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Italy Local Customs

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Most Viewed Local Customs in Italy

51.

Do As Romans Do Rome

160 Reviews News: TUSCAN VILLAGER WINS 148 MILLION EURO ON SAT, AUG 22! This week, Aug 20, was the 86th draw without a winner and pushed the pot to 146.9 million euros for Italy's SuperEnalotto jackpot. It...

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52.

Carnival Venice

44 Reviews Carneval di Venezia ( Carnival of Venice ) is a must visit at least once in your lifetime, and to get into the spirit of things, a mask is a must. Venice has seen some form of mask going back to the...

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53.

Dining and Drinking Milan

25 Reviews The custom of aperitivi is helpful when you're on a budget. Many of the bars in Milan, for the price of a drink, will give you food to go along with it. You can easily make it into a light...

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54.

Legends Verona

14 Reviews There are so many contradictions regarding W. Shakespeare and his work, some experts doubt he ever visited Italy and Verona, others doubts he wrote all those novels among which "Romeo and Juliet" is...

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55.

Events Pisa

5 Reviews Last Sunday in June - 'Gioco del Ponte' (Bridges Game) . This is probably the most important festival in Pisa. It involves Mediaeval costumes, horseback parades and 12 teams of 20 people attempting to...

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56.

people Genoa

5 Reviews Raffaele Rubattino was a visionary and the first Italian ship owner to commit his company to steam navigation. He formed the steamship line that would connect Genova to several ports of the...

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57.

Meals and drinks Palermo

8 Reviews Palermo presents an impresive range of fresh fishes . While being in Sicily I ate all my lunch at a friend mom's home, and later on I was trying to find the recipes of whatever she was making. The...

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58.

Festivals/Holidays/Celebratios Como

5 Reviews I visited Como the last week in February, so it was carnival season. Children have a week holiday from school and they can be seen in different masquerade costumes (especially the younger ones) and...

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59.

Signs, Signals & Superstitions Rome

34 Reviews Cigarette sales in Italy fell by around 50 million packets in 2007 compared to the previous year, a report by independent thinktank Ref said Friday, February 8, 2008. Sales in Italy have fallen since...

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60.

Gondole, gondoliere, traghetti Venice

19 Reviews Next to our hotel was one of the 7 Traghetto crossings of the Grand Canal. Ours was going from Campo Santa Sofia, close to the Ca'D'Oro, to the Pescheria the fish market. These are old gondolas...

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61.

Torino's Bull at the Gallery (to be squeezed) Milan

7 Reviews This bull is depicted in the coat of arms of Torino. You see that there is a hole on its genitals and may wonder why. Well, a tradition says that if you put your right heel on this hole and turn on...

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62.

The Patron Saint of Verona Verona

12 Reviews The magnificent look of the apse and Romanesque bell-tower of the basilica of San Zeno. The roof and the apse were rebuilt in the Gothic period. The weathered Veronese stone of which the basilica is...

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63.

Churchs Pisa

7 Reviews This is Santa Maria della Spina by night during the "LUMINARA". The scenery is very impressive so if you are in Pisa on june the 16, in the evening you could take a walk along the Arno River.

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64.

surroundings Genoa

5 Reviews The sea is a basic part of Italian culture. After a day of fishing, local fishermen spend the remainder of daylight enjoying each other's company and re-living their experiences. Students walk and...

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65.

Daily life Palermo

2 Reviews Coming from the UK I know how it feels when you go on holiday and as soon as it gets a little bit hot you need to put your flip flops on and a skimpy little vest top. Well they don't do that in...

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66.

Festivals Celebrations & Protests Rome

31 Reviews Yes, Italy's royal scandal starring the House of Savoy with KING VITTORIO EMANUELE III - he was deposed - exiled to Switzerland - begged to return - was granted his wish - returned - was arrested and...

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67.

Festivals Venice

18 Reviews Before the Regatta started, Canal Grande was a very bussy place, there were lots of moving up and down the chanel. More or less I got impression its big confusion down there on the water front, boats...

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68.

