Shopping
Overview
Italian goods are world renowned for their elegance, chic and high quality. Italian design is in high demand. One should be careful when buying antiques, there are skilled counterfeiters in Italy. Discounts are sometimes given for larger purchases. Florence, Milan and Rome are leading fashion cities, but the small town boutiques are also worth exploring. Some cities are known for special products: Como (Lombardy) for silk; Prato (Tuscany) for textiles; Empoli (Tuscany) for green glass bottles and jars; Deruta (Umbria) and Faenza (Emilia-Romagna) for ceramics and Carrara (Tuscany) for marble. Coral handicrafts are made in Torre Annunziato (Campania) and Alghero (Sardinia). In Castelfidardo (Marche) there is an accordion factory and they make guitars and organs. In Valenza (Piedmont) numerous craftsmen have specialized in the art of goldsmithing. »Confetti« (almonds coated with sugar) are part of every wedding in Italy, they come from Sulmona (Abruzzo). Ceramic tiles are produced in Vietri sul Mare (Campania). Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna) is famous for its mosaics. Leading Shopping Centres: Rome: The shops in the upmarket area around Via Condotti and Via Sistina offer a huge range of clothing of all styles, colors and designs, albeit expensive. The shops on Via Vittorio Veneto are also expensive. Old books and prints are sold at the bookstalls in Piazza Borghese. Second-hand shops can be found on the picturesque Via del Governo Vecchio, a few winding streets away from Piazza Navona. On Sunday mornings there is a flea market at Porta Portese in Trastevere. Milan: The elegant shops are on Via Montenapoleone. Prices are higher than in other big cities. Venice: Is famous for mouth-blown glass items that are made on Murano. Bobbin lace from the island of Burano is exquisite and very expensive. The goldsmiths of Florence offer their high-quality wares in the shops on both sides of the Ponte Vecchio bridge. Florentine gold and silver jewelry has a particularly silky finish called satinato. Filigree work is also offered. Cameos make beautiful souvenirs. Southern Italy: pottery and carpets in all regions, Filigree jewelry and cast iron and brass objects in Abruzzo, wood carvings in Calabria, corals and cameos in Campania, textiles and tablecloths in Sicily and Sardinia. In Cagliari, elaborate copies of the bronze statues of the Nuraghe that lived in Sardinia during the Bronze Age are on offer. The elegant shops of the larger cities such as Naples, Bari, Reggio di Calabria, Palermo and Cagliari have a wide range of Italian goods. Many small towns have weekly markets. The souvenirs on offer here are often poor quality, mass-produced items that are not locally produced. Shop opening hours: Mon-Sun 08.30-12.30 and 15.30-22.00. In northern Italy, shops sometimes close earlier. Grocery stores are often closed on Wednesday afternoons.
- Searchforpublicschools: Offers schooling information of Italy in each level – compulsory, technical and higher education programs.
Annotation
Depending on the value of the goods, sales tax is between 4 and 21%. Non-EU citizens should keep receipts for items over €155 in order to claim a VAT (IVA) refund.
Nightlife
Introduction
Nightclubs, discotheques, restaurants and bars can be found in every major city and resort area. In Rome, the Pasquino cinema, Vicolo della Paglia (near Santa Maria in Trastevere) shows English language films. The Opera House and St. Cecilia Academy host open-air concerts in the summer. An open-air theater is located near the Baths of Caracalla. Jazz, folklore, rock and country music concerts are held in various concert halls and clubs.
Accommodation
Hotels
There are around 40,000 hotels in total. Each hotel has fixed room rates agreed with the regional tourist offices. The prices depend on standard, season, service and location. The Tourist Board publishes an annual directory of hotels and guesthouses (Annuario Alberghi), which can be consulted in travel agencies or at the ENIT Tourist Office. Service is already included in the prices of hotels and guesthouses. Value Added Tax (IVA) at 10% (19% in luxury hotels) is added to room rates only. By law, hotel guests must obtain an official receipt from the hotel. Note: Sardinia levies a tourist tax on accommodation in hotels and guesthouses. Rome has countless hotels, but advance booking is recommended. Hotel prices are high, and numerous extras are added. You should always ask for the total price in advance. Budget-conscious holidaymakers can find basic accommodation in cheap hotels that offer rooms with shared showers, e.g. B. in the area north of Stazione Termini. Inexpensive hotels are available nationwide. Advance booking is recommended, especially in the cities. Categories: 1-5 stars. You should always ask for the total price in advance. Budget-conscious holidaymakers can find basic accommodation in cheap hotels that offer rooms with shared showers, e.g. B. in the area north of Stazione Termini. Inexpensive hotels are available nationwide. Advance booking is recommended, especially in the cities. Categories: 1-5 stars. You should always ask for the total price in advance. Budget-conscious holidaymakers can find basic accommodation in cheap hotels that offer rooms with shared showers, e.g. B. in the area north of Stazione Termini. Inexpensive hotels are available nationwide. Advance booking is recommended, especially in the cities. Categories: 1-5 stars. Advance booking is recommended, especially in the cities. Categories: 1-5 stars. Advance booking is recommended, especially in the cities. Categories: 1-5 stars.
