I absolutely detest writing posts that are actually useful in terms of the legalities with moving to Italy, it makes me want to gouge my eyes out. However, naturally many future expats are interested in what's involved and lucky them, I have a guest writer today who did an EXHAUSTIVE post for me on all the immensely boring stuff on documents and yada yada that are required to move to Italy. Enjoy! 

Boasting beautiful architecture, delicious food and fine wine – Italy is an alluring destination if you're thinking about moving (1). Perhaps you just need a change of scenery, or maybe you will be relocating for a new job or a transfer within your present company. No matter what your reasons for choosing Italy as your next place of residence, you're sure to enjoy all that the country has to offer.
 
Yet, before you can settle in and begin savoring all the sights and sounds, you'll need to take care of the logistics that come with an international move. Though many people choose to hire an experienced transport company to handle all the heavy lifting - it's advisable that you at least familiarize yourself with the documents you'll need, the duties you'll pay and the regulations you must follow. Otherwise, when it comes time to clear Italian customs, you could be in for a rude awakening or long delays.

Bringing Your Household Goods Through Customs

Many countries impose import duties and taxes, when moving your belongings through customs. Fortunately, Italy is lenient in this regard – allowing you to be exempt from these as long as you follow a few simple requirements. First, you must have lived outside of Italy for the last 12 months at minimum.
 
Second, you must have owned and personally used these goods for at least the last year. Third, you must import them within 6 months of moving into the country. Lastly, you are not permitted to give away, sell or even let others borrow these goods for the entirety of your stay within Italy. If you meet these straightforward rules, then your shipment should be free of any import duty or taxes (2).

That said, it isn't clear if the Value-Added Tax (VAT) of 22% will be exempted or not (3). This VAT may only be charged on new items that aren't eligible for duty exemption, or it may be levied on all items regardless of their age or duty status. To determine if your particular shipment will incur this extra charge, it's best to just speak with Italian customs directly.
 
Learn more about the various requirements here.
 

Regulations For Your Household Goods

Clearing your shipment through Italian customs means that you must adhere to all the regulations which they impose. One such regulation is the handling of moisture absorbing bags, or other products designed to keep mold from growing or absorb excess humidity. These products are often included in international shipments to prevent mold growth and keep humidity from damaging the items within the container.
 
If your shipment includes any of these products, you must declare these to Italian customs. You must also show the certificate verifying that they've been analyzed, and this should enumerate what materials the products contain. Finally, the certificate is required to verify that no dimethyl fumarate is present, as concluded by a fully accredited UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025 lab. You may also need to have this certificate translated into Italian, in addition to the copy that you'll present in English (4).
 
Documents For Your Household Goods
A large number of documents are also necessary, in order to process your shipment at the point or port where it will enter Italy. You'll need to show customs your passport and Residence Visa, along with your Work Permit. A complete inventory (written in Italian) is also required, and this must be signed by you and approved by the Italian consulate in your country of origin (5).
 
Other sources disagree, and state that this inventory must only be stamped by the Italian consulate if you're either a returning Italian citizen or a citizen of another EU member country. That said, the same source recommends that you have your inventory stamped regardless of your country of citizenship - in order to avoid issues when clearing customs. This inventory should also include a full description of all art and antiques within your shipment (6).
 
Dichiarazione Sostitutiva di Certificazione
The Dichiarazione Sostitutiva di Certificazione is also required documentation, and it should state how many people are in your family and your origin country of residence. It should also name your origin city and when you established residency within Italy (7).
 
Residency Certificate and More
You'll also need to show customs your Fiscal Number (Codice Fiscale), which you must get through the Italian Ministry of Finance (8). A Residency Certificate is also required, though this covers the same information as the Dichiarazione Sostitutiva di Certificazione (9).
 
Therefore, it's possible they are one and the same - though Dichiarazione Sostitutiva di Certificazione roughly translates as “statement in lieu of certification” - so it seems to be a separate document (10). Also, this document is to be provided by your destination agent (shipping company or third-party customs agent most likely), so again it appears to be distinct and separate from the Residency Certificate.
 
This type of confusion throws into sharp relief, the need to work with a qualified international moving company, who will be knowledgeable about the paperwork involved when moving to Italy. It's also prudent to contact Italian customs before sending your shipment, to ensure that you have all of the appropriate paperwork squared away.
 
Permit To Stay
A Permit to Stay issued by the Police Office Foreign Department must also be submitted to customs, along with your Autocertificazione. This document is your personal statement, which says that you're changing residence from your origin country to Italy. It also details the status of your family (though what this should state isn't clarified) and lists the monetary value of the items you're importing.
 
Other Documents
Customs will also want to see either your Original Bill of Lading or Air Waybill, along with a Power of Attorney (giving your shipping company permission to act on your behalf). You'll need to show a letter from your employer, which should verify that you have a valid work contract in place and when this goes into effect (11). Finally, a Mandato procura Importatore is required before your container can be released (though this may only be needed for enclosed containers) (12).
 
EORI Number
Now required for all shipments passing through customs in EU member countries, you'll need to apply for and obtain your own Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number. Otherwise, your shipment will not be authorized to proceed into the country (13).
 
