo fighting this, but the system persists.

Sicily and Calabria are the worst for this. In regions like Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, or Emilia-Romagna? Virtually unheard of.

The same Confcommercio survey found just 2% of businesses had ever received an extortion threat. That alone should factor into your decision if you plan to open a retail store.

Why I’m not a fan of Milan

Every relocation guide will tell you Milan is Italy’s economic engine. That’s true. It’s also, according to Il Sole 24 Ore’s 2025 crime index, Italy’s highest-crime city: 6,952 reported crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. That’s first in Italy for total thefts and street robberies. First for snatching.

Now, context matters. Milan’s homicide rate is just 0.5 per 100,000, lower than London or Paris. The high number is overwhelmingly property crime.

But the everyday friction is real. Phones stolen on the metro. Bags grabbed at Stazione Centrale. Chains snatched off your neck. Car broken into. If you’ve lived in a safe North American suburb for years, Milan will feel like a shock.

Then there’s the maranza problem. If you haven’t heard the term, maranza refers to gangs of mostly second-generation teens. The word exploded nationally in 2022 after a chaotic gathering of about 2,000 youth at Peschiera del Garda, organized via TikTok, that devolved into brawls, stabbings, and sexual harassment on trains.

I’m not scaremongering and it’s not the end of the world. But it is a big-city problem rooted in housing shortages, failed integration of immigrants, absent youth services, and lackluster law enforcement. All amplified by social media.

Milan is also the most expensive major city in Italy. A two-room apartment runs about €1,158/month. The general cost of living sits at the top of the Italian scale. You need a strong income to begin to justify it.

In the end, it’s still Italy. It’s still beautiful. Food is still good. But you have many better alternatives in my opinion.

Rome is a mixed bag

Rome is a different story. I love Rome. It’s an open-air museum. The food is extraordinary. Carbonara in its homeland, cacio e pepe, supplì done properly, carciofi alla giudia. There’s a warmth to Roman life that Milan simply doesn’t have.

But Rome comes with its own issues. Traffic is exhausting. Public transport is unreliable at best. Bureaucracy is Kafkaesque even by Italian standards. And while it’s cheaper than Milan (rent averages about €895/month for a bilocale), it’s still expensive relative to what you get in services.

In the Il Sole 24 Ore quality of life rankings, Rome sits around 46th out of 107 provinces. That feels accurate. It has everything, but nothing runs particularly smoothly.

Don’t ignore air quality in Italy

This deserves its own section because almost nobody talks about it, and it could be a dealbreaker for some of you. It is for me.

The Po Valley (the Pianura Padana) has some of the worst air pollution in Europe. Not just Italy. Europe. The valley is enclosed by the Alps and Apennines like a bowl, trapping pollutants.

Take a look at the map below. It’s extremely easy to spot.

Annual PM2.5 in Milan runs 3-4 times the WHO annual guideline.

During a particularly bad stretch in February 2024, Milan recorded a daily PM2.5 nearly 24 times the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Of the 96 monitoring stations nationally that exceeded limits, 80 were in the Po Valley. That’s 83%.

(No, I didn’t have these numbers memorized, I had to look them up. But everyone in Italy knows that the air pollution in the North is awful.)

And this isn’t just an inconvenience. Italy records an estimated 43,000 to 50,000 premature deaths annually from air pollution.

Compare that to Rome at roughly 13 µg/m³ (still bad, but decent for such a large city) or Sassari in Sardinia at just 6.

Central Italy (Tuscany, Umbria, Marche) generally sits at 6 to 15 µg/m³. Still above the WHO ideal, but a different world from what you’re breathing in Lombardy or the Veneto lowlands.

For someone like me who’s had serious health issues, this alone eliminates most of the north. Though, the extreme north of the country has very clean air.

If you’re considering Emilia-Romagna, and I understand the appeal, know that Bologna’s lowlands share the Po Valley’s air quality. It’s really not ideal. South of Bologna is better, but you’re trading it for remoteness.

The Romagna coast (Rimini, Ravenna, Forlì) is somewhat better because the Adriatic provides ventilation, but it’s not perfect either.

The earthquake question nobody wants to talk about

I might come across as a negative Nancy, but I must warn you about a few things people don’t consider when planning to move to Italy. I like to keep it real.

Italy classifies every municipality into four seismic zones. Zone 1 is the most dangerous; Zone 4 is the safest. The central Apennine stretch, running through Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, all the way to Calabria, is the country’s most active seismic belt.

This isn’t theoretical. In 2009, L’Aquila in Abruzzo was devastated with 308 dead and 67,000 displaced.

A 2016 earthquake killed 299 people in Amatrice in the northeast Lazio area near Abruzzo and Marche. That same year, in October, another earthquake hit Norcia near Perugia in Umbria and nearly leveled the Basilica of San Benedetto.

Before that, the 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquake damaged over 100,000 buildings and severely harmed the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. I still remember my bed shaking violently at the time and the cracks in the walls left by the earthquake in my small Marche apartment where I grew up.

• Umbria is one of Italy’s most exposed regions: 18 municipalities in Zone 1, 51 in Zone 2, 23 in Zone 3, and zero in the safest Zone 4.

• Marche is predominantly Zone 2, with over 90% of municipalities at medium-high risk.

• Abruzzo straddles Zone 1 along the ridge. L’Aquila is one of Italy’s highest-risk cities. But coastal and northern Abruzzo (Pescara, Teramo) sits in the somewhat safer Zone 2.

• Liguria has no Zone 1 or Zone 2 municipalities at all. It’s entirely Zone 3, the safest of my preferred regions by far.

• Tuscany is mostly Zone 3, which is reassuring.

• Sardinia is almost entirely Zone 4, the safest region in Italy for seismic risk.

This doesn’t mean you can’t live in Umbria or Marche. Millions of Italians do. But if you’re buying property, check whether buildings have been upgraded to modern anti-seismic codes (adeguamento sismico).

Factor the local seismic history into your decision. Don’t just fall in love with a stone farmhouse without understanding what Zone 1 actually means.

The quality of life rankings tell a clear story

Every year, Il Sole 24 Ore ranks all 107 Italian provinces across 90 indicators covering wealth, employment, environment, demographics, safety, and culture. In 2025, Trento (extreme north) leads at 648.7 points. Reggio Calabria (extreme south) sits last at 394.9. That’s a 254-point gap which stood for 36 years of rankings.

The top 10 is exclusively northern: Trento, Bolzano, Udine, Bologna, Bergamo, Trieste, Verona, Milan, Monza, Parma. The bottom is entirely southern. No southern province has ever cracked the top 20.

Yes, it’s a financial newspaper that might be biased towards wealth factors, but it’s still quite telling.

Here is where a few regions I’m considering myself fall on that index:

• Marche: All five provinces in the top half. Ascoli Piceno at 22nd, Macerata around 25th.

• Emilia-Romagna (Romagna side): Bologna 4th, Forlì-Cesena 11th, Ravenna 19th. Extraordinary.

• Tuscany: Ranges from Siena at 21st to Pistoia around 66th. Depends heavily on which province.

• Abruzzo: Pescara jumped 15 places to 40th. L’Aquila sits at 69th.

• Umbria: Perugia at 37th, Terni at 48th. Solid middle.

• Liguria: La Spezia and Genova in the low 40s. Imperia at a weak 79th.

• Lazio: Rome at 46th. Viterbo mid-range. Latina and Frosinone in the bottom quarter.

You can explore the full interactive rankings at lab24.ilsole24ore.com/qualita-della-vita. Look up the provinces you’re interested in. Compare them.

The regions I’d actually consider

Here are the regions I’d personally consider and why.

Marche

A personal favorite but the data agrees.

Why it works: All five provinces rank in the top half nationally. Property runs €1,200 to 1,600/sqm. A nice apartment in a hill town costs what a parking spot does in Milan. A bilocale in Ascoli Piceno rents for about €400/month. Four hundred euros. You get the Adriatic coast (not Sardinia, but real sandy beaches), classically beautiful interior hills, and the Sibillini mountains an hour away.

The food is criminally underrated. Olive all’ascolana are an amazing aperitivo snack (provided you like olives). Vincisgrassi is Marche’s answer to lasagna and I honestly prefer it to the Emilian version (though both are great).

Crime is among Italy’s lowest. Healthcare is solid, with good hospitals in Ancona, Fermo, and the other provincial capitals.

I spent my teenage years in Montegiorgio, a small town in the province of Fermo. The pace was wonderfully slow. Maybe too slow when I was 17 and craving excitement. But now, at my age, with, say, a remote job and a desire to actually enjoy life? Quite workable.

The downsides: Limited job market. This is a remote-work or retirement region, not a career-building one. Seismic risk sits mostly in Zone 2. Train connections are decent along the coast but thin once you go inland. Winters in the interior can be cold and damp, though not Po Valley grim.

Best for: Remote workers, retirees, families wanting affordable quality of life, anyone who values food and peace over nightlife and career ambitions.

Romagna (eastern Emilia-Romagna)

The Romagna coast and its immediate hinterland (Rimini, Forlì-Cesena, Ravenna), not Bologna proper, though Bologna deserves mention.

Why it works: Emilia-Romagna places six provinces in the national top 20 for quality of life, which is extraordinary for any region. Forlì-Cesena sits at 11th, Ravenna at 19th. The food culture here is arguably Italy’s greatest: tagliatelle al ragù, prosciutto di Parma, piadina romagnola, aged balsamic vinegar that costs more than wine and is worth every cent.

Ravenna is a genuinely underrated city. Byzantine mosaics that rival anything in Istanbul, a real cultural life, not overrun with tourists. Rimini has reinvented itself beyond its party-town reputation. The coastal air quality is noticeably better than Bologna’s lowlands because the Adriatic provides some ventilation.

People from Romagna are also famously warm and sociable. This matters more than you’d think when you’re an outsider trying to build a life.

Bologna deserves a specific note. It’s a wonderful city. Stunning arcades, one of the oldest universities in the world, food that makes you want to cry. It ranks 4th nationally in quality of life. But it’s very left-leaning politically, which shapes daily life in visible ways.

There’s a high tolerance toward behaviors and customs that not everyone will be comfortable with. That’s neither inherently good nor bad; it’s a cultural reality you should experience before committing to. Rent averages €784/month for a bilocale, which is a bit high due to the constant influx of students, and it does share the Po Valley air quality.

