I lived in Rome for several years, and attended an American high-school, so I'm well-aware of the challenges that expats face when living in Italy.
In terms of safety, I'd recommend Americans act in a way that doesn't attract negative attention. Other than that, simply enjoy the country - that's all there is to it!
How Americans should act in Italy
Many of my classmates had parents who were employed either by the embassy, or the military - and these organisations would issue strict warnings about how Americans should conduct themselves in Italy to ensure their safety.
All this was before the 9/11 attacks, and yet the advice we received at school still applies today.
Italians are very warm and friendly people but, like any local population, can be uncertain, curious or even disgruntled by the presence of outsiders.
My school was only a few minutes away from an Italian state school and, although there were no major problems, it's fair to say our presence was less than welcome.
Many locals perceived the American kids at our school as boisterous, loud, trouble-makers (and, in fairness, some of them were!).
However, Italy is a country very familiar with foreigners, as tourism is central to its economy! Therefore visitors are made to feel very welcome.
Outside the well-lit tourist path though, I would recommend trying to draw slightly less attention to yourself. Italy is not a dangerous country, but anyone who stands out as being foreign and vulnerable will always attract opportunistic criminals.
There are plenty of cities and neighborhoods in the States that you wouldn't recommend a tourist to visit whilst wearing khaki shorts, and with an expensive Nikon camera hanging from their neck. It's the same in Italy.
The best advice I can give is to check out some expat community sites. Wanted in Rome is an English-language community site that I used quite a lot. There are similar communities all over Italy too!
In terms of safety, I'd recommend Americans act in a way that doesn't attract negative attention. Other than that, simply enjoy the country - that's all there is to it!
How Americans should act in ItalyMany of my classmates had parents who were employed either by the embassy, or the military - and these organisations would issue strict warnings about how Americans should conduct themselves in Italy to ensure their safety.
All this was before the 9/11 attacks, and yet the advice we received at school still applies today.
Italians are very warm and friendly people but, like any local population, can be uncertain, curious or even disgruntled by the presence of outsiders.
My school was only a few minutes away from an Italian state school and, although there were no major problems, it's fair to say our presence was less than welcome.
Many locals perceived the American kids at our school as boisterous, loud, trouble-makers (and, in fairness, some of them were!).
However, Italy is a country very familiar with foreigners, as tourism is central to its economy! Therefore visitors are made to feel very welcome.
Outside the well-lit tourist path though, I would recommend trying to draw slightly less attention to yourself. Italy is not a dangerous country, but anyone who stands out as being foreign and vulnerable will always attract opportunistic criminals.
There are plenty of cities and neighborhoods in the States that you wouldn't recommend a tourist to visit whilst wearing khaki shorts, and with an expensive Nikon camera hanging from their neck. It's the same in Italy.
The best advice I can give is to check out some expat community sites. Wanted in Rome is an English-language community site that I used quite a lot. There are similar communities all over Italy too!