Fashion Milan

10 Reviews Here ... city of fashion. You will not see anyone wearing a simple shirt or dress when they out to town. Most of ppls here, are beautiful with their dress. Not only for woemn, also applicable for a...

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69.

Other Verona

18 Reviews not a proposal! Mmm and not really a "local" custom but I though that placing it under the "to dos" was a little too much- Anyway, up to the 2009 spring the civil weddings took place nearly only at...

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70.

language Genoa

2 Reviews The local dialect of Genoa (Zena) is most interesting. Coincidentally, Genoese is spoken in 2 towns in Sardinia, one of which is Calasetta, so i grew up speaking a little Genoese. In Genoa, as in all...

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71.

Shopping Palermo

3 Reviews In general people are less focussed on famous labels like Armani, Versace (like in Rome). I couldn't believe the number of blond people. (probably has to do with the history of a/o the Normans). The...

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72.

Tipping/Restaurant Charges Venice

10 Reviews Cappuccino — a shot of espresso infused with steamed milk and foam and drunk in the morning by Italians, but never after lunch or dinner, since with that much milk is considered a meal in itself, -...

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73.

Ciao: when to use it! Milan

3 Reviews English is hardly spoken in Milano. Oh dear, huh?. ;-) Nevertheless, don't let this deter you from visiting this great city. You can pick up some Italian before your trip to Italy. Memorize common...

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74.

Events Verona

11 Reviews Tocatì (Your turn! in Verona dialect) was a frequent word exanged beetween children playng along the roads, swapping roles in the games. How many times i told it! Time of no cars around, no PCs or...

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75.

museums and exibitions Genoa

3 Reviews A new special service offered by the "Associazione Le Voci" You can rent a cd-player with a complete audioguide in many languages to visit step by step the principal places of interest in the city....

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Cappuccino for Breakfast Only!

by deecat

I love Cappuccino so I order it whenever I can. I've been to Italy four times, but not until the second trip did I discover that in Italy, the locals drink Cappuccino for breakfast only. They must laugh at Americans who order Cappuccino for dinner as I do. Just recently I saw a television show on the travel channel that indicated that Italians do laugh about people who order cappuccino after eleven in the morning. However, since I am not Italian (wish I were), I'll continue to enjoy my Cappuccino with dessert at dinner as well as my Cappuccino with breakfast. After all, for someone who loves Cappuccino as much as I do, I drink as much as I can when in Italy where the BEST Cappuccino is served.Note: In the picture, I'm having Cappuccino for breakfast as local custom dictates.

Fresh Produce and Meat

by goodfish

If you're a lover of fresh fruits and vegetables, you'll love Italy. Alimentaries (grocery stores) and open-air markets carry some of the most drop-dead beautiful produce I've ever seen. Most interesting were the bins of pre-mixed greens - their version of the bagged salad, sans bag, and the ability to buy as much or as little as you'd like. The markets are terrific for eating on a budget or making a picnic.Do look for any signs that read "Non Toccare" - Do Not Touch. Many markets, especially those selling "frutta e vendura" - fruits and vegetables - do not want you to handle the produce yourselves. If you see the sign, greet the shopkeeper and ask for what you'd like. Pointing works fine - point at pears, say, and ask for "Un pere, per favore" - one pear, please. Can't count in Italian? Point and then hold up fingers with thumb being one, forefinger being two, etc. This only works with...

"Un birra, per piacere!"

by goodfish

I am not a wine lover. In fact, the very smell of red wine gives me a headache, although I can handle some whites. Needless to say, on our trip to Rome, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, I was a little concerned about my end-of-sightseeing-day brew in a country known for wine? Thanks to the reassurance of some sympathetic VT'ers - Mccalpin in particular - I had many happy Beer O'Clocks! The popular Italian beers tend to be light and fizzy so if you lean towards dark, full-bodied varieties, they may not be to your liking. Me? From a seat in a lively piazza or lush green park, in front of an impossibly blue sea or 2000-year-old pile of history, this hot, tired and thirsty traveller very cheerfully drank whatever cold, frothy amber-colored brand was on tap or in a bottle. Smaller bars generally only have a couple on tap, a handful in bottles, and they'll likely be the leading Italian brands. Here...