The downsides: Inland Emilia-Romagna has a genuine smog problem. Bologna’s PM2.5 levels are in the same bracket as Milan. The Romagna coast is better but not immune. Summer tourism in Rimini can be overwhelming. Not cheap by central Italy standards, though much cheaper than Milan.

Best for: People who want strong services, cultural vibrancy, and world-class food with better air than Milan. Especially the Ravenna/Forlì-Cesena corridor.

Tuscany

Not the Tuscany of postcards and British expat fantasy. The quieter, less polished parts: the Maremma (around Grosseto), parts of Arezzo province, the southern Siena hinterland.

Why it works: You get the Tuscan landscape (rolling hills, cypress trees, vineyards) without Florence’s prices and tourist crush.

Grosseto province is significantly cheaper than Siena or Florence. Services are solid, healthcare is excellent (Tuscany’s regional health system is one of Italy’s best), and the food is the food: bistecca alla fiorentina, ribollita, pappardelle al cinghiale, cantucci with vin santo.

Seismically it’s mostly Zone 3, which is reassuring. Air quality is good. The Maremma coast is beautiful in a wild, less manicured way: Cala Violina, the Argentario peninsula, Castiglione della Pescaia.

The downsides: More expensive than Marche or Abruzzo, even in the less famous areas. Florence province ranks 2nd nationally for reported crime (mostly tourist-area theft), though southern Tuscan provinces are much calmer. Job opportunities outside of tourism and agriculture are thin. Some areas feel seasonal: vibrant in summer, quiet in winter.

Best for: People who want the Tuscan dream at a realistic budget, retirees, remote workers who value beauty and services and don’t mind paying a bit more than central Italy’s cheapest.

Abruzzo

Specifically the Pescara and Teramo provinces. Not L’Aquila, which is beautiful but sits on one of Italy’s most dangerous fault lines.

Why it works: Pescara province jumped 15 places to 40th in the quality of life rankings, which signals a genuine improvement. Property averages €1,381/sqm, some of Italy’s cheapest outside the deep south. Rent in Pescara runs about €510/month. You get coast and mountains in the same region, which is rare at this price point.

Pescara itself isn’t a beautiful city, let me be honest. It’s functional, a bit chaotic, and architecturally unremarkable. But it has an airport (small, but it exists), decent hospitals, and the surrounding area is genuinely gorgeous: Francavilla al Mare, Ortona, and the Trabocchi coast to the south, where those ancient wooden fishing platforms are unlike anything else in Italy.

The food is better than people realize: arrosticini (tiny lamb skewers grilled over coals, addictive), maccheroni alla chitarra, sagne e fagioli. Abruzzo also qualifies for the 7% flat tax for retirees in municipalities under 20,000 people.

It is geographically in the center, but culturally often considered a southern region.

The downsides: Earthquake risk increases sharply as you move inland. L’Aquila is a permanent reminder. Infrastructure is weaker than Tuscany or Emilia-Romagna. Fewer international flights. The region can feel isolated, especially in winter in the interior.

Best for: Budget-conscious retirees (with the flat tax), remote workers who want coast-plus-mountains cheaply, people willing to trade polish for authenticity.

Lazio

Not Rome. The area north of Rome: Viterbo province, the Tuscia, Lake Bolsena.

Why it works: Stunningly beautiful and absurdly cheap by Roman standards. Medieval hill towns like Civita di Bagnoregio (the “dying city”), volcanic lakes, excellent local food (acquacotta, fresh lake fish, wild boar).

Close enough to Rome that you can take a train down for a museum visit, a specialist doctor’s appointment, or a proper night out. Viterbo has a university, so there’s some young energy.

The downsides: Quality of life rankings for Viterbo are mid-range, nothing stellar. Public transport connections outside the Rome train line are weak; you’ll want a car. The area is relatively unknown to international expats, which means fewer English speakers and less of a ready-made community (though some would consider that an advantage). Southern Lazio (Latina, Frosinone) ranks poorly and I’d avoid it.

Best for: People who want proximity to Rome without Rome’s costs and chaos. Retirees who value beauty and space. Anyone who wants a genuinely Italian experience without an expat bubble.

Liguria

The Italian Riviera, specifically the eastern side around La Spezia, Lerici, and the Cinque Terre hinterland.

Why it works: The coast is beautiful and the climate is mild year-round, warmer in winter than almost anywhere else in northern Italy. The massive advantage is seismic safety. Liguria has zero Zone 1 or Zone 2 municipalities. It’s entirely Zone 3. If earthquakes are a dealbreaker for you (and they might be after reading the section above), Liguria solves that problem.

The food is distinctive: focaccia di Recco (thin, filled with stracchino cheese, life-changing), trofie al pesto made with Genovese basil, farinata, fritto misto di mare. La Spezia is a real working city with port energy, not a tourist museum.

The downsides: Liguria is narrow and steep. Flat land is scarce, which drives up property prices in desirable spots and makes mobility challenging for anyone with physical limitations. Western Liguria (Imperia province) ranks a dismal 79th in quality of life.

The economy is weak outside Genoa. Winter, while mild on the coast, brings relentless damp and grey in the hills. And everything is more expensive than Marche or Abruzzo.

Best for: Retirees prioritizing climate and seismic safety, people with a good budget who want coastal living without southern Italy’s service gaps.

What about Umbria, Puglia, and Sicily?

These three come up in every relocation conversation, so let me be direct about each.

Umbria

Beautiful, affordable, and culturally rich. Lake Trasimeno is gorgeous. I’ve spent many summer days there. Perugia has real character, a university, good restaurants. Property averages just €1,178/sqm, and a couple can live on €2,000 to 2,500/month total. Quality of life rankings are solid mid-table (Perugia 37th, Terni 48th).

But. The seismic risk is hard to ignore. Umbria has 18 municipalities in Zone 1, 51 in Zone 2, and zero (zero) in the safest Zone 4. The 2016 earthquake devastated the eastern part of the region. The 1997 quake damaged over 100,000 buildings. If I’m being honest, this is a big reason I’d hesitate despite loving the area.

And there’s no sea. I know that sounds trivial, but if you’re moving to Italy and you’re already coming from an inland Canadian city, part of the appeal is the Mediterranean coast. Or the Adriatic one. Trasimeno is lovely for a Sunday, but it’s a lake.

Umbria is also more isolated than it looks on a map. Rome is over two hours by car, and train connections thin out quickly once you leave Perugia.

Still, for the right person, it’s exceptional value. I’ll be spending several days there during my May trip, and part of me suspects I’ll fall in love with it again.

Puglia

Fantastic as a destination. The food is extraordinary: orecchiette con cime di rapa, burrata that hasn’t travelled 3,000 kilometers, bombette pugliesi, raw seafood in Bari that will ruin you for sushi forever. The coast is stunning. The masserie and trulli are architecturally unique. The climate is warm almost year-round.

But as a place to actually live? Unemployment is high. Healthcare infrastructure is weaker than in the center-north. Organized crime is present (the Sacra Corona Unita plus encroachment from the Camorra and ‘Ndrangheta) though less pervasive than in Sicily or Calabria.

Services can be unreliable. For a holiday, it’s perfect. For a permanent base, think carefully unless you’re retiring with a strong pension and few service needs.

Sicily

One of the most beautiful region in Italy. The history, the architecture, the food: arancini, pasta alla Norma, cannoli that actually taste like they should, granita in summer.

But you need to go in with eyes open. Beyond the pizzo issue for anyone opening a business, daily services can be unreliable. Healthcare facilities outside Palermo and Catania are thin. Youth unemployment is above 35%. Bureaucracy makes the rest of Italy look efficient by comparison.

The infrastructure gap with the north is real and it affects daily life in ways you don’t expect until you’re trying to get a document processed or waiting for a repair that was promised two months ago.

For a retiree with a good pension, a tolerance for chaos, and no need to rely on Italian services for income? It can be paradise. For everyone else, it’s beautiful but demanding.

The budget option: small towns in the middle of nowhere

Italy has hundreds of tiny towns. In culo ai lupi, as we say (warning: vulgar expression), literally in the wolves’… backyard. Places where you can buy a house for under €50,000 and live on very little. Some municipalities have run famous “€1 house” schemes to attract buyers. Sambuca di Sicilia, Mussomeli, places in Sardinia and Molise.

The reality of these places: genuinely shocking slowness. The nearest supermarket might be 30 minutes away. Your neighbors are elderly, lovely, and speak dialect you won’t understand for the first two years. Winter can be isolating in a way that hits differently when you don’t have family nearby.

This can be beautiful if it’s what you want. I know people who thrive in it.

But my honest suggestion, even if you’re on a tight budget, is to find a small town within 15-30 minutes of a decent-sized city. That way you get affordability and peace without cutting yourself off from hospitals, shops, and social life.

A small town in the hills behind Ascoli Piceno, or in the Monti Sibillini foothills, or along the upper Pescara valley, or in the Maremma interior south of Grosseto. You can rent a nice place for peanuts, drive to a proper city when you need to, and still be surrounded by the kind of landscape that made you fall in love with Italy in the first place.

One more thing: wherever you end up, visit first. More than once. In different seasons. That Tuscan hill town that’s magical in June might feel like a ghost town in January. That coastal Romagna apartment that seems perfect in August might be hit by freezing Adriatic winds in February.

Two towns 20 kilometers apart can feel like different countries. Spend time there before you commit.

You’ll need Italian

I saved this for last because it applies everywhere. Even in Milan, even in Rome, daily life in Italy requires Italian.

Since 2018, you need at least B1-level Italian to apply for citizenship through naturalization. But more than the legal requirement, you need it to navigate bureaucracy, build real friendships, understand your lease, talk to your doctor, and actually feel at home rather than like a permanent tourist.

This is what I do. I teach Italian. If you’re even remotely considering a move, start now. Subscribe to this newsletter if you haven’t already. Download my free guide on studying Italian daily. Practice with Linguetto, my adaptive Italian learning platform. The earlier you start, the more doors will be open when you arrive.

Italy doesn’t make it easy. It never has. But if you put in the work: the language, the patience, the willingness to let things be slower and messier than you’d like, it gives back more than anywhere else I know.

When you do meet it halfway, there is no better place to live. And that’s why even I am considering it more seriously, despite living quite well in Canada.

I’ll let you know what I decide.