Bringing Your Vehicle Through Customs

Though many countries around the world impose significant import duties and taxes on vehicles – Italy allows you to be exempted from these added costs. As long as you've owned the vehicle for a minimum of six months and have lived outside of Italy for at least a year – your used personal vehicle can be imported without paying duty.
 
Be aware that the vehicle must be for your own personal use (commercial use vehicles are not duty exempt), and that customs does prefer you to have purchased the vehicle at least 12 months ago (though this isn't required). Also, you won't be permitted to sell the vehicle, rent it out or give it away for one full year after bringing it into the country (14). Finally, it must adhere to European technical standards, in order to be eligible for duty exemption (15).
 
If for any reason your vehicle doesn't meet these standards, then you'll be charged a 10% import duty on the CIF value of the vehicle. In addition, a Value-Added Tax (VAT) in the amount of 22% will be assessed – though this appears to only apply to returning Italian citizens (16). To clarify what fees will be applicable to your situation, contact Italian customs to learn more.
 
Documents For Your Vehicle
The paperwork you submitted for your household goods, is not sufficient to clear your vehicle through customs. In addition to your passport, Original Bill of Lading or Air Waybill – you'll also have to provide other documentation.
 
This includes the title and registration for the vehicle (no copies allowed). Paperwork demonstrating that you're the owner is also required, and a purchase invoice would likely be acceptable for this purpose. This must show that you've owned the vehicle in question for at least the last six months, in order to be eligible for import duty exemption.
 
You must also provide proof of insurance which is valid within Italy, and a technical data sheet. This document is from the company which manufactured your vehicle, and lists its features and its adherence to EU technical standards. A Certificate of Residence is also mandatory, and you can obtain this from the city hall in the municipality where you'll be residing within Italy (17).

Written by Jay Mueller. 

SOURCES:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
(2) Found on Atlas Int'l “Importing Personal Property Into Italy” page
(3) http://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3666
(4) Ibid.
(5)Found on Moverscom “Customs Regulations – Italy” page
(6) http://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3666
(7) Ibid.
(8) Found on Atlas Int'l “Importing Personal Property Into Italy” page
(9) Found on Moverscom “Customs Regulations – Italy” page
(10)
(11) Found on Moverscom “Customs Regulations – Italy” page
(12) Found on Atlas Int'l “Importing Personal Property Into Italy” page
(13) Ibid.
(14) Ibid.
(15) http://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3666
(16) Ibid.
(17) Ibid.

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I come from your typical New York City living, sunday lunching, hand waving, pasta pushing, loud talking, church going, Italo-American family. I always felt lucky to be raised in what I consider to be one of the most beautiful cultures in the world. Growing up, I was surrounded by like-minded families. Many of my friends came from the same background, many of my neighbors immigrants themselves. Driving down my street you could see multiple houses lined with both the American flag and the Italian flag. There was always a mixture of Italian and English in the air at the grocery store, and I certainly couldn’t make a quick exit without hearing “Ciao Giulietta! Come stai, bella?” said by Signore Marino, the owner of our neighborhood market. I began my first Italian lessons as a baby watching my VHS of “Muzzy,” continuing until my eventual minor in Italian at my university. I was accustomed to fresh, authentic ingredients for the meals that filled my stomach as long as either my mom or grandma were around. After all, there’s no better cook than Nonna.

Yet, I always knew that my rich Italo-American culture was just that: Italo-American. It is inherently a marriage of attributes from both countries, a watered down version of the Italian culture mixed with the American way of life that I was inevitably raised around. The passage of culture is like the game of telephone, the longer it is transferred, the more lost-in-translation it becomes. 
 
With this in mind, on my first trip to Italy I was expecting to find prominent differences between our cultures. However, happily, I found that while there were definitely many notable ones, to be an Italo-American is not very far off from being an Italian from Italy. It was reassuring to know the work of my ancestors was not in vain.
 
Italy was founded as the country we know it to be in 1861. Before that it was broken into smaller states ruled by pre-existing countries such as Germany, France, and Spain. Eventually a social movement came along called Il Risorgimento that unified the Peninsula, declaring it the new country of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II and the first Italian Parliament of Torino. Due to the new country’s previous separation, there was no national language. Each region, influenced by their former ruling countries, spoke a unique dialect. Additionally, as happens with the forming of most new nations, 

Italy was in economic turmoil. The south especially was extremely poor, so for the next century, many southern Italians fled to America. It is for this reason that the majority of the Italo-Americans, myself included, hail from southern regions, starting at Rome and extending to all of southern Italy and Sicily below the meridionale. The Italian language as it is spoken today was not solidified until the mid 1900’s, with the introduction of the television into everyone’s homes, where a singular language was needed to broadcast stations nationally. 
 
A huge difference between Italo-American and Italian culture is the language. I have spent my life proudly ordering the wet “mutzadel” (mozzarella) and the fresh “galamad” (calamari) “gabagool”(capicola) “pruh-zhoot” (prosciutto) and “braggiol” (braciole) from the neighborhood macellaio. I have exclaimed with conviction “Maron’!” (madonna) and “Fangool!” (vaffanculo) in moments of frustration.  I’ve called people “giadrul’” (cetriolo) “gavone” (cafone) “stunad’” (stonato) particularly when I don’t want them to know what I’m saying. The language Italo-Americans created is called a pidgin or an incomplete secondary language formed in an area where the people do not speak the main language. Italo-American ancestors arrived before “standard italian” was widely known, therefore making our pidgin rooted in dialects like Calabrese, Pugliese, Siciliano, and mainly, Napoletano. In Italy, the older generations have kept the usage of dialects alive in each region, speaking dialect to their children at home, and teaching standard Italian at school. Many Italians themselves can’t recognize words spoken in dialect between the north and south, so if you speak Italo-American dialect in Italy, prepare to be embarrassed (or simply learn from my mistake and save yourself the awkward moment!). 
 
