Italy
La dolce vita - world's greatest food, art and history with a new digital nomad visa
Key Scores
Why people move to Italy
20 regions, 20 cuisines, 20 dialects - Italy is less a country than a federation of family-led cultures sharing a passport.
People, religion & languages
Moderate-low. Better in Milan, Rome, Florence tourist circuits; rural areas often Italian-only. Younger generations more proficient.
Catholic identity is cultural and deep, even as actual church attendance drops.
Town festivals (sagre, saint days) are everywhere. Easter and Christmas are family-centric. Vatican presence dominant in Rome.
Culture & etiquette
What locals value and what to watch for
- Greet with two cheek kisses among friends
- Order coffee at the bar (cheaper) and standing
- Dress well - appearance signals self-respect
- Use 'Signor/Signora + surname' until invited to use first names
- Ordering cappuccino after 11:00 (locals will judge)
- Putting cheese on seafood pasta
- Pineapple on pizza, or 'spaghetti bolognese' (it's tagliatelle al ragù)
- Tipping heavily - coperto often included
Relaxed mornings, long lunches, late evenings. Rome and Naples chaotic; Milan more Northern European.
Warm at street level, bureaucracy is brutal. Best for expats in Milan, Florence, Bologna, and the small-town 'borghi' programs.
Holidays & food culture
The cuisine you think you know is only a fraction - each region defends its own pasta shapes, sauces, and rules.
Lunch 13:00–14:30, dinner 20:00–22:00. Aperitivo 18:00–20:00 (Milan's invention).
Olive oil, seasonal vegetables, regional. Vegetarian options easy; vegan growing in cities. Wine with meals universal.
Work culture & business norms
Hidden Gems
Off the beaten path
Matera - ancient cave city in Basilicata, one of the oldest inhabited settlements on Earth
Civita di Bagnoregio - the 'dying city' perched on eroding volcanic tufa, only reachable by a single footbridge
Procida - tiny, colorful island off Naples, far less crowded than Capri, named 2022 Italian Capital of Culture
Single person, before income tax