A student of mine (let’s call him Mark) messaged me two days before flying to Rome with a list of questions that could have been a thesis. “Should I leave my passport at the hotel? Can I wear a watch? Is the train station safe after 8 PM? Does Italy have Uber?”

Mark had a great trip. Nobody pickpocketed him. Nobody scammed him. He ate incredibly well and is now asking me about moving to Italy with a digital nomad visa.

The concern made sense. The level of it didn’t.

I grew up in Italy, between Rome and the Marche region, studied in Milan, my family is from the Naples area. I’ve seen most of the country, and it’s a very safe place to visit.

Tourists almost never run into violent crime. Muggings are rare. There’s nothing here that should make you cancel your trip.

What you do get, especially in big cities, is petty theft. Pickpockets, bag snatchers, and street scammers who’ve been perfecting their craft since (and I mean this literally) the 1600s.

There’s a 1617 painting by Simon Vouet, hanging in Palazzo Barberini in Rome right now, showing a fortune teller distracting a man while an accomplice picks his pocket. The hustle is older than most countries.

Let’s get into what actually matters: numbers, risks, and what to do. This is the guide I wish I could hand every student or friend who tells me they’re going to Italy and asks if they should be worried.

How bad is petty crime in Italy, really?

Let’s start with the data. Guessing is worse than knowing what you’re actually dealing with.

Rome recorded over 33,000 pickpocketing incidents in 2024, up 68% from 2019. That’s roughly 90 reported cases a day, and the real number is certainly higher.

A 2024 study found that Italy leads Europe with 478 pickpocketing mentions per million visitors at its top tourist attractions, ahead of France (251) and Spain (111). The worst spots? The Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon in Rome. The Duomo in Milan. The Uffizi area in Florence.

ISTAT, Italy’s national statistics institute, reported that nearly 14 out of every 1,000 people in Lazio (which includes Rome) fell victim to pickpockets in 2023. That’s almost triple the national average of 5 per 1,000.

In response, Italy’s interior ministry created a dedicated metro police unit, the Polmetro, and you’ll see them patrolling metro platforms in Rome, Naples, and Milan.

Influencers like Simone Cicalone have become famous for patrolling the Rome metro and confronting pickpockets on camera, with some people seeing him as a hero and others seeing him as a vigilante.

On TikTok, clips of American tourists fighting back against pickpockets have gone viral. (Spoiler: Italian law is not on their side.)

So yeah, pickpocketing is real, and it’s not going anywhere. But it’s not random. Once you see the patterns, it’s predictable.

The 25 safety tips

What follows is a mix of mindset, gear, street smarts, scam awareness, and practical travel advice. Some of these you’ll know. Some you won’t. All of them are things I tell people before they go.

Mindset

1. You’re a tourist; you’ll stand out. That’s normal.

If you’re a tourist in Rome, Florence, Milan, or Naples, you are a target. Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because you’re distracted, you don’t know the terrain, and you’re probably on your phone more than usual.

Accepting this doesn’t mean being paranoid. It means being aware. The people who get pickpocketed are almost always the ones who assumed it wouldn’t happen to them.

2. Understand that pickpockets avoid confrontation.

This is the big one. Italian pickpockets are not muggers. (And truth be told, most often they’re not Italian either.) They don’t carry weapons to threaten you with. They don’t want a scene. Their entire business model depends on you not noticing. If you make it difficult, if your stuff is secured and you look like you know what’s going on, they’ll move on to someone easier. You don’t have to be faster than the bear. You just have to be faster than the other tourists.

3. Where you are matters.

Italy is a big country. The pickpocket problem is concentrated in a few specific areas of a few major cities: mostly central Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, and Venice. If you’re hiking the Dolomites, eating your way through Emilia-Romagna, or exploring the Marche region, petty theft is barely a consideration.

Growing up in the Marche, I could leave belongings in my car without thinking twice. Where I live now in Canada, I can’t.

A student of mine spent two weeks in Lecce and Matera and despite the south’s reputation she never once felt unsafe. Because she wasn’t. Those places don’t have the tourist density that creates conditions for organized pickpocketing.

This is also why I encourage people to visit the real Italy, outside of tourist areas, to relax and experience the beauty and slower pace the country has to offer.

4. Don’t let fear ruin the trip.

I’ve met people so anxious about theft they couldn’t enjoy a meal without clutching their bag to their chest with one hand. That’s not caution, that’s paranoia. Take simple precautions, internalize them until they’re automatic, then forget about it and enjoy one of the most beautiful countries on earth. This should take 30 seconds of thought a day, not ruin your trip.

Gear

5. Get an anti-theft crossbody bag, and actually use it.

If you do one thing, do this. A crossbody bag with a zip closure, worn across your front, makes pickpocketing nearly impossible without you noticing.

Pacsafe makes excellent options (the GO Crossbody Citysafe or the Metrosafe series are popular for a reason, including features such as: locking zippers, cut-proof straps, RFID blocking).

You don’t need to spend a fortune; any bag that crosses your body and zips shut will do.

The key is wearing it in front of you in crowded areas, not dangling behind your hip. Once it’s in the front, with your hands resting on the zipper, it becomes virtually impossible to pick pocket you. They’ll certainly opt for an easier target.

Never wear a backpack on your back in crowded places.

6. Use a money belt for the stuff you can’t afford to lose.

I know, I know. Money belts are not glamorous. But a slim under-clothing belt (Pacsafe Coversafe, Eagle Creek, PeakGear or similar) is the right place for your backup credit card, your passport in a small zip lock bag (or a photocopy), and a small amount of emergency cash (euros of course).

You don’t access it in public. Never. Only in a private bathroom stall. But it’s insurance for getting out of a jam and it only costs twenty dollars.

7. Leave the fancy jewelry at home.

This isn’t about style. If you’re wearing a Rolex in Naples, you’re advertising. My fiancée has a gorgeous engagement ring. It doesn’t come with us when we visit Italy.

The same goes for flashy necklaces, expensive sunglasses, or designer bags. None of these will get you mugged, but they’ll get you noticed, and getting noticed is the first step in the pickpocket’s workflow.

8. Carry a photocopy of your passport, not the original.

This one bugs me. Italy doesn’t take the pickpocket problem seriously, but they do require by law that non-EU citizens carry their passport at all times. So you’re forced to walk around with the one document you absolutely cannot afford to lose.

My suggestion, and it’s a controversial one: leave the real passport in the hotel safe. Carry a photocopy and a photo on your phone.

Italian law technically requires the original, but in practice a photocopy will usually satisfy a police check. Be nice to them and at worst they might scold you for not having the original on you.

Losing a photocopy is an inconvenience. Losing your passport will ruin your vacation.

9. Split your cash and cards.

Never carry all your money in one place. I keep a day’s worth of cash and one card in my front pocket, a backup card and some cash in my money belt, and the rest in the hotel safe. If someone gets my wallet, I lose maybe €50 and one card I can cancel in five minutes. Not great, not a disaster.

Street smarts

10. Front pockets only. Always.

Your back pockets are not storage. They are a buffet for professionals. Phone, wallet, anything of value: front pockets, always. This alone probably eliminates 80% of your risk.

11. Tether your wallet and phone.

A pickpocket’s entire job is to separate you from your stuff without you noticing. A tether makes that quite difficult.

I use a Pacsafe wallet that has a wire-reinforced strap that clips to your belt loop; even if someone gets into your front pocket, the wallet isn’t going anywhere. It’s a small measure that will further discourage pickpockets.

Do the same with your phone. Phone tether straps (the kind that loop around your wrist or you wear across your body) have become popular for good reason.

They cost $10-30, they don’t look ridiculous, and they mean that even if someone snatches your phone out of your hand on the metro, or you fumble it in a crowd, it stays attached to you.

Never leave your phone on the table at a café or restaurant either, especially in tourist areas. It takes one second for someone walking past to grab it, or for someone to lift it while they distract you with a newspaper or a board.

Same goes for your bag: don’t hang it behind your chair or leave it on the floor out of sight. Keep it on your lap or looped around your chair leg.

Your phone is now your map, your camera, your boarding pass, and your backup ID. Losing it mid-trip is arguably worse than losing your wallet.

12. Public transport is where you need to pay attention.

Pickpockets need two things: proximity and distraction. Both converge in predictable spots: getting on and off public transport, standing in line at attractions, navigating crowded piazzas, and squeezing through narrow passages near major landmarks.

A friend of mine got her phone lifted from her back pocket while going through a turnstile at a metro station. She felt absolutely nothing.

Rome’s Line A (Vatican to Spanish Steps to Termini) and Line B (Colosseum to Termini) are where most transit pickpocketing happens. Same applies to Milan’s metro near Duomo and Centrale, and Naples’ Line 1.

The moment of boarding, when everyone presses together and your attention is on getting through the door, is when you’re most vulnerable.

Keep your bag in front of you. Keep your hand on your phone. Stay alert. If you see commotion happening, you back away. You don’t investigate.

You can relax in 99.99% of Italy, but public transportation is one place to pay attention.

13. Be suspicious of unnecessary physical contact.

If someone bumps into you, spills something on you, blocks your path, or presses against you when there’s room not to, your first thought should be: where are my valuables?

Not every bump is a pickpocket, but the “accidental” jostle is one of the oldest techniques in the book. Do not let anyone get in your personal space.

Watch for women holding a jacket, large bag, umbrella or map in front of them. They use it to conceal what their hands are doing as they crowd you.

But watch out for men too. Living in North America, where pickpockets are rare, you might at times ask yourself ethical questions about judging people on the basis of their looks. You might hesitate to profile people based on appearance. That’s fair. But when someone is invading your personal space in a crowd, trust your instincts first and examine your ethics later.

14. Walk with purpose, even when you’re lost.

Pickpockets and scammers target people who look confused or hesitant. If you need to check your phone for directions, step into a shop or café. Don’t stand on a street corner squinting at Google Maps with your phone at arm’s length. You’re broadcasting both your distraction and the location of your phone.

15. Be careful around train stations at night.

During the day, major stations like Roma Termini, Milano Centrale, Napoli Centrale, and Firenze Santa Maria Novella are busy, well-patrolled, and generally fine. At night, the areas around them shift. The piazzas outside tend to attract a rougher crowd after dark: loiterers, aggressive panhandlers, the occasional drunk or dealer.