A couple of my favorite examples to give you an idea of the evolution:
 
Standard Italian: Ma tu sei pazzo!
Napoletano: Ma tu si pazz!
Italo-Americano: Aduzipazz!
 
Standard Italian: Stai zitto!
Calabrese: Stacitt’!
Italo-Americano: Stagitt’!
 
During the time of World War II, Italian immigrants were oppressed, marginalized and seen as the “enemy of war” in America. Due to the tension, a law was passed making it illegal to speak Italian in America. Many of our ancestors came with the “American Dream” in mind, and wanted nothing more to assimilate. Therefore, they stopped passing down their native tongue and only certain words, phrases, and accents of their dialects remained. Chepreca (che peccato), right?

If you think of the American take on Italian food versus the real thing, the difference is striking (Don’t get me started on Olive Garden). However, between real Italo-American and Italian food the difference lies more in the way the food is eaten. Italo-American food, much like language, is typical to the food of southern Italy, traditionally consisting of items such as pasta, freshly sauteed greens, meats such as meatballs or ragu, usually served in sauce (not gravy!). When Italians came to America, they only adapted their recipe’s to fit the ingredients they could find for cheap in America.
 
Italo-Americans embrace the American style of eating, which is “quickly and efficiently,” grabbing something convenient for their 30 minute lunch break and saving their big meal for dinner when they’re home from work and can finally relax. Italians can sit over a meal for hours at a time, practicing the art of conversation, and stretching a meal over many courses consisting of an aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, dolce, and digestivo. Traditionally, Italians will have their biggest meal at lunch, due to the more laid-back lifestyle consisting of a riposo, when businesses shut down mid-afternoon and families convene for food and a nap. In America, thanks to the fast-paced money-driven lifestyle, Italo-Americans reserve their big family lunches for Sunday. Believe me, there isn’t a better smell than the smell of fresh sugo being cooked after a morning at church. 
 
Another notable difference in cultures is the celebration of worldwide holidays, in particular, Christmas! Similarly to Italians, Italo-Americans celebrate Christmas Eve more so than Christmas itself keeping with the tradition of La Festa Dei Sette Pesci, a feast of seafood. However, in the spirit of laid-back Italians dragging things out, the holiday in Italy usually spans Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas as well. Traditionally, Christmas Eve is spent in anticipation of Santa Claus or in Italy, Babbo Natale to arrive with the goods, leaving him a plate of fresh cookies and a glass of ice cold milk. But in Italy, while Babbo Natale does come too, children more so anticipate the arrival of La Befana on the Epiphany, a witch bearing gifts who sweeps the house before she leaves, and expects a glass of wine to be left out for her troubles, forget milk! While I grew up playing games of scrabble or pictionary in between the seafood pasta meat and dolce extravaganza (including my nonna’s secret recipe for zeppole), Italians will sit around the table and have their hand at a game of gambling bingo called Tambola and even show up to the occasion with matching change purses. Generally, celebrations and holidays in an Italian or Italo-American family tend to be a Meghan Markle/Prince Harry sized event. You thought the royal wedding was big? You haven’t seen one of our baptisms. 
 
It gives me peace of mind and reassurance to know that the hard work of our Italian ancestors to, despite all the hardship they faced, keep the Italian culture flourishing in their families for generations was successful. The courage they had to come to a new country, one unwelcoming at the time, is something that I feel can only be honored and thanked by the passage of culture. For every difference that there is between Italo-Americans and Italians, there is a world of similarities where it counts the most: in values. Like those of our Italian counterparts, Italo-American families are tight knit, strong, and taught to always come first. Community is a concept held in high regard, whether it be a neighborhood of Italo-Americans, a market or cafe where the community can come together, or even a church diocese. The Roman Catholic religion is not only remembered but highly celebrated, continuing the work of the Vatican in our own backyard.

​Yet, above all, the most valuable lesson passed through the ages is to love. Italian is the culture of love, but not just romantic love, all love: love through sacrifice, hard work, loyalty, and through making sure the ones you care about always have a panza (pancia) full of pasta! ​​

Written by Juliette Stewart.

​If you enjoyed this guest post, you may also like to "dare un'occhiata" at these awesome guest posts:

​Guest Post: How I Followed My Dreams of Becoming a Writer in Rome
Guest Post: How Italy at Nineteen Inspired a Debut Novel by Dorah Blume
Guest Post: My Story with the Italian Language​
​THE ITALY EXPERIENCE: Canadian Expat vs. American Exchange Student

Today's guest post comes courtesy of Dorah Blume. Her debut novel, Botticelli's Muse has been selected as a 2017 INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist by Foreword Reviews. This prestigious magazine considers as part of its mission to discover, review, and share the best books from university and independent publishers including Dorah's new publishing company Juiceboxartists Press. I asked her to share a quick recollection of her time in Italy when she was nineteen which went on to inspire her writing and her book. 

