Italy: Tips

Italians and email The Internet can be a great resource for information, but when making plans or reservations in Italy, always call. Italians are very lax about returning emails, which they answer about as often as we mail letters to each other.

Service in Italy Get used to surly and slow waiters, ticket sellers, hotel clerks, etc. Rather than get aggravated, adjust to the pace of life, slow down, and take your time.

Italy or Italies? The culture and cuisine of Italy varies wildly, not only from region to region, but from town to town. Don’t just eat pizza and spaghetti wherever you go. Look up the local specialties and try them in the region that made them famous. Eat cannoli in Sicily, squid ink pasta in Venice, and deep-fried artichokes in Rome. Go for the pizza in Naples, anything made with olive oil in Tuscany, and buffalo mozzarella in the Campania region.

Language You don’t have to speak fluent Italian, but a few basic phrases and words will ease your trip. Whatever you do, do not try to use Spanish in Italy, especially as an American. It’s considered extremely insulting.

Pasta For an Italian, there’s a world of difference between penne, spaghetti, macaroni, and any other noodle we would lump under the generic term “pasta.” The varieties are endless. Try unique twists like farfalle, bucatini, and strozzapreti.

Brush up on your ancient history You’ll get the most out of your trip if you do a little homework beforehand. Check out the miniseries I, Claudius (or novel on which it’s based), as well as the novel Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar and Edith Hamilton’s books on mythology.

Some recent history For the past decade, Italian politics has been dominated by media mogul Silvio Berlusconi. In 2006, however, the right-leaning Berlusconi was voted out of office and replaced by the leftist Olive Tree coalition, led by economics professor Romano Prodi.

Crime Italy has very little violent crime. Petty thievery and con artistry, however, flourish here, especially in big cities like Rome. When on buses, watch your purses and backpacks (these should face forward at all times), and wallets (never keep one in your back pocket).

Transportation warning Renting a car or a mini motorcycle (known as a “motorino”) in Italy can be very dangerous as Italian drivers zigzag at will. You’re much better off relying on trains to get from city to city, and taxis within each city. Rome and Milan both have good metro systems.

Carnivale and Mardi Gras Venice is famous for its masked celebrations, but the Tuscan village of Viareggio has a giant parade in late February, with massive paper mâché floats that have to be seen to be believed.

The exploding cart On Easter Sunday in Florence, head to the Piazza del Duomo to see a mechanical dove launched from an exploding cart. The annual “Scoppio del Carro,” as it’s known in Italian, is thought to portend ominous or fortunate omens for the year ahead.

Italian Open One of the major world tennis clay court championships is held in Rome each May.

Spoleto’s Festival of Two Worlds Every June and July, the charming Umbrian hill town of Spoleto is taken over for two weeks by a festival of opera, dance, ballet, film, music, and visual arts.

Palio On July 2 and August 16 of every summer, thousands flock to Siena as the picturesque hill town becomes the backdrop to a giant staged horse race. It’s as much about the pageantry as it is about the horses. (By the way, the outcome is fixed!)

Venice Biennale and Venice Film Festival In the fall, during odd years, Venice is home to a monster international exhibition of art (in even years, they show architecture). The Venice Film Festival, at the end of August and beginning of September, is part of the Biennale.

Living Chess Game In the hill town of Marostica, in the Veneto region, a chess game with living players is conducted in the town’s main square during the second weekend of September on even-numbered years.

Christmas Christmas in Italy is an incredibly theatrical production that goes on for a month before, and several weeks after, the main holiday. Check out the Christmas market in Piazza Navonna in Rome – it's as much kitschy fun as a Kansas state fair.