You’re unlikely to be attacked, but it’s not unheard of. What is certain is that you’re in prime territory for opportunistic theft, aggressive scams, sexual harassment, or just a very unpleasant interaction.

If you’re arriving late, take an official taxi or Uber from the station rather than walking. If you do walk, stick to well-lit streets and move like you know where you’re going (see tip 14).

If you’re waiting for a connection on a quiet platform late at night, keep your bags close and stay near other passengers or station staff.

Common scams and how to shut them down

16. The friendship bracelet.

This one is everywhere: Rome (especially near the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and the Colosseum), Florence, and Venice.

A man approaches you smiling, asks where you’re from, and before you’ve finished answering, he’s tying a woven bracelet onto your wrist. Once it’s on, the smile disappears and he demands €10–20.

If you refuse, they get aggressive fast or start accusing you of being racist. Sometimes it’s a distraction while an accomplice goes for your pockets.

The fix: Don’t stop. Don’t engage. Keep your hands in your pockets or at your sides. A firm “No, grazie” without breaking stride. You are not being rude. You are being targeted.

17. The gladiator photo.

Outside the Colosseum, men dressed as Roman gladiators pose for photos with you, sometimes jumping into your selfie uninvited. Then they demand €20–50. Refuse and they get aggressive.

What they’re doing is illegal in Italy, but they do it anyway.

The fix: Don’t take photos with them. If one jumps into your shot, walk away. Don’t negotiate.

18. The petition/clipboard scam.

Groups of young people, often teenagers, approach with a clipboard asking you to sign a petition for a “deaf-mute charity” or some other seemingly worthwhile cause.

While your hands are busy with the clipboard and pen, an accomplice picks your pockets. Or after you sign, they demand a “donation.”

The fix: Never accept a clipboard from a stranger. Say no and keep walking. If you don’t feel rude, you’re not being firm enough.

19. The fake police.

Someone claims to be plainclothes police and asks to check your wallet for “counterfeit bills.” This is always a scam. Real Italian police will never ask to inspect your wallet on the street. They might ask for ID but that’s it.

(Also, this isn’t Tijuana, Mexico. Do not attempt to bribe the Italian police. It’s a serious crime in Italy.)

The fix: Ask to see identification. Tell them you’d prefer to walk to the nearest Questura (police station) together. They’ll disappear immediately.

You may also run into fake controllori (ticket inspectors) on trains. These are harder to spot, since real inspectors do board and check tickets. If something feels off, ask for credentials, show your ticket but nothing else, and never hand over cash or your wallet.

20. The “you stepped on my painting” scam.

In Florence especially (but also Rome), vendors display art prints on the ground near busy walkways along the Uffizi or Ponte Vecchio. The prints are placed so it’s nearly impossible not to step on one in a crowd. The moment your shoe grazes a print, the vendor erupts: you’ve “damaged” their artwork and owe €50, €100, sometimes more. It’s theater. The print was worthless.

The fix: Watch your step near ground-level merchandise, but if it happens, you owe nothing. Walk away. Don’t negotiate, don’t let a crowd pressure you, don’t hand over money. If the vendor gets aggressive, look for a police officer or Carabiniere. They’re usually nearby and they know exactly what’s going on.

21. The restaurant tourist trap.

Not a street scam, but it catches tourists constantly. Restaurants near major attractions (the Pantheon in Rome, San Marco in Venice, the Duomo in Florence) are notorious for hidden charges: unlisted coperto (cover charge), fish priced by weight but presented as a flat price, bread and water you didn’t order but get charged for, mediocre food charged at 3-4 times the going rate, etc.

The fix: Always ask for a menu with prices. Check if coperto and servizio (service charge) are listed. Avoid restaurants where a host pulls you in from the sidewalk, where there are photos of food on the menu, or where signs in five languages advertise “tourist menus.”

As a rule, the further you walk from the landmark, the better and cheaper you eat. Look for places where Italians are actually sitting down. Check Google Maps reviews but filter for locals, not tourists.

A restaurant packed at 1 PM with Italian families is a good sign. One that’s full at 6 PM with tourists is a red flag: Italians don’t eat dinner until 8 PM as a general rule.

Also check out what to order in Italy, depending on which region you’re travelling to.

22. The taxi overcharge.

Not all taxi drivers do this, but enough do. The meter is “broken.” The route is mysteriously scenic. A fake night surcharge appears during the day. Or you pay with a €50 note and the driver claims you gave him a €10.

Watch out also for random people offering you a taxi service at the airport. They are likely unauthorized and more likely to scam you.

The fix: Use FreeNow (or ItTaxi) to book taxis, which locks in the fare. If you hail a cab, insist on the meter. Consider Uber if you’re booking in advance. Know the fixed-rate fares from airports (€50–55 flat from Fiumicino to central Rome is the official rate; anyone quoting higher is trying it on). Keep your large bills separated so there’s no sleight of hand.

23. The helpful stranger at the ticket machine.

At train stations, someone offers to “help” you buy a ticket. They’re going to pickpocket you during the transaction, charge you for the help, or both.

The fix: If you need help, ask a uniformed staff member or even safer, go to the ticket counter. Trenitalia and Italo machines are straightforward and most have English options.

Practical travel tips

24. Validate your train ticket (or risk a fine).

Not a scam, but it catches first-time visitors off guard. If you buy a paper ticket from a machine or counter for a regional train, you must validate it before boarding by stamping it in one of the small green-and-white machines on the platform. An unvalidated ticket is treated as no ticket at all, and the fine starts at around €50 on the spot.

This doesn’t apply to tickets bought online with a seat reservation (Frecciarossa, Italo), which are tied to a specific departure. But for regional and local trains where the ticket has no date and time printed on it, validation is mandatory. Miss this step and you’ll have an awkward and expensive conversation with the inspector.

25. Get travel insurance. Seriously.

The least exciting tip on the list and the one you’ll be most grateful for if things go sideways. A good policy covers stolen belongings, trip cancellations, medical emergencies (which can be expensive even in countries with public healthcare), and the bureaucratic nightmare of replacing a stolen passport mid-trip.

You don’t need the gold-plated plan. A basic policy will run you €30–80 for a two-week trip. That’s the cost of one tourist-trap dinner near the Pantheon, except this one actually protects you. Also check what coverage your credit card and employer insurance already provide.

Bonus tips

Download offline maps and key apps before you go.

Half the vulnerability tips in this guide come down to one thing: don’t stand around looking lost with your phone out. The fix is having everything available offline. Download your destination cities in Google Maps or Apple Maps before you leave. Install Trenitalia and Italo for buying train tickets without approaching those machines (see tip 23). Get FreeNow or ItTaxi so you never haggle with a cab driver.

And download WhatsApp if you don’t have it. In Italy it’s not just a messaging app, it’s infrastructure. Restaurants take reservations on it, small hotels communicate through it, and your Airbnb host will almost certainly message you there instead of email.

Learn five Italian phrases that can get you out of trouble.

You don’t need to speak Italian to visit Italy, but a handful of phrases delivered with confidence will shut down a scam faster than any amount of awkward smiling. The essentials: “No, grazie” (no thank you), your all-purpose answer. “Non mi interessa” (I’m not interested), for when they persist. “Mi lasci in pace” (leave me alone), when firm needs to become blunt. “Chiamo la polizia” (I’m calling the police), the nuclear option, rarely needed but good to have.

And “Quanto costa?” (how much does it cost?), not a safety phrase exactly, but asking the price before you touch, eat, or sit down prevents a lot of the scams in this guide.

If you catch a pickpocket in the act, don’t be a hero.

It happens: you feel a hand in your pocket, you spot someone unzipping your bag, something feels wrong mid-crowd. Your instinct will be to grab, chase, or confront. Don’t. These people work in groups, and a confrontation can escalate fast, especially in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and don’t know the terrain.

Instead, make noise. A loud “Attenzione!”, “Borseggiatore!” (male pickpocket), “Borseggiatrice!” (female pickpocket), or simply “Ladro!” / “Ladra!” (thief) will draw attention, which is the one thing pickpockets can’t afford.

Secure your belongings, step away, and alert the nearest officer. Your property isn’t worth a physical altercation. The law is not on your side if you beat them up. And your safety is worth more than your wallet.

Get an eSIM for data.

Fumbling with local SIM cards at the airport or hunting for Wi-Fi every time you need to check a map is a solved problem. An eSIM like Airalo lets you buy a data plan for Italy (or all of Europe) before you even board the plane, and activate it the moment you land.

I use Airalo it just works; you pick your destination, choose a data package, scan a QR code, and you’re online. Having reliable data from the moment you arrive means your offline maps have a backup, your taxi apps work, your WhatsApp is connected, and you’re never stuck without Google Translate when you need it.

Plans start at a few euros for short trips. Set it up the night before you fly and forget about it. (Use the coupon code ANTONI0257 for $4.50 CAD OFF.)

You don’t need to tip in Italy.

Do not tip. In Italy, it’s not a thing. You can leave one or two euros if you really liked the service, but do not leave a 15–20% tip like you would in North America. You’d be helping to import a tipping culture that Italy doesn’t need. If a waiter demands a tip, you’re unfortunately dining at a tourist trap.

City-by-city notes

The tips above apply everywhere touristy in Italy. But the risks are concentrated in a handful of cities, so here’s what to know about each one.

Rome: treat it like the capital of pickpocketing, because it is.

Highest-risk zones: the metro (Lines A and B), Termini station, the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, and the Vatican queue. Be alert in these places and relaxed everywhere else. Trastevere, Testaccio, the Aventine, Monti: these neighborhoods are far calmer and, incidentally, where the best food is. Rome is enormous and most of it is perfectly safe. The danger zone is the tourist circuit, and even there, it’s manageable with basic awareness.

Florence: watch the Duomo area and the bridges.

Piazza del Duomo is ground zero. The Ponte Vecchio, with its narrow packed walkway, is another hotspot. The leather market at San Lorenzo attracts both tourists and pickpockets. And as mentioned above, the art print scam near the Uffizi (vendors lay prints on the ground and demand money if you step on one) is a Florentine specialty.

Milan: the Duomo metro station and Centrale.

Milan’s pickpocketing is concentrated around Piazza del Duomo (the square and the metro station) and Milano Centrale, one of Italy’s busiest train stations. The city has the highest overall crime rate per capita in Italy (69.7 reported crimes per 1,000 residents in 2024), though most of that is non-violent property crime. Outside the Duomo area, Milan feels more like a working city than a tourist trap, and the risk drops fast.