“Guida della Basilica Papale del Sacro Convento di San Francesco d’Assisi” were the only words I knew when I got off the boat in Venice in August of 1963. I could say them with perfect Italian rhythm and accent, but I didn’t know how to ask for directions to the nearest toilet. My teacher Barry in Boston had given me “private” Italian lessons and had insisted that if only I could repeat the title of the guide book to the papal basilica of the sacred convent of Saint Francis of Assisi without an American accent, I could learn to speak Italian well. I had sold most of my Filene’s Bargain Basement designer clothing for a profit to my wealthy Bennington College classmates in order to pay for my ticket on the Saturnia that sailed for 14 days from NYC to Italy. 
 
I stayed with nuns in a convent for a few days before heading north to Bressanone in the alps for Italian lessons, then soon made my way to Florence in time to start my junior year abroad at the Academy of Fine Arts inside the building where Michelangelo’s statue of David stands today. I was a nineteen-year-old woman eager to study painting and devour Italy.
 
A broadside on the locked door of the school said “sciopero” which meant “strike.” And there was no opening day in sight. I had rented a bicycle to find my way around Florence. Overwhelmed by the number of museums, I hung out at Upim, the local department store, gorged on Italian pastries—the gooiest I could find, and immersed myself in the language by spending afternoons at the movies. I saw Fellini’s 8.5 three times. It was pretty lonely and my Italian was pathetic. At least I had a good accent going for me, but a very limited vocabulary.

I moved to Perugia and enrolled in language classes at The University for Foreigners and lived with an Italian family. By November, I was fluent in the language so I returned to Florence, moved into a pensione a few blocks away from the Accademia, and was determined to give Florence a second chance. Most of my housemates were Italian architecture students. Their friends became my friends. During Christmas break, they took me to their hometown of L’Aquila where I experienced hospitality in a way I had never experienced in the States. I fell in love, not only with one of the architecture students, but with Italy.

Studying under teachers who had no interest or enthusiasm for expressive art, I soon found myself switching to the printmaking studio where I learned the technique of etching. Outside of class, I im­mersed myself in the music of the Italian language, the suede-like splendor of the terra cotta-colored walls, the suffocating streets, and the flesh made stone in the piazze. The city’s artistic pulse flowed through my veins as though I'd lived there before. The Uffizi— home to Botticelli's Primavera — became my cathedral.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that first year in Italy planted invisible seeds of inspiration in me, seeds that did not blossom until my 50s after my creative passions had turned from visual arts to writing. That’s when I conceived, with the help of the Emerson MFA program, my debut novel Botticelli’s Muse.

Written by author, Dorah Blume.

About the Author:
An Italophile since the age of nineteen when she studied painting at Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy, Dorah Blume has published short fiction and nonfiction in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for “Hunger for Learning.”  Considering herself a late bloomer, she expanded her artistic reach from visual to the written word in her forties with an MFA in creative writing from Emerson, and has navigated between the two ever since.

As a certified Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) facilitator, Dorah has led Juiceboxartists writing workshops for adults in Greater Boston as well as in Tuscany. She divides her time between Boston and Los Angeles with frequent trips to Italy. If she could possess one superpower, it would be to understand and speak every language on the planet.  

You can read more about Dorah on her official website: dorahblume.com

Dorah has also designed three separate that can be purchased on Amazon as well, so click above to check those out!

If you enjoyed this guest post, you may also like to "dare un'occhiata" at these ones:
​Guest Post: How I Followed My Dreams of Becoming a Writer in Rome
Guest Post: My Story with the Italian Language​
​THE ITALY EXPERIENCE: Canadian Expat vs. American Exchange Student

If you books and Italy are what do it for you, check out these posts:
​Book Buzz: Return to Glow by Chandi Wyant
Book in Progress: Italian Ways by Tim Parks
Recommended #Italy Reads: At Least You're in Tuscany by Jennifer Criswell
​Recommended Reads: A Zany Slice of Italy by Ivanka Di Felice ​
​
And finally, if writing intrigues you, read ten very short stories which are now available as a cute collection in my first eBook: This Sweet Life. You can download it for FREE in my store! Or read the included pieces as individual posts:  
​
​Creative Writing: The Butterfly Effect
​Creative Writing: The Letter R (Explicit)
​Creative Writing: Dear Italy (A Love Letter)
Creative Writing: Airport Arrivals
​Creative Writing: Tanqueray and You
​Creative Writing: A Thousand Lives
​Creative Writing: A Sunday Kind of Love
​Creative Writing: Perfect Strangers in Switzerland
​Creative Writing: Rooftops and Rome
​Creative Writing: The Morning After in New York
​Creative Writing: Mulberries in Sicily
​

Handsome blue-eyed boys or a bearded Viking? The rumours about the tall Nordic boys might be as disputed as the mysterious dark-haired Italians. But do they have anything in common?

Disclaimer: This is purely a post for fun and it is based solely on the writer's personal experience and if you don’t like opinions or generalizations about other cultures or opinions and generalizations about men, 1. we can't be friends anymore and 2. don’t read this post!

