If these are your expectations, here are 10 things you should know on Italian men before your departure (and must remember once you arrive at your destination in case you decide to embark on a romantic Italian adventure…)

1) Italian men are romantic and passionate.

False: you can surely still find some men representing this category on the Italian territory. But they are dying out. So consider that meeting one while on vacation is more or less equivalent to winning the lottery.

2) The Italian man is a mama’s boy.

True. a mother is always a mother; therefore, it is better to know right away that you will never stop competing with her. Especially in the kitchen.

3) All Italian men love soccer.

False: certainly not all men. However, for the record, there are some who support their team in a manner so encompassing to touch the peaks of fanaticism similar to religious integralism.

4) Italian men are jealous.

It is impossible to generalize. However, a research conducted by the University of Pisa seems to tell us that it is True. And surprisingly, it reveals that men in Northern Italy are even more jealous than those in the South!

5) The way to an Italian man’s heart is through his stomach: a nice plate of pasta or pizza will win him over. Ok, it seems trivial but we’ll say it anyway. False: Italians do not only eat complex carbohydrates.

6) Italian men cannot wait to “settle down” with a nice girl.

Yes, but in the 1950’s. The road to the altar today is a long and winding one, littered with doubts as well as “existential crisis” and “I’m still too young”. And the young in Italy are also over 40 years of age.

7) Italian men are very explicit, speak loudly and gesticulate a lot.

False. Some Italian men achieve certain levels of hermeticism that in the attempt to pull out any type of statement, a woman could even lose her mind.

8) Italian men are creative and have artistic talent.

Unfortunately, no. There are many men in Italy that do not write poems, draw very badly, cannot sing and do not know how to play the mandolin.

9) It’s best not to trust an Italian man.

False. Even Italian men know how to be faithful and reliable. For example, they would do anything to not disappoint or betray a friend. You, however, when in doubt, do not trust too much.

10) The Italian man is handsome, has a strong character but also knows how to be affectionate and has an irresistible irony.