Naples: different rules.

Naples has a reputation that is, in my experience, about 70% outdated and 30% earned. The city is rougher around the edges than Rome or Florence, but also more authentic, more generous, and more alive.

Pickpocketing exists, especially around Napoli Centrale, Piazza Municipio, and on the metro, but the rate is actually lower than Rome’s (3 per 1,000 in Campania versus 14 per 1,000 in Lazio). What Naples has more of is motorbike bag-snatching (scippatori), which is rare but real. Wear your bag crossbody, keep it on the building side of the sidewalk (not the road side), and don’t dangle your phone while walking along busy streets. The scams in Naples can also get creative. Use your common sense.

Venice: crowded and expensive, but not dangerous.

Venice’s biggest safety issue isn’t pickpocketing in the traditional sense. It’s the sheer density of tourists funneled through impossibly narrow calli (alleyways) and onto packed vaporetti (water buses). The areas around Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, and the vaporetto stops are where pickpockets operate, using the same crush-and-grab techniques as in the Rome metro. The friendship bracelet scam is active near San Marco too.

But the real Venice “scam” is economic: restaurants in the San Marco area charge eye-watering prices, and a gondola ride costs €80–120 for about 30 minutes. None of it is illegal, just expensive. Walk ten minutes in any direction from San Marco and you’ll find quieter neighborhoods, better food, and lower prices. Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, and Castello are all more authentic and far less picked-over, in every sense.

What to do if it happens anyway

Don’t panic. You’re not in danger. You’ve lost property.

Go to the nearest police station (Questura or Commissariato) and file a report (denuncia). You’ll need it for insurance claims and to replace stolen documents. If you’re near a major monument, look for Carabinieri or police patrols. They’re almost always nearby and can direct you.

Cancel your cards immediately. If your passport was stolen, contact your country’s nearest embassy or consulate. If you followed tip 6 and have a backup card in your money belt, you’ll be back on your feet in hours, not days.

The emotional sting fades faster than you’d think. I know several people who were pickpocketed in Italy and still call it one of the best trips they’ve ever taken. Because it was. A lost wallet is an inconvenience. A trip to Italy is something you carry with you.

The bottom line

Italy’s biggest tourist cities have a pickpocketing problem. It’s real and documented. But it’s entirely manageable with basic precautions that take two minutes to adopt and quickly become second nature.

The far greater risk is letting fear keep you from going, or worse, going but spending the whole trip clutching your bag instead of looking up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, wandering through the backstreets of Naples, or sitting in a piazza in the late afternoon doing absolutely nothing.

Italy is one of the safest, most welcoming, most extraordinary places you can visit. Go. Eat the carbonara (in Rome, obviously). Wear the crossbody bag. And stop reading Reddit threads at 2 AM.

You’ll be fine.

If you haven’t yet, make sure you sign up for my new Italian practice site: Linguetto. Practice a little each day and you’ll be surprised by how much Italian you pick up over time.

🎬 Italian Media

Perfetti Sconosciuti (2016, Perfect Strangers) is a brilliant Italian comedy-drama directed by Paolo Genovese. The premise is simple but quite intriguing: seven friends gather for a dinner party and decide to play a game where everyone puts their phone on the table, and all incoming calls, texts, and notifications must be shared with the group.

What starts as a lighthearted experiment quickly spirals into chaos as secrets, lies, and hidden lives are exposed one message at a time.

It’s sharp, funny, and at times genuinely uncomfortable to watch, in the best way possible. The film was such a hit that it became one of the most remade movies in cinema history, with official versions produced in over 20 countries. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your phone became an open book, this movie will make you grateful for your lock screen.

🎵 Italian Song

A song that deserves more international recognition is Luce (Tramonti a Nord Est) by Elisa. The song won Sanremo in 2001 and remains one of the most beautiful Italian ballads of the 2000s.

🎭 Famous Italian

Grazia Deledda (1871–1936) was a Sardinian novelist and the second woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she received in 1926. Born in Nuoro, a small town in the mountainous interior of Sardinia, she was largely self-educated and began publishing stories as a teenager.

Her novels explore the harsh, rugged landscape of Sardinia and the passionate, often tragic lives of its people. Works like Canne al vento (Reeds in the Wind) and Elias Portolu are considered some of the finest examples of Italian regionalist literature.

Despite being one of Italy’s greatest literary voices, she’s not as well known internationally as she deserves to be, which is a shame. If you want to understand Sardinia beyond the beaches and the Costa Smeralda, Deledda is where you start.

🏞️ Italian Landmark

If you’re ever in Piedmont, make sure you visit the Sacra di San Michele, a stunning medieval abbey perched dramatically on top of Mount Pirchiriano near Turin. It sits at nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, overlooking the Val di Susa, and on a clear day, the views are breathtaking.

Read more

The kitchen will make it. It will arrive at your table. But somewhere between the first bite and the last, you’ll realize… It’s not bad, by any means, but it’s not as spectacular as you expected.

This is the quiet mistake tourists make all over Italy: ordering the greatest Italian hits in the wrong city. It’s like asking a high jumper to compete in a 100-meter race. They’ll do it and be much faster than you and me, but it’ll generally be a far cry from a professional sprinter.

Every region has a short list of dishes it believes it does better than anywhere else in the world, and they are almost always right.

Another reason to embrace cucina tipica (local, traditional, authentic cuisine) is to avoid tourist traps, which are notorious for putting the most common Italian dishes on the menu, regardless of geography. And charging you a fortune for it.

Here’s what to actually order, region by region.

Valle d’Aosta

Cities: Aosta (33K)

Valle d’Aosta (Aosta Valley) is Italy’s smallest region, tucked into the Alps. While visiting, try the following dishes:

• Fonduta valdostana: melted Fontina cheese with butter and egg yolk, poured over polenta or bread. The fondue you didn’t know could be this good.

• Carbonade valdostana: beef braised in red wine. The mountain equivalent of a warm blanket.

• 🍰 Tegole valdostane: thin, curved almond-and-hazelnut biscuits shaped like roof tiles. Great with coffee.

Piemonte

Cities: Torino (848K), Novara (104K), Alessandria (92K), Asti (74K), Cuneo (57K), Vercelli (45K), Biella (43K), Verbania (30K)

Piemonte (Piedmont) is where Italian food gets quietly luxurious.

• Tajarin al tartufo: thin egg pasta similar to spaghetti with shaved white truffle. Worth every cent of the price tag.

• Vitello tonnato: cold veal sliced thin under a smooth tuna-caper sauce. The region’s most elegant contradiction.

• Bagna cauda: a warm anchovy-garlic dip for raw vegetables. A tasty communal winter dish.

• 🍰 Gianduiotti: the boat-shaped chocolate-hazelnut pralines born in Torino. If you like Nutella, buy them by the bag, regret nothing.

• ☕️ Bicerin: a three-layered coffee drink featuring espresso, hot chocolate, and whipped cream or frothed milk.

Liguria

Cities: Genova (560K), La Spezia (94K), Savona (60K), Imperia (43K), Cinque Terre

Pesto’s homeland.

• Trofie al pesto genovese: the dish that justifies your trip to the Liguria region.

• Focaccia di Recco: paper-thin, cheese-stuffed flatbread. Nothing like the focaccia you know.

• Fritto misto di mare: a light, crispy tangle of fried seafood. Perfect for a lunch in between visiting the Aquarium and the Caruggi in Genova.

• 🍰 Pandolce genovese: Genoa’s answer to panettone: a dense fruit cake studded with pine nuts and candied citrus. Not my jam, but objectively loved by most people.

Lombardia

Cities: Milano (1.4M), Brescia (200K), Monza (124K), Bergamo (122K), Como (84K), Varese (80K), Pavia (73K), Cremona (72K), Mantova (49K), Lecco (48K), Lodi (47K), Sondrio (21K)

When in Lombardia (Lombardy), try out:

• Risotto alla milanese: saffron-stained, buttery, golden. Milano considers this a staple.

• Ossobuco: braised veal shank with a marrow bone you’re expected to scoop out. Pair it with the risotto.

• 🍰 Panettone: mostly eaten around Christmas time, but it is available year-round in Milan. Get it from a proper bakery and taste the difference.

Trentino-Alto Adige

Cities: Trento (120K), Bolzano (108K), Rovereto (40K)

Half Italian, half Austrian, entirely its own thing.

• Canederli (Knödel): bread dumplings in broth. Alpine comfort food.

• Speck: smoked ham that appears on every cheese board and belongs there.

• 🍰 Strudel di mele: not an import here, but a local tradition. Seriously good.

Veneto

Cities: Venezia (250K), Verona (258K), Padova (210K), Vicenza (112K), Treviso (85K), Rovigo (51K), Belluno (35K)

Ordering pizza in Venezia is an act of mild self-sabotage.

• Cicchetti: Venetian tapas at a bacaro (wine bar): baccalà mantecato on crostini, sardines in saor, marinated octopus.

• Risotto al nero di seppia: jet-black cuttlefish ink risotto that looks dramatic and tastes like the Adriatic.

• Fegato alla veneziana: calf’s liver with onions. The city’s unsung classic.

• 🍰 Fritole: fried dough balls studded with raisins and pine nuts, dusted in sugar. Carnival season’s gift.

• 🍰 Tiramisù: yes, it was born in Veneto. Order it here with a clear conscience.

Friuli Venezia Giulia

Cities: Trieste (204K), Udine (99K), Pordenone (51K), Gorizia (34K)

Trieste’s café culture hides a strong food identity.

• Frico: a crispy pancake of melted Montasio cheese and potatoes. Addictive.

• Jota: a hearty soup of sauerkraut, beans, and pork. The Slovenian influence at the border, in a bowl.

• 🍰 Gubana: a spiral-shaped sweet bread stuffed with nuts and grappa-soaked fruit.

Emilia-Romagna

Cities: Bologna (394K), Parma (198K), Modena (186K), Reggio Emilia (172K), Ravenna (159K), Rimini (150K), Ferrara (131K), Forlì (117K), Piacenza (104K)

The mothership. Arguably Italy’s greatest eating region, and they know it.

• Tagliatelle al ragù: what the world incorrectly calls “spaghetti bolognese.” The real thing, with its silky egg pasta, will ruin the impostor forever.