How they dress on a normal day...

Swedes: Jeans and t-shirts are standards. If you are in a small town, you are likely to see guys
walking down the street pulling their pants up like they haven't yet discovered the amazing
accessory called a belt. T-shirts with prints, usually of bands or the local motorclub. Accessories and
brands are not really a priority, and you won't be competing over the mirror in the morning. Do you
want your Swedish smalltown boy to smell like Dolce & Gabbana? Buy him a bottle for Christmas.
Drive to the bigger city and you'll see a more dressy look, but don't expect to meet a bunch of
handsome Scandinavian suited up boys à la Alexander Skarsgård from Big Little Lies unless you
dive into the finer streets of Stockholm or Gothenburg.

Italians: Don't be surprised if he owns more perfumes and shoes than you do. Shirts in different
styles and colors, jeans and sweaters combined with a jacket are standards. Most Italian boys
appreciate details and usually add a pair of fashionable sunglasses and jewelry before leaving for
errands, and shoes that looks like they are attending a formal event. Facial hair is a big thing (Amen)
and so is going to the barber shop. Forget the messy lumberjack look, ladies. And be prepared to
share that mirror in the morning.

How they flirt...

Swedes: Just like Canadian boys they basically don't, unless you are at a bar or club. If a Swedish
boy is into you he will add you on social media first, ask for your Facebook or Snapchat instead of
your phone number. Social media has become a major part of communicating in Sweden, which has
lead to quite a big issue when it comes to actually being social.

Italians: How? A lot. When? All the time. Joking aside, not all Italians are whistling Casanovas on
a vespa. Along with the flirty reputation comes a soft sensitive side, but with eyes that do most of
the work for them. It's impossible to miss if he is flirting with you, but if you are a foreign girl you
will probably perceive him as pushy at first.

How they ask you out...

Swedes: Swedish boys' definition of asking a girl out romantically is very vague. You are most
likely going to end up watching a movie and hang out as friends - multiple times. Being invited to a
party is typically Swedish. But there certainly still exist some old-fashioned gentlemen in Sweden, you
just have to be lucky enough to meet one.

Italians: No need to complicate things here, they just ask you. And you better say yes.

The first date...

Swedes: Since the dating scene isn't a big deal in Sweden (but we love to label everything) it's not
easy to notice if you've had your first date. That first date could just as well be at your own place,
after taking the first step by inviting him over. If you're not heading out to the local restaurant or
cinema, you'll watch a movie and eat tacos together. You will get a goodbye hug while wondering if
you are his friend or fling. It's an ongoing mystery.

Italians: Ever heard the song ”On An Evening in Roma”? Italians often take their dates out for late
dinner or drinks at their favorite restaurant, followed by a long walk in the piazza or along the spiaggia (beach). If your date is taking place in Italy, you could be getting the full Italian experience, like strolling down the streets of Rome or walking along the beach in the sunset of Sardinia.

How they dress on a date...

Swedes: For a date (read: hanging out and hiding the fact that you like each other) he will dress like
it's a normal day. You may notice a distant scent of aftershave. But just maybe.

Italians: Like they dress on a normal day, but depending on the weather and the location of the
date, they will add an extra classy touch to their outfit along with their favorite perfume. If it's a
fancy date, expect your Italian boy to show up looking like Al Pacino in Godfather Part II.

How you know they like you...

Swedes: He likes your new selfie. Sends ”What are you doing?” texts often and once you two have
met in person, he wants you to meet up more frequently. It's most likely that he will express his
feelings for you under the influence of alcohol, or take a risk by confessing it with a text message. It
can be a long and frustrating process so you have to make it easy for him.

Italians: If another man tries to flirt with you he will show his dislike. His mother definitely knows
who you are. He calls you Italian words that sounds like poetry in your ears. Tells you buongiorno
each morning and texts you during the day. But most of all, he makes you feel like a woman.

How you know it's serious...

Swedes: When you've had ”the talk”. Instead of being the one who takes the lead, many guys have
a tendency to wait forever. In general, it's a pride thing among Swedes, you don't want to be too
pushy or clingy. I mean, what if you actually end up being happy and in love?

Italians: You've met his mother more than once and been to the big Sunday lunch with la famiglia.
If it's serious, you will be introduced to his family and answer tons of questions about your values in
life and where you bought that gorgeous purse of yours. Italians are very driven by emotions and
act on them. If he wants you to be his Amore he will not leave you wondering for long. But don't
try to come between his mother or his favorite football team, they are fights you simply can not win.

How you know you're going to get married...

Swedes: There's a chance that your Swedish boy will get down on one knee to pop the big question,
but a growing gender equality in Sweden has changed these traditions over the years and it's now
more of a mutual decision. Once you are engaged, you can go years before actually getting married.
Despite the gender equality you will be responsible for planning practically every detail of the
wedding (except his suit) with your closest friends and family.

Italians: He will ask you to marry him. Be prepared to plan the wedding as a team, which includes
both families. Even though Italy is an open-minded country and the Catholic traditions aren't as
strict as before, a wedding is still considered to be a big commitment between the couple and their
families. The value of family is one of the main ingredients in the Italian society, and perhaps that's
why the rumours about Italian men haven't changed much through the years. Maybe it's the rest of
the world who needs to bring back the heart into the family, to our loved ones and into life itself?
After all, it is called La Dolce Vita.

