Things to know before dating an italian guy

Believe the stereotypes: dating an Italian involves plenty of passionate – bordering on deranged – arguments, an interfering mother-in-law and at least one other woman or toy boy hiding behind the scenes. So why would anyone date an Italian? Here’s 14 reasons why.

They’ll wine and dine you

Socialising in Italy inevitably revolves around food, and dating is no different. Even a casual first date is the perfect excuse to grab pizza and fritti at a local pizzeria or get to know each other over an aperitivo. Prepare to put on a few pounds.

It doesn’t matter if you take ages to get ready

Italians are notoriously bad timekeepers so if you spend ages doing your hair or picking spinach out of your teeth before a big date, it’s no big deal – they’re not going to be ready on time either.

Compared to their British counterparts who get hitched at an average age of 27.9, Italians don’t marry until their 30s. The average age for a first wedding in Italy is 34 for men and 31 for women. So if you like to take things slow, Italians are on the same wavelength.

Your sex life will thank you

It’s not just a cliché that Italians are good in bed – the statistics prove it. One poll that called English lovers ‘too lazy’ put Italians in the top three nationalities for lovemaking. Some scientists even say a rampant sex life is helping Italians live longer.

Regularly topping the polls as the world’s sexiest, the Italian accent conjures up fantasies of sultry summer flings and passionate liaisons played out against the backdrop of the bel paese. CNN went as far as calling the lingo ‘sex as a second language’ – even talking about the weather Italians sound hot.

You get a free language coach

From mastering a million verb tenses and deciphering complicated conjugations, learning Italian is not easy. Having a native speaker at your disposal can only help you master the perfect pronunciation and pick up useful vocabulary.

To see more of the bel paese

Even if your Italian beau doesn’t live in Italy, that’s no excuse not to discover their homeland. The country was only unified in 1871 so regional identities remain strong, contrasting greatly from north to south. In short, there’s a lot to discover.

You’ll be invited to feast with the in-laws

Once things get serious, you’ll no doubt be invited to dine with the family. They might tell you it’s a just simple Sunday lunch, but there’ll still be mountains of prosciutto, three different kinds of pasta, grilled veggies and a meat or fish course – all followed by dessert, of course. It’s just mamma’s way of showing she cares.

To get an Italian mother in-law

Speaking of Italian mothers, they’re usually seen as overbearing and interfering, raising clingy and ill-equipped-for-life mammoni, or mummy’s boys. If the stereotype happens to be true and you don’t want to look after a man, great – mamma will take care of that! More likely though, is that her years of experience mean she’ll be your go-to person when you need a heart-to-heart or the type of life-clarifying advice you can only get from a mother – particularly if yours is miles away in another country.

They’re beautiful, inside and out

Italians are well known for their sultry good looks, but what’s on the inside counts too. Making a good impression, known as la bella figura, dictates every aspect of how Italians act. Italians will not only dress to impress, they’ll also be kind, considerate and display the upmost charm in order to avoid making a figuraccia– a bad impression.

To help you navigate Italian bureaucracy

Starting a new life in another country means a whole load of organisation and life admin to wade through. The language barrier can make even simple tasks like opening a bank account seem daunting, but throw in Italian bureaucracy and you’ll be pining for your homeland in no time. Having someone with experience of cutting through red tape makes registering for residenza at the comune that much easier.

If your in-laws approve, they’ll want to help you and hubby out whenever they can. Many Italians, particularly older generations, have second homes at the beach or in the mountains for the whole family to enjoy. If you’re really lucky, there might even be a vacant apartment in need of some rent-free tenants.

Italian weddings are awesome

If all goes well, you might feel like getting hitched. Italian weddings are multi-course extravaganzas serving only the best Italian dishes and with fine wines flowing freely. As well as a wedding cake, there’s often an entire buffet of desserts to indulge in. Wash it down with a grappa or limoncello and dance the night away.

And if it doesn’t go quite so well, have no fear, there’s plenty more fish in the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, young Italians are practically Tinder professionals – with Rome in particular making it into the top 10 most active European locations for Tinder.