• Prosciutto di Parma con Parmigiano Reggiano: torn chunks of cheese and paper-thin cured ham.

• Aceto balsamico tradizionale: in Modena, drizzle real aged balsamic on anything and everything.

• 🍰 Torta di riso: Bologna’s beloved rice custard cake, scented with almonds and liqueur.

• 🍰 Zuppa inglese: despite the name (literally English soup), entirely Emilian: layers of custard, chocolate cream, and alchermes liquor-soaked sponge.

Toscana

Cities: Firenze (367K), Prato (195K), Livorno (157K), Arezzo (100K), Pisa (89K), Pistoia (90K), Lucca (89K), Grosseto (82K), Massa (68K), Siena (54K)

Firenze wants you to eat its food, not Roma’s. When in Toscana (Tuscany) try:

• Bistecca alla fiorentina: a two-inch-thick T-bone served rare and unapologetic.

• Lampredotto: tripe in a sandwich from a street cart. Yes, you should try it.

• Ribollita: bread-thickened soup that will warm your heart. Order it when it’s cold.

• 🍰 Cantucci con vin santo: hard almond biscuits dunked in sweet dessert wine. The perfect ending to a meal.

• 🍰 Schiacciata alla fiorentina: a soft, vanilla-scented sponge cake dusted with powdered sugar and stamped with the Florentine lily.

Umbria

Cities: Perugia (166K), Terni (111K), Foligno (57K), Città di Castello (39K), Spoleto (38K), Assisi (28K), Gubbio (31K), Orvieto (20K)

Toscana’s quieter, earthier neighbour.

• Strangozzi al tartufo nero: hand-rolled pasta with black truffle. The headline dish, more affordable than Piemonte’s white truffle equivalent.

• Porchetta: herb-stuffed roast pork, served from roadside vans. One of my favorite foods in the world. Just don’t forget to take your statins.

• Torta al testo: flatbread cooked on a stone and stuffed with prosciutto and greens. Fast food done right.

• 🍰 Tozzetti: crunchy hazelnut biscotti, Umbria’s answer to Tuscany’s cantucci.

• 🍰 Cioccolato di Perugia: the Baci Perugina were born here. Visit the chocolate shops and if you land at the right time of the year, attend the Eurochocolate festival.

Marche

Cities: Ancona (100K), Pesaro (97K), Fano (61K), Fermo (37K), Ascoli Piceno (47K), Macerata (42K), Civitanova Marche (42K), Recanati (21K), Urbino (15K)

Quietly one of Italy’s best-kept eating secrets.

• Olive all’ascolana: stuffed, breaded, fried olives from Ascoli Piceno. The world’s most perfect aperitivo snack.

• Vincisgrassi: the region’s rich, elaborate lasagna with béchamel. I personally prefer it even over the Emilian standard Lasagna version.

• Brodetto: a saffron-spiked fish stew that varies from town to town and starts arguments accordingly. (We are feisty people.)

• 🍰 Ciambellone: a simple, rustic ring cake flavoured with lemon and anise. Every nonna makes her own. Afroman and the Adams County sheriff would likely love it.

Lazio

Cities: Roma (2.8M), Latina (128K), Guidonia Montecelio (89K), Fiumicino (82K), Viterbo (68K), Frosinone (45K), Rieti (47K), Tivoli (56K), Aprilia (74K)

This is carbonara’s home. Don’t eat it anywhere else.

• Carbonara: guanciale, pecorino romano, egg, black pepper. A point of civic pride.

• Cacio e pepe: its minimalist cousin. Two ingredients, just as iconic.

• Supplì: fried rice balls with a molten heart of mozzarella, from any pizza al taglio shop worth its salt. My Canadian fiancée still talks about them.

• 🍰 Maritozzo: a soft, brioche-like bun split open and overflowing with whipped cream. Roma’s favourite breakfast indulgence.

Abruzzo

Cities: Pescara (119K), Chieti (50K), L’Aquila (70K), Teramo (54K)

Mountain food with backbone.

• Arrosticini: tiny lamb skewers grilled over a narrow brazier. Eaten by the dozen. Don’t skip the sagre featuring them. (Note: a sagra is a local festival, typically celebrating seasonal food.)

• Maccheroni alla chitarra: pasta cut on a wire frame, served with lamb ragù. The primo you want.

• 🍰 Confetti di Sulmona: sugar-coated almonds, made here since the fifteenth century. Buy a few bags.

• 🍰 Parrozzo: a dome-shaped almond-and-semolina cake coated in dark chocolate, invented in Pescara.

Molise

Cities: Campobasso (49K), Isernia (21K)

Yes, Molise exists, and it eats well.

• Cavatelli con ragù di maiale: hand-shaped pasta with slow-cooked pork. The soul of the local table.

• Pallotte cacio e ova: fried balls of cheese and egg in tomato sauce. Peasant food that makes you wonder why anyone bothers with anything fancier.

• Caciocavallo: local sheep’s and cow’s milk cheeses that need no embellishment beyond bread.

• 🍰 Mostaccioli molisani: diamond-shaped spiced biscuits glazed with chocolate or cooked grape must.

Campania

Cities: Napoli (914K), Salerno (129K), Giugliano in Campania (123K), Torre del Greco (83K), Caserta (75K), Castellammare di Stabia (65K), Avellino (53K), Benevento (58K), Costa Amalfitana

Napoli is where pizza was perfected, and you need no further instruction.

• Pizza Margherita: find a wood-fired oven. Order. Go for the mozzarella di bufala version. That’s it.

• Ragù napoletano: a slow-cooked meat sauce that has nothing to do with what you call ragù at home.

• Spaghetti alle vongole: clams, garlic, white wine, and the sea. The only pasta you need along the coast.

• 🍰 Sfogliatella: crispy, shell-shaped pastry filled with sweet ricotta and candied citrus. The riccia (ridged) version is the classic.

• 🍰 Babà: a rum-soaked sponge cake that Napoli adopted from the French and made entirely its own.

• 🍰 Pastiera napoletana: a wheat-and-ricotta Easter tart that locals will argue about year-round. And to think that, as a child, I didn’t like it. It eventually grew on me and I really miss it. Especially, since my mom used to make a phenomenal version.

Puglia

Cities: Bari (316K), Taranto (191K), Foggia (147K), Andria (100K), Barletta (94K), Lecce (95K), Brindisi (86K), Altamura (70K), Cerignola (57K), Bisceglie (55K), Trani (56K), Manfredonia (55K)

Sun-drenched and unfussy.

• Orecchiette con cime di rapa: ear-shaped pasta with broccoli rabe, anchovies, and chili. The signature dish, and it’s so good. You must try it and then buy a few bags of orecchiette off the old nonne in the streets.

• Burrata: invented here. Eat it still warm and leaking cream.

• Bombette: little rolls of meat stuffed with cheese and herbs, grilled over open flame.

• 🍰 Pasticciotto leccese: a shortcrust pastry shell filled with custard cream, from Lecce. Breakfast of champions.

• 🍰 Cartellate: fried pastry ribbons drizzled with vincotto or honey, a Christmas staple.

Basilicata

Cities: Potenza (66K), Matera (60K)

Rugged and underrated.

• Peperoni cruschi: dried, fried sweet peppers that shatter like chips. The region’s signature ingredient, on everything.

• Lucanica: pork sausage seasoned with chili and fennel, made here since Roman times.

• Orecchiette con peperoni cruschi: order this in Matera’s cave restaurants for the full experience.

• 🍰 Strazzate: rough, cracked chocolate-almond cookies that look rustic and taste amazing.

Calabria

Cities: Reggio Calabria (172K), Catanzaro (85K), Cosenza (67K), Lamezia Terme (69K), Crotone (62K), Vibo Valentia (33K)

Calabria likes heat.

• ‘Nduja: the spreadable, fiery salami from Spilinga. Belongs on bread, in pasta, and arguably on everything. I love spicy food but I’m a lightweight when it comes to spice; yet, even I will indulge. The spicy cousin to Marche’s ciauscolo.

• Fileja alla ‘nduja: hand-rolled pasta wrapped in that spicy, porky punch.

• Cipolla rossa di Tropea: the sweet red onions of Tropea, showing up everywhere: salads, pizza, jams. Worth the fuss.

• 🍰 Tartufo di Pizzo: a frozen chocolate truffle with a molten centre, invented in the seaside town of Pizzo (in the province of Vibo Valentia). Order it at the source if you can.

Sicilia

Cities: Palermo (630K), Catania (298K), Messina (227K), Siracusa (119K), Ragusa (74K), Trapani (68K), Marsala (83K), Gela (73K), Agrigento (59K), Caltanissetta (60K), Enna (26K)

Sicilian food is its own universe.

• Arancini: deep-fried rice balls stuffed with ragù or butter and cheese. The island’s perfect street food. (Note: these are known as arancini in Eastern Sicily, and arancine in Western Sicility. In Eastern Sicily, they often are cone-shaped.)

• Pasta alla Norma: fried eggplant, tomato, and salty ricotta. Catania’s love letter to the world.

• 🍰 Cannoli: filled to order (never pre-filled, a cardinal sin).

• 🍰 Cassata siciliana: ricotta-filled sponge cake covered in marzipan and candied fruit. Baroque-looking deliciousness.

• 🍰 Granita con brioche: icy, intensely flavoured granita (almond, pistachio, lemon, mulberry) scooped into a soft brioche bun. Sicilia’s greatest breakfast.

Sardegna

Cities: Cagliari (149K), Sassari (126K), Quartu Sant'Elena (70K), Olbia (63K), Nuoro (36K), Oristano (31K)

Sardegna (Sardinia) feels like a different country, and the food follows suit.

• Culurgiones: ravioli filled with potato, mint, and pecorino, pinched shut like tiny works of art.

• Porceddu: spit-roasted suckling pig. The island’s celebratory centrepiece.

• Fregola con arselle: toasted semolina pasta with clams. Sardegna’s answer to the mainland’s seafood pastas.

• 🍰 Seadas: fried pastry filled with fresh cheese and drizzled with warm honey. The island’s signature dessert.

• 🍰 Amaretti sardi: light, crumbly almond macaroons, subtly bitter and impossible to stop eating.

The pattern is simple: every Italian region has a chip on its shoulder and a short list of dishes it believes it does better than anywhere else on earth.