Written by Nathalie Salomonsson


A million and one thanks to the wonderful Nathalie, my Swedish partner-in-crime and the guest writer for this very important study on the differences between dating in Italy and Sweden.  You can follow her on Instagram at the link provided above. If you are non-Italian but have dating experience with Italians and would like to guest post in this "Italian Boys vs. All Other Boys" series, CONTACT ME, would love to keep adding to these. Here's what we have so far in the series:

Finally if you're a bit of a hopeless romantic, read ten very short stories which are now available as a cute collection in my first eBook: This Sweet Life. You can download it for FREE in my store! Or read the included pieces as individual posts:  
​
​Creative Writing: Call Me Baby
​Creative Writing: The Butterfly Effect
​Creative Writing: The Letter R (Explicit)
​Creative Writing: Dear Italy (A Love Letter)
Creative Writing: Airport Arrivals
​Creative Writing: Tanqueray and You
​Creative Writing: A Thousand Lives
​Creative Writing: A Sunday Kind of Love
​Creative Writing: Perfect Strangers in Switzerland
​Creative Writing: Rooftops and Rome
​Creative Writing: The Morning After in New York
​Creative Writing: Mulberries in Sicily

ALTERNATE PINTEREST IMAGE:

“What are you going to do next?” was the question everyone was asking during the last year of university. I was coming to the end of my degree in English Literature at Oxford, and most of my friends were either staying in academia, or moving to London to get jobs – entering the real world, in other words.

To anyone who asked, my answer was simple: “I’m going to move to Rome and write novels.”
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I’m not sure that anyone took me seriously. It sounded like a fantasy rather than a realistic life plan. But I’d fallen in love with Rome during a 3 week internship at Keats-Shelley House in Piazza di Spagna the year before, and I’d been trying (and failing) to write novels for years. I’d even joined the Failed Novelists Society at Oxford. Now, at the age of 21, I was ready to combine my two passions and become a writer who writes, rather than a writer who daydreams.

In 2013, after a year of working and saving up in London, I moved to Rome. I lived in a grotty little apartment in Testaccio, with a bathroom the size of a shoebox that flooded regularly, and flatmates with whom I was unable to communicate. I was ecstatically happy.

Most people choose their apartment because of the price, or the proximity to public transport, or some other practical reason. I’d chosen mine because of the cemetery. I was just around the corner from the Cimitero Accattolico (the Protestant/Non-Catholic Cemetery), burial place of my idols and literary inspirations, the Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Keats and Shelley had both left England to live (and die) in Italy. Shelley produced some of his greatest works while living in Italy, before drowning at the age of 29. Keats, on the other hand, was already dying of tuberculosis when he came to Rome, and wrote nothing in the last few months of his life. He was just 25 when he died, in a room overlooking the Spanish Steps.

Of the two, I hoped to be more like Shelley, taking inspiration from Italy and writing as much as possible. Although I didn’t plan on dying an untimely death, I often thought about their ages – 29 and 25 – and felt I ought to be writing more, and ideally producing some kind of masterpiece before I got too old.

In the mornings I would work on my novel, either in my bedroom or sitting on a bench in the cemetery, and in the afternoons I taught English at a private language school. A side note – although you’re unlikely to get rich teaching English in Italy, it’s a great way to earn a living while still having time to work on your creative projects. Many of the English teachers I know in Rome are also writers, musicians or artists.

I wrote a novel. Hyacinth I, the story of a king faking his own death and escaping to Venice, was rejected by every literary agent I sent it to, though the harshest critics were my own parents. Eventually I gave up, and decided I would have to write something else. Something set in Rome – something about ruins, foreigners, heatwaves, a past on the edge of the present…

In Exile was born on the metro, somewhere between Sant’Agnese and Conca d’Oro. I imagined Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, being reluctantly re-born in 20th century Rome, and waking up amongst the tombstones in the Protestant Cemetery. He would meet a teenage girl, Grace, who would overcome her fears to become his most devoted follower. This would be the start of a new cult, a Bacchae for the modern era set in the ruins of Rome.

I knew how it started, and I knew how it ended (bloodily, of course). I didn’t have a middle yet. But over the following year I worked steadily on the novel, filling up notebooks with illegible biro scribbles, and somehow a story grew.

When I finished In Exile I went through the usual routine of submitting to agents and getting generic rejections. Somewhere around rejection #65 I had the idea of trying independent publishers instead, and sent the book to the UK publisher Unbound. They accepted it immediately, and said they would publish In Exile as an e-book and paperback. The catch? I would have to crowdfund the publication, finding around 200 people to pledge to buy the book in advance. A daunting challenge for an unknown debut author... I don’t have 200 friends, regardless of what Facebook says, and trying to convince total strangers to buy a book that technically doesn’t exist yet is no mean feat.
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I’m now 26. I’ve outlived Keats and haven’t yet been published, let alone written a timeless masterpiece. But I’m proud of In Exile, which is the product of years of compulsive reading and writing, and the result of my love affair with Rome. It’s a story that should appeal to italophiles, fans of The Secret History, and anyone who’s ever wondered what would happen if a Greek god started a modern-day cult while going through an existential crisis.