bed and breakfast
Bed&Breakfast (B&B) are popular accommodations in Italy. BBITALIA.IT maintains a directory of around 5,000 Bed&Breakfasts and holiday apartments in almost 550 locations in Italy.
Camping
In Italy there is a wide range of campsites in all regions and categories, which the Camping Italy network provides an overview of. Luxurious camping accommodations, so-called glamping sites, are available with bungalows, lodges, chalets, luxury mobile homes, glamping tents and tree houses.
Other accommodation options
Reservations should be made in advance during the summer months (at least 14 days in advance in the popular holiday areas and larger cities). In some cities there are also other affordable accommodation options for students. Villas, holiday apartments (appartamento per le vacanze) and holiday homes (casa per le vacanze) can be rented in almost all holiday resorts. The Tourist Office and the Regional Tourist Offices (Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno) provide further information. The holiday apartments and holiday homes can be booked through most of the regional tourist offices, such as Visit Trentino, Visit Bergamo and Turismo Varese. The local tourist offices also have addresses of families who rent rooms. Holiday parks, villages of bungalows and apartment houses, can be found in almost all popular holiday areas. The bungalows offer accommodation for four people on average. Most resorts also have restaurants. Holidays on the farm, the so-called agriturismo, can be booked in the categories simple, comfortable and luxurious. The latter category includes the historical domed houses, the so-called trulli, and the magnificent masseries (estates) in Apulia. The selection is huge and covers all interests and needs: There are manors in beautiful countryside with pools, horse farms, wineries, manors with olive groves by the sea, with cooking or language courses, with entertainment for children and adults. Historical accommodations, the dimore storiche, are represented in Italy in great variety in the form of monasteries, mills, castles, stately villas and other originally aristocratic properties. Historical accommodation also includes the Alberghi Diffusi (scattered hotels), which combine authenticity and comfort. These approximately 130 accommodations are scattered all over Italy and are located in historic city or village centers, in the middle of the country and also in remote mountain settlements.
Culture
Religion
90% Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish and Muslim minorities.
Social Rules of Conduct
The Roman Catholic Church still plays an important role in Italy today and exerts a strong influence on the social structure. Family cohesion is significantly stronger than in most other European countries. Wardrobe: casual wear is common, but bathing suits belong on the beach. Proper attire is expected when entering churches and in small, traditional communities. Written invitations generally state whether a suit or tuxedo or suit or evening dress is desired. Smoking: In Italy, smoking is forbidden in all public buildings and means of transport, as well as in cinemas, restaurants, bars and pubs. Hospitality establishments may have smoking areas, closed off by walls and doors and equipped with air extraction facilities. The cities of Bolzano, Naples and Verona are taking the smoking ban one step further: In Naples and Verona, smoking is generally not allowed outdoors at demonstrations and cultural events, or in parks and green spaces if pregnant women or children under the age of 12 are nearby stop. In Bolzano smoking is not allowed outdoors. Smoking is also forbidden on the Bibione beach. Smoking is only allowed under rented parasols. Bibione beach on the Adriatic has been smoke free since 2018. Tipping is not very common in the hospitality industry. Service charges and sales or occupancy taxes are included in the hotel bills. Nevertheless, €5 per week for the maid is usual. Restaurant bills include a basic charge for cover and bread. If you were particularly satisfied, you can also leave a tip on the table. You are not obliged to tip in a taxi either. If the taxi driver helps with the luggage, he would be happy to receive a tip.
Climate
Best travel time
Mediterranean climate in northern Italy, except in the Alps and Apennines. Hot summers, especially in the south. Spring and autumn mild and sunny. Cold winters with lots of snow in Northern Italy, otherwise mild. It is drier and warmer the further south you go. Central and southern Italy has a Mediterranean climate. Italy is a popular travel destination all year round. The main season for beach holidaymakers runs from April to August. The months of July and August are the hottest. The prices are highest in midsummer, because that’s when the Italians go on vacation.
Country data
Phone prefix
+39
Area (sq km)
301340
Population
60,461,826 (Source: homosociety)
Population density (per square km)
201
Population statistics year
2020
Member of the EU
yes
Main emergency number
112