The real pleasure of eating in Italy is surrendering to geography. Ask the waiter what’s local. Look for the dish that appears on every menu within a three-block radius: that’s the one you want.

So please, by all means, go to Milan. Just don’t order the carbonara.

Marche (pronounced MAR-keh) is what Italy looked like before TikTok tourists and the tour buses came.

I know this because I grew up there. Though I spent my childhood in Rome, my teenage years were spent in Montegiorgio, a small town in the province of Fermo.

Living in the Marche region was slower-paced, and sometimes I missed the excitement of city life. But now that I have left, having lived in Canada for over two decades, I sometimes long for that calmer pace.

I see Marche as a once-local who is now, in some ways, a visitor again. An older, slower, but also wiser visitor with nostalgic memories of the place.

What follows is a south-to-north journey through seven cities I would send any traveler to (including some interesting detours left as an exercise for the reader).

1. San Benedetto del Tronto — The Riviera delle Palme

San Benedetto del Tronto’s lungomare stretches nearly five kilometers and is lined with thousands of palm trees. Visit in the early summer, and you’ll enjoy fantastic weather in a relaxed beach-town atmosphere.

This is not a place of grand monuments. San Benedetto is more about its vibe. It’s the kind of place where you can sit down, eat a good seafood meal, and watch the fishing trawlers come in.

Or grab an ice cream and go for a long passeggiata (a stroll) alongside the seafront.

2. Ascoli Piceno — Travertine dreams

Ascoli Piceno’s centro storico is built almost entirely of travertine, and it glows with a honey colored warmth. At its heart is Piazza del Popolo, one of the most beautiful city squares in Italy.

Experience it from a café table with a plate of olive all’ascolana, the city’s famous stuffed and fried olives, which here taste nothing like the frozen versions sometimes found elsewhere.

Beyond the piazza: a Roman bridge still carrying traffic, a Romanesque baptistery, and the Forte Malatesta.

Detour: Twenty minutes southwest, Offida’s church of Santa Maria della Rocca sits atop a cliff edge. Very picturesque.

3. Fermo — Layers upon layers

This one is personal. Montegiorgio is in the province of Fermo, and Fermo was the "big place" I'd take the bus to when I wanted to escape the monotony of Montegiorgio, needed a book not available locally, or wanted to see a particular movie.

The Cisterne Romane, vast first-century chambers, barrel-vaulted and silent, are one of Italy’s most atmospheric archaeological spaces. Above ground, the city is quietly refined: the Piazza del Popolo (also quite stunning), the Palazzo dei Priori, and the Teatro dell’Aquila. Fermo doesn’t shout. It assumes you’ll notice.

Detour: Torre di Palme, a micro-village on a cliff fifteen minutes away, offers one of the most dramatic coastal views in central Italy. One lane, one church, one belvedere: fifteen minutes to see, years to remember.

4. Recanati — Poetry on a hilltop

Italy’s greatest modern poet, Giacomo Leopardi, was born here in 1798. His family palazzo and library are preserved almost exactly as he left them. But Recanati’s real gift is its position: a ridge between the mountains and the sea. From the Colle dell’Infinito, the hillside that inspired his most famous poem, you see the Adriatic to the east and the Sibillini peaks to the west. The view really does suggest something infinite.

5. Conero Riviera — Sirolo and Numana

If you think Italy’s eastern coast is all flat sand and beach umbrellas, you haven’t seen the Conero. This limestone promontory south of Ancona creates a coastline so dramatic that first-time visitors reach for comparisons with Croatia or Greece. Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle, accessible only by boat, is framed by rock stacks rising from often transparent water. Sirolo, the village above, is a gem in miniature: a handful of streets, a piazza with a belvedere, and an atmosphere between fishing village and chic weekend escape.

Detour: The Frasassi Caves, less than an hour inland, are one of Europe’s largest karst systems. The scale is impossible to grasp from photographs.

6. Loreto — The hilltop basilica

Loreto exists because of a single building, and that building exists because of a single room. The Basilica della Santa Casa was constructed around what Catholic tradition holds is the house of the Virgin Mary, transported here from Nazareth in the thirteenth century. Whether you take the legend at face value or not, the result is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Christianity and one of the most architecturally impressive in the Marche.

The basilica dominates the town from its hilltop. The exterior is fortress-like; the interior is not. The marble screen encasing the Santa Casa was designed by Bramante and decorated by some of the best sculptors of the Renaissance.

The sacristies contain frescoes by Melozzo da Forlì and Luca Signorelli. The piazza outside, designed by Carlo Maderno, has a grandeur that feels out of scale with the small town around it, which is, of course, the point.

Loreto gets busloads of pilgrims (literally) and relatively few casual tourists, which means the town itself is often overlooked. It’s worth a walk through the quiet streets behind the basilica, where the views toward the Adriatic and the Conero headland are excellent and free of crowds.

7. Urbino — The quiet capital

Save the best for last. Urbino is one of the great cities of the Italian Renaissance, and unlike Florence, it has never been overwhelmed by its own legend. The Palazzo Ducale, masterpiece of the warrior-duke Federico da Montefeltro, is reason enough to come.

Also, Raphael was born here; his childhood home is a few streets away, and you can visit it.

But Urbino’s real power is atmospheric: the university keeps it young, the steep streets create constant shifts in perspective, and the brick catches late-afternoon light in a way that explains why Renaissance painters trained here were so obsessed with luminosity.

My sister studied here, and so I got the opportunity to visit this stunning UNESCO site a few times. This year, when visiting Marche again, I will certainly stop by Urbino again.

Detour: Gradara, forty minutes north, is a storybook medieval fortress tied to Dante’s Paolo and Francesca. And the independent republic of San Marino (its own microstate, just across) is worth a half-day visit.

There you have it. I recommend spending at least a week, possibly more, in the Marche region, soaking up the sun and the slower-paced lifestyle. If that's your jam. If you'd prefer busier places, I'd recommend looking elsewhere, and Italy has, of course, plenty of places to scratch that itch.

Which translates to "nobody is a prophet in their own country."

This comes from the Bible (specifically from the Gospels, where Jesus states that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown) and I think to some extent it applies to most countries. But in Italy, we absolutely embrace this attitude.

Italian people who are appreciated worldwide will often be harshly criticized or ridiculed at home. The latest example is Sanremo Music Festival winner Sal Da Vinci and his song Per sempre sì.

The song is incredibly catchy and it expresses the traditional romantic idea of love, a couple that gets married and promises to love each other forever (Per sempre sì means forever yes in Italian).

Now, you might like the song or not, but you can't deny that it's catchy. The singer has a beautiful voice, well in tune without any help from autotune.

Sal Da Vinci is a Neapolitan artist who's been around for 40 years and has had a few successes under his belt. Yet, this is definitely the culmination of his career and a much deserved spotlight for an artist often overlooked in comparison to other Neapolitan giants such as Nino D'Angelo and Gigi D'Alessio (who, in fairness, have also been derided by many for decades).

Sal's catchy song and he himself have been heavily criticized after his victory, mostly from people in the north of Italy who have a tendency to dislike Naples and everything associated with it.

Naples is a polarizing city in Italy. It's poetry and it's camorra (their own mafia type). It's kindness and lawlessness. It's beauty and garbage. As singer Pino Daniele put it in his Napul è (Neapolitan for Naples is), "e a sap tutto o munno, ma nun sann a verità" (the whole world knows it, but they don't know the truth).

The song was also criticized by some feminists who objected to the idea of a forever love with a ceremony "in front of God." Some critics went as far as associating it with "femminicidio" (the phenomenon of a man killing a woman, often when she leaves him). The implication being that if love is "per sempre sì," the man would kill the woman if she were to change her mind. Of course, this is an incredible reach by people who will go out of their way to reject anything traditional, even if it's just a romantic song.

In short, Italy continues with its tradition of nemo propheta in patria, while the entire world sings and dances along with Sal Da Vinci. I for one congratulate him on a well deserved victory and wish him luck at Eurovision, where he actually stands a chance to win with this song.

If you haven’t yet, make sure you sign up for my new Italian practice site: Linguetto. Practice a little each day and you'll be surprised by how much Italian you pick up over time.

🎬 Italian Media

Aprile (1998) is an Italian film by director and actor Nanni Moretti. While often labeled a comedy, it's more accurately described as a semi-autobiographical documentary-drama hybrid.

The film mixes Moretti's gentle, offbeat humor with personal (almost intrusive) thoughts about being a father, making movies, and the messy politics of mid-1990s Italy (especially Silvio Berlusconi's rise to power and how the left struggled to deal with it).

A funny movie that makes you think.

🎵 Italian Song

I’m absolutely obsessed with Core Mio by Giovanni Block and Flo. A beautiful love letter to one’s own heart.

Here is the official video, and I’m including the Neapolitan lyrics and my English translation.

Original Lyrics

Core Mio

Core core mio, ma ch’haje passato;
he fatt’’a faccia cchiù janca do cielo
Ca porta ‘a vernata.

Core core mio, lass’ ’a paura
M’arape ‘m pietto accussì guard’ ‘o mare
Ca s’ è fatto scuro.

Core core mio damme ‘na voce
mò vene ‘o tiempo ca te faccio scennere
‘a copp’ ‘a sta croce

Core core mio,  cu ‘e mane aizate.
Haje fatt’ ‘a guerra a chi guerra t’ha fatto
O a chi c’ ha pruvato

Core core mio, uocchie  ‘e criature,
miettete ‘e scarpe e accumbuogliate buono
Nun stà semp’annure

Core core mio damme ‘na voce
mò vene ‘o tiempo ca te faccio scennere
‘a copp’ ‘a sta croce.

English Translation

My Heart

Heart heart of mine, what happened to you;
Your face became whiter than the sky
That brings winter.

Heart heart of mine, leave fear behind
You open my chest so you see the sea 
That has become dark.

Heart heart of mine, give me a voice
Now comes the time that I make you come down
From up this cross.

Heart heart of mine, with hands up.
You went to war with those who fought you
Or they tried to.

Heart heart of mine, eyes of a child,
Put on your shoes and cover yourself up 
Don’t be always naked.

Heart heart of mine, give me a voice 
Now comes the time that I make you come down
From up this cross.

Read more

if you haven’t yet, make sure you sign up for my new Italian practice site: Linguetto. Practice a little each day and you'll be surprised by how much Italian you pick up over time.