To find out more about In Exile, and to pledge to buy a copy, check out the page on Unbound. Supporters will get their name in the back of the book, and the satisfaction of knowing that they’re helping a debut author to achieve her dream.

(And if you happen to find yourself in Rome, the wine is on me…)

Alexandra Turney writes about life in Rome on her blog, Go Thou to Rome.
​You can also find her on  and .

If you enjoyed this guest post, you may also like to "dare un'occhiata" at these ones:
Guest Post: My Story with the Italian Language​
​THE ITALY EXPERIENCE: Canadian Expat vs. American Exchange Student

If you books and Italy are what do it for you, check out these posts:
​Book Buzz: Return to Glow by Chandi Wyant
Book in Progress: Italian Ways by Tim Parks
Recommended #Italy Reads: At Least You're in Tuscany by Jennifer Criswell
​Recommended Reads: A Zany Slice of Italy by Ivanka Di Felice ​
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And finally, if writing intrigues you, read ten very short stories which are now available as a cute collection in my first eBook: This Sweet Life. You can download it for FREE in my store! Or read the included pieces as individual posts:  
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​Creative Writing: The Letter R (Explicit)
​Creative Writing: Dear Italy (A Love Letter)
Creative Writing: Airport Arrivals
​Creative Writing: Tanqueray and You
​Creative Writing: A Thousand Lives
​Creative Writing: A Sunday Kind of Love
​Creative Writing: Perfect Strangers in Switzerland
​Creative Writing: Rooftops and Rome
​Creative Writing: The Morning After in New York
​Creative Writing: Mulberries in Sicily

INTRODUCTION
I'm excited to introduce Bryce, the creator of the multilingual blog Finite Languages. He has kindly written a guest post on the topic of how he learnt Italian and how his learning process lead him to create an innovative way to blog in your target language, have it corrected, and then even published online! Everyone please give a warm welcome to Bryce! *cue virtual applause track*

Ciao e benvenuti nel mio primo guest blog! Scrivere in generale è un compito piuttosto nuovo per me.  Mi ero ripromesso dopo essermi laureato che non avrei più scritto, ma eccomi qua… a scrivere di nuovo.  Suppongo che c’è sempre stata un parte di me che amava scrivere.  C’è qualcosa di veramente speciale quando si è capaci di mettere insieme i propri pensieri su carta (oppure sul computer in questo caso).  Ho riscoperto questa passione quando ho deciso di studiare una nuova lingua.

Hello and welcome to my first guest blog that I have ever written!  Writing in general is a rather new task for me.  I promised myself after graduating that I wouldn’t write anymore but here I am… writing again.  I suppose that there has always been a part of me that loved writing.  There’s something special when you are able to see your thoughts in front of you on paper (or on the computer screen in this case).  I hadn’t discovered this love again until I decided to learn new languages.

Dovrei spiegarvi meglio dall’inizio.  La mia ragazza mi comprò un’applicazione quasi 3 anni fa per l’apprendimento dell’italiano.  Ero determinato a parlare bene italiano entro l 'anno.  Ovviamente non capivo bene cosa significasse parlare veramente bene una lingua straniera.  Come ben sapete non si può ottenere un livello fluente in una lingua senza parlare con le persone, ascoltare la musica e vivere immersi nella lingua.  Non lo sapevo.  Continuavo a  studiare solo 30 minuti al giorno e finalmente dopo un anno al computer finii il corso. Pensavo di essere pronto a parlare con madrelingua italiani.  Ero entusiasta e orgoglioso di me.

I should explain better from the beginning.  My girlfriend bought me an application almost 3 years ago for learning Italian.  I was determined that I would be able to speak Italian within a year.  Obviously I didn’t understand very well what it meant to really speak a new language.  As you well know you cannot obtain a fluent level in a language without speaking with people, listening to music and living with the language all around yourself.  I didn’t know that.  I continued to study just 30 minutes every day and finally, after a year at the computer, I finished the course and I thought that I would be able to speak with Italians.  I was excited and proud of myself.

Capii molto presto che non era così. Per imparare una lingua straniera era necessario molto più impegno di quanto immaginassi! Dopo aver finito con quest’app, scaricai un’altra che si chiama HelloTalk, in cui potevo fare tandem di lingua con persone italiane, che stavano imparando l’inglese.  Scoprii subito che la mia conoscenza dell' italiano non era sufficiente per parlare con qualcuno che non avesse dimestichezza con l'inglese.

I soon had my first realization.  Learning a foreign language takes more that I would have been able to imagine.  After having finished this app, I downloaded another called HelloTalk where I could have a language exchange with native speakers that learned English.  I discovered immediately that my Italian knowledge wouldn’t be enough to speak with someone that didn’t speak English.

Direi che la mia avventura con l’italiano inizia proprio qui.  A questo punto mi sentivo come se fosse impossibile imparare una nuova lingua senza trasferirsi  in quel paese,  ma sono testardo e cominciai a parlare con quante più persone possibili che non conoscevano l’inglese.  Era difficile e spesso non riuscivamo a capire quello che stavamo dicendo, però giorno dopo giorno capii che non avevo più bisogno del traduttore.  Allora cominciammo anche a chiamarci al cellulare… e potevo capirli!