It's church. Behave.

by goodfish

Visiting churches is one of the most interesting activities in Italy as many are virtual museums - full of priceless works of art - and free for the looking. This is a bonus for travelers needing to stretch their budgets in a country where museum admissions fees can add up quickly! You may not have the time or the means for the 4 miles of treasures in the Vatican Museum but you can still see works by the most famous of the Italian Masters by simply walking the aisles of the churches - if you know what you're looking for. Do be aware that these are sanctuaries for prayer FIRST and sacred to those who work and attend services there. They are generous to allow us to visit and expect us to be respectful of their houses of worship. This means:• Dress appropriately. Both men and women need to cover shoulders and knees. No plunging necklines, no short-shorts or tank tops. US churches often...

La befana.

by Maurizioago

According to the tale told to children; the befana is an old woman; a sort of witch, but a good lady. She brings presents to good children and charcoal to bad ones.She comes on the night between the 5th and the 6th of January.In many towns and cities on the 6th of January, there are people disguised as befana. It is a very funny thing both for children and for adults.

Coffee...

by lodingtw

I learned a great deal work here for five weeks. Italians are social people. They take great pride in sharing their country with you. Take the time to have a mid morning coffee at a local cafe (10 AM) talk to the locals about football (soccer). Their passion for the sport is amazing. Relax and take the time to people watch. There is so much value in observing how other cultures interact with each other. There is enough to see in Italy that unless you are staying for years, pick one thing a day and really explore it.

Answering the phone

by jelw

When Italians answer the phone they say "pronto." This threw me off on my first visit, I thought they were telling me to hurry. Pronto is used as more of a general greeting as opposed to the more direct translation of "ready."

Extra Charge to Sit Down

by eppesuig

Please be advised that in Italy there usually is a fee if you choose to sit down at a bar (cafe'). Even if nobody shows you to your seat, service is awful, and there are no posted notices, don't be surprised to see this charge on your bill. So go ahead and ask before you order your gelato or panino. It's not considered impolite to ask.

Christmas in Italy

by icunme

We love Santa, known here as BABBO NATALE - but we wait for the Befana - or if we have been naughty, we just hope somehow she doesn't know. She arrives on the Eve of Epiphany, January 5th or Epiphany morning, 6th - SHE WILL FLY INTO DUOMO PIAZZA, COMO, ON HER BROOM and we'll post a photo for you. She's kindly - she is just an ugly, witch-like character who rides around on a broom. The legend is that the Three Wise Men stopped at Befana's house to ask directions on their way to Bethlehem. When they asked her to join them, she said no, she was too busy. Later a shepherd asked her to join him in his journey to see the Baby Jesus. Again, Befana said no. Later when it was dark, she saw a great light in the sky, then, she thought maybe she should have gone with the Wise Men or the shepherd. So, she gathered some toys that had belonged to her own baby, who had died, and ran to find the kings...

Little Shrines

by goodfish

We saw a lot of these little shrines in niches along streets and in privacy walls that surround residences. They're lovely little works of art and come in handy for saying a quick prayer before venturing across an Italian street (see previous tip)!

Top 3 Hotels in Italy

Albergo Del Senato Rome

5 Reviews and 1085 Opinions The Pantheon is my favorite building in Rome and might be my favorite building in the world. The...

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Al Ponte Antico Hotel Venice Venice

6 Reviews and 474 Opinions My sisters and I stayed 2 nights at this hotel and our time there was priceless. Matteo and his...

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Hotel David Florence

6 Reviews and 920 Opinions My husband and I stayed at the hotel 4 years ago and loved it, so when I planned our family trip...

Hotels in Florence

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Questions and Answers

Q: For my 3rd trip to Italy, my mother and I are on a tight budget (food-wise). On previous visits, I'd simply select a recommended...

A: Sandi, I'm no expert on Italian eating but eating from each menu section would be an incredible feat. We always order a starter OR a dessert and then we order either a...

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