🎬 Italian Media

Vita da Carlo is an entertaining Italian comedy TV series created by and starring Carlo Verdone, one of Italy's most beloved comic actors and filmmakers. The show premiered in 2021 and offers a semi-autobiographical, self-aware look at Verdone's life and career, mixing reality with fiction as he navigates the entertainment industry, family relationships, and the challenges of aging.

🎵 Italian Song

Francesco De Gregori is a beloved Italian singer-songwriter, famous for his poetic lyrics and influential role in Italian music. His song "Santa Lucia" is a poetic ballad just shy of a prayer to the Saint.

🎭 Famous Italian

Ornella Vanoni was a renowned Italian singer with a career spanning several decades, remaining relevant up until her last days. She recently passed away at the age of 91, leaving many Italians mourning her loss and her unmistakable voice.

🏞️ Italian Landmark

If you’re ever in Naples, you should visit the Catacombs of San Gennaro. (San Gennaro being the patron saint of the city.)

These are underground burial sites that date back to early Christianity and are notable for their historical and religious significance. They offer a glimpse into early Christian practices and art.

Keep in mind that access to certain parts may be limited or require guided tours, so it’s a good idea to check ahead before visiting.

🍝 Italian Dish

Torrone is a traditional Italian nougat that is an absolute staple during the Christmas season in Italy and nearby countries. It is typically made from honey, sugar, and egg whites, with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios. Chocolate hazelnut versions are quite popular too.

This sweet treat has ancient origins, with some historians tracing it back to the Arab world, from where it spread throughout the Mediterranean.

The town of Cremona in Lombardy is particularly famous for its torrone production and claims a long-standing tradition dating back to the 15th century.

🗣️ Italian Proverb

A caval donato non si guarda in bocca.

(You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.)

When you receive something as a gift, you should not criticize it or look for flaws. The value lies in the generosity of the giver, not in whether the gift is perfect.

👀 Italian Curiosity

The United Nations cultural organization UNESCO has given Italian cooking special recognition as cultural heritage. This recognition extends to the whole tradition of Italian cooking and the culture around food, not just the food itself.

Italians received the news with amusement and pride, but there were also debates about the extensive nature of the award and even discussions on whether some foods (e.g., the canederli from Alto Adige) are actually Italian.

I hope you enjoyed the 36th edition of Small Dose of Italian Culture.

Buone feste e a presto!

🎬 Italian Media

In Italy, Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo are a famous comedic trio who have been working together since the late 1990s. They're one of the most beloved comedy acts of all time among the Italian general public, known for their unique blend of slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and relatable characters.

They are genuinely funny, and I highly recommend exploring their filmography if you enjoy Italian comedy or want to understand modern Italian pop culture better.

Not every movie they've made is a masterpiece; however, their catalog contains many genuine gems that have become cults in Italy. Films like "Tre uomini e una gamba" (1997), "Così è la vita" (1998), and "Chiedimi se sono felice" (2000) have originated countless quotes and references that Italians still use in everyday conversation.

If you’re learning Italian or already speak it, watching their films can give you authentic insight into Italian humor, idioms, and the way people actually talk; though, be aware that some jokes rely heavily on wordplay and cultural context that might not be easy to grasp for beginners.

🎵 Italian Song

Caparezza is an Italian rapper who is an absolute master of wordplay. If you feel adventurous or simply want to hear a very catchy song, check out his latest song called Pathosfera.

🎭 Famous Italian

Rocco Papaleo is an Italian actor, film director, and screenwriter born in Lauria, a small town in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.

He's particularly known for his work in Italian comedy and for often portraying characters from his native region, bringing the culture and dialect of Basilicata to mainstream Italian cinema.

Papaleo gained significant recognition in the 1990s and has since built a diverse career spanning acting, directing, and writing. His performances often blend humor with a deep sense of regional identity, and he's respected for his authentic, natural style.

🏞️ Italian Landmark

Read more

My apologies for the relative lack of engagement lately; it’s been an overwhelming time personally. My father recently passed away.

On a brighter note, I’ve also been working on something I’m really excited to share with you: Linguelo, a new adaptive Italian learning platform. The good news is: it’s now live, and you can sign up for free below.

Sign up for Linguelo

A few things first

• Linguelo is currently in alpha, which means things might change or break unexpectedly. Please be patient and feel free to share your feedback; it truly helps.

• During the Alpha phase (until the end of 2025), the site is completely free and unlimited for everyone.

• When Linguelo officially launches in 2026, Alpha users will automatically move to a Free tier and receive a generous discount code if they’d like to upgrade to a Premium plan.

• If you’re a paid subscriber of Italian with Antonio, you’ll automatically get the Pro/Premium role on Linguelo shortly after you sign up. It doesn’t make much difference during the Alpha, but starting in 2026, it’ll let you take many more quizzes per day compared to the Free tier.

How does it work

1. You sign up and confirm your email (if you don’t see it, check your spam/junk folder).

2. Take your initial assessment to determine your initial rating.

3. You start training, and the system will present you only with quizzes that are in line with your level. As you improve your Italian, the quizzes get tougher. If you regress, they get easier. You get a quiz right, your score goes up. You get a quiz wrong, and it goes down.

Linguelo’s adaptive system ensures you’re always challenged at the right level; not too easy, not too hard. This “Goldilocks zone” maximizes learning efficiency and keeps you motivated.

The idea behind Linguelo is that it augments whatever else you do to improve your Italian. Watching movies, reading books, taking courses, listening to Italian music, and conversing with native speakers are all great choices.

Linguelo complements these activities by providing targeted practice and explanations that are rich in practical tips and cultural notes. Think of it as your daily Italian gym, whether you have five minutes to spare or an hour.

I hope you enjoy Linguelo and good luck!

— Antonio

It’s designed to help you test your Italian level and practice with personalized quizzes and exercises that adapt to your skills. Today, I’m looking for a small group of passionate Italian learners to join as early adopters of Linguelo’s alpha version.

What is Linguelo?

Linguelo will be an online platform where you can practice Italian through tailored quizzes, get instant feedback with explanations and pronunciation guides, and track your progress. Whether you’re A0 (absolute beginner) or C2 (highly proficient), Linguelo will adjust to your level. The goal is to make practicing Italian effective, engaging, and convenient.

The name comes from the idea of an ELO rating system, like in chess. At the beginning, you’ll take a test that will give you an initial rating. Every time you practice, this rating is adjusted, going up or down depending on your current level of Italian.

Linguelo then uses that rating to provide exercises that are challenging yet achievable. As your skills improve, your rating rises, and so does the difficulty of the material you receive. The system balances plenty of variety (so you don’t get bored and to expose you to lots of new words) with repetition (so the learning sticks), ensuring steady progress at your own pace.

Who am I looking for?

All levels are welcome – in fact, I want a mix of beginners to advanced speakers to see how Linguelo performs for everyone. If you’re enthusiastic about improving your Italian and can spare a bit of time to use a new tool and give feedback, you’d be perfect for this program.

What’s in it for you?

Early adopters who actively participate in the program will receive Premium access to Linguelo for life, completely free. 🎉 That means you’ll never have to pay for the Premium tier – consider it a thank-you for helping me shape the platform.

Premium membership will include full access to all features (such as detailed answer explanations, pronunciation help, and generous daily practice limits).

There will eventually be Free, Premium, and Ultimate tiers for the general public. Premium will be a paid subscription, and Ultimate will be an even higher tier with unlimited usage.

As an early adopter, you get Premium without paying. You’ll also get the satisfaction of directly influencing a product tailored for Italian learners like you.

What will early adopters do?

If you volunteer, here’s the plan:

• Kickoff Call: We’ll have a one-on-one Zoom call where I personally show you the alpha version of Linguelo (screen-sharing the site, since it’s not live yet) and how it works. You can ask questions and decide if you’re truly interested.

• Alpha Testing: After the demo, you’ll get access to Linguelo’s alpha as soon as it’s ready (likely within a month or two). You’ll use the site to practice Italian. Ideally, you’d spend a little time each day (even 10–15 minutes) or at least a few times a week doing exercises and quizzes. Try out the features, take the initial placement test, and explore.

• Feedback Loop: I’ll ask you to fill out a short survey about your experience after you’ve used Linguelo for a bit. Additionally, we’ll schedule a follow-up video call after a few weeks of use, so I can hear your thoughts in depth. We’ll talk about what you liked, what could be improved, and any ideas or issues you have. Your candid feedback will be invaluable in refining the platform.

• Stay in Touch: Throughout the process, you can email or message me anytime if you encounter bugs or have quick suggestions. Early adopters will have a direct line to me, and I’ll be actively incorporating your input to make Linguelo better.

How to get involved

If this opportunity excites you, please fill out the Linguelo Early Adopter form (linked below). In the form, I’ll ask a few questions about your Italian level and learning habits – nothing too long, just enough to ensure we have a good mix of participants. I’ll review the submissions and select a handful of people for this first round of testing. Don’t worry if you’re not picked immediately; I might expand testing later and will keep others in mind.

Early Adopter Application

I truly appreciate your support and interest. Building Linguelo has been a passion project, and I can’t wait to share it with you. With your help, we can make it something truly useful for Italian learners everywhere.

Grazie mille for reading, and I hope to chat with some of you on our first Linguelo call! 🙏🇮🇹

Antonio

🎬 Italian Media

An entertaining Italian TV series available on Netflix, even in North America, is Summertime. It ended in 2022 after three seasons and tells the fictional story of two young adults from very different backgrounds who fall in love during the summer on Italy’s Adriatic Coast. Unlike some recent series, this one uses fairly neutral Italian without relying too heavily on dialect.

🎵 Italian Song

Gloria by Umberto Tozzi is an absolute classic in Italy. You’re likely familiar with the English version, which became famous internationally. However, if you translate the lyrics, you’ll quickly see that the Italian version (the original) is completely different from the English one, aside from the music.

🎭 Famous Italian

Monica Bellucci is an internationally renowned Italian actress and model, celebrated for her beauty, elegance, and versatile performances. She began her career as a fashion model before gaining recognition in both European cinema and Hollywood. Bellucci is best known for roles in films such as Malèna, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, The Passion of the Christ, Irreversible, and Spectre. She is regarded as a cultural icon in Italy.

🏞️ Italian Landmark

Read more