I would say my Italian adventure started here.  At this point I felt like it would be impossible to learn a new language without moving to the country where they speak the language.  But I am stubborn.  I started to speak with more people that didn’t speak English.  It was difficult and we often couldn’t understand what we were saying to each other.  However, day after day I realized that I didn’t need to the translator anymore.  Then we also started doing phone calls… and I could understand them!

Cosa vuol dire questo? Non vale la pena studiare da solo!  Certo è comodo sedersi di fronte alla TV con un app e studiare da solo.  Quando siete da soli non farete mai brutte figure, e nessuno vi correggerà se fate spesso errori. Siete felici. Imparare veramente una lingua è una strada in salita però.  La vostra mente cambia.  Cambia come funziona, come pensa, e come reagisce ai suoni che non capisce.  Quando imparate da soli, oppure in una lezione piena di madrelingua italiani eliminate questo aspetto: tutto sembrerà semplice e non vi sentirete mai a disagio.

Do you understand what that means?  It’s not worth it to study alone.  Sure it’s comfortable to sit in front of the TV with an app and study alone.  When you are alone you won’t be embarrassed, you won’t make many mistakes.  You will be happy.  But to really learn a language is a ferocious process.  Your mind changes.  It changes how it functions, how it thinks and how it deals with the sounds that it doesn’t understand.  When you learn alone or in a classroom full of Italian native speakers, you remove this aspect.  Everything is easy and you’re never uncomfortable.

Vi invito invece a provare il metodo che scoprii più tardi.  Con internet è possibile trovare persone madrelingua nella linguaprescelta  senza pagar nulla.  Vi consiglio HelloTalk e Finite Languages.  Ne esistono altre gratuite, ma preferisco queste due perché ci ho passato un bel po’di tempo e funzionano.

Instead, I invite you to try the method that I discovered a little late.  It’s possible with the internet to find native speakers of your target languages without paying a thing.  I suggest HelloTalk and Finite Languages.  There are other free resources that exist but I prefer these two because I’ve spent a good amount of time with them and they work.

Sono parziale nel consigliarvi Finite Languages, perché l’ho fondato io, ma con questo sito web potete diventare blogger, scrivendo nella vostra seconda lingua. L'articolo verrà corretto gratuitamente da un madrelingua, e poi pubblicato online!  Questo sito non è nato come piattaforma per altri blogger.  All’inizio volevo scrivere solo io nella mia seconda lingua, per raccontare come ho fatto ad imparare l’italiano (e il tedesco).  Allora capii un'altra cosa fondamentale. Scrivevo senza chiedere l’aiuto di nessuno, e i lettori italiani  ebbero subito da ridire:  non erano felici di vedere la loro lingua sullo schermo con cosi tanti errori.  Avranno probabilmente pensato: “E questo vuole insegnare come apprendere la lingua italiana!? Mamma mia!”

I’m biased toward Finite Languages because I started it.  With this website you can write a blog in your secondary language and it will be corrected for free and published online!  This website didn’t always exist as a platform for other bloggers.  In the beginning I wanted to write alone in my secondary languages to better share how I leaned Italian (and German).  Here, I received by second realization.  I wrote a couple of blogs without asking help to correct them and my Italian community turned immediately. Obviously they weren’t happy to see their native language on their screen with so many mistakes.  They thought “And this guy wants to teach about language learning!?  Wow!”

Finalmente chiesi aiuto anch'io e cominciai a pubblicare blog in italiano e tedesco senza errori.  Non ricevevo più messaggi di madrelingua infuriati.  Subito dopo alcuni  miei amici mi chiesero se anche loro potessero scrivere per Finite Languages. Naturalmente accettai, avendo compreso quanto sia d'aiuto scrivere nella lingua straniera prescelta per migliorarsi.

Finally, I asked for help and I was able to publish the blogs in Italian and German without errors.  I didn’t receive any more messages out of anger from native speakers.  Soon after some of my friends asked me if they could write blogs as well.  Of course after having realized how much help it could help to write in one’s target language, I accepted.
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Trovate un amico oppure una amica che non parla bene l’italiano, e lavorate insieme per aiutarvi.  Sarà spaventoso e imbarazzante. Farete spesso degli errori e ci saranno volte che non vi capirete. Ma più di tutto il resto… ci saranno progressi.

Find a friend that doesn’t speak Italian and exchange with them.  Work together to help one another.  It will be scary and embarrassing.  You will often make mistakes and there will be times that you don’t understand each other. But above all… there will be progress.

​Scritto di Bryce, corretto di Federica
Written by Bryce, corrected by Federica

Connect with both Bryce and Federica here:
Bryce at
Federica at If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to "dare un'occhiata" at these ones or head over to the "Language" category:

​The Relationship Between Loving Someone and the Language You Love With
​A Day in the Life: Someone Who Will Learn Italian versus Someone Who Won't
An Open Letter to Native Speakers of the Language I'm Learning
The English Stare and Getting "Englished" Living Abroad and How To Deal
What I'm Really Thinking While Speaking Italian as a Second Language
Taking Risks in Language Learning
Language Burnout
The Gift of Language: Italian and Beyond
The Neverending Story of Learning Italian
Living in Italy, Speaking in English 
Parli Italiano? 
​How to Keep Learning Italian in Italy

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