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In this Italy quotes post, we outline 67 inspiring quotes about Italy and Italian life in general!

Italy, with its diverse landscapes, historic sights, idyllic shores, and incredible cuisines has been captivating imaginations for centuries! So much so, in fact, that many have put pen to paper to write down their thoughts and musings of this beautiful country.

Perhaps you too are inspired to or have already visited the historic streets of Florence, the fashion capital of Milan, exploring the charming villages of Puglia, or want to explore the sights of ancient Rome. 

In this Italian quotes post, we’ve compiled a list of 67 inspiring quotes about Italy, quotes about Italians and Italian life, as well as quotes on different Italian destinations too, to hopefully inspire you to plan a visit to gorgeous Italia!

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Pssst…Have you packed all your essentials? Make sure to read our European packing list guide to ensure you’ve ticked all the packing necessities off your list!

Famous Quotes About Italy

Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. I’m pretty sure almost every person has it written down on their bucket list to visit the country at least once in their life. Here are some beautiful quotes about Italy. 

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.” – Anna Akhmatova, Poet

“Traveling is the ruin of all happiness! There’s no looking at a building after seeing Italy.” – Fanny Burney, Novelist

“One doesn’t come to Italy for niceness,” was the retort; “one comes for life. Buon giorno! Buon giorno!” – E.M. Forster

“Italy will never be a normal country. Because Italy is Italy. If we were a normal country, we wouldn’t have Rome. We wouldn’t have Florence. We wouldn’t have the marvel that is Venice.” – Matteo Renzi

“Italy is a geographical expression.” – Klemens von Metternich

“Open my heart and you will see, Graved inside of it, “Italy.” – Robert Browning, poet

“You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” – Giuseppe Verdi, composer

“The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo.” – Mark Twain, author and humorist

“What is the fatal charm of Italy? What do we find there that can be found nowhere else? I believe it is a certain permission to be human, which other places, other countries, lost long ago.” – Erica Jong, writer

“A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.” – Samuel Johnson, writer and poet

“One of the great joys of travelling through Italy is discovering firsthand that it is, indeed, a dream destination.” – Debra Levinson

“Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy.” – Bertrand Russell, philosopher

“Even now I miss Italy dearly, I dream about it every night.” – Eila Hiltunen, sculptor

“Italy offers one (of) the most priceless of all one’s possessions – one’s own soul.” – Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.” – Anna Akhmatova

“And I do believe that Italy really purifies and ennobles all who visit her. She is the school as well as the playground of the world.” – E. M. Forster

“I love the way Italy makes me feel like I’m home.” – Ilene Modica, Our Italian Journey

“For us to go to Italy and to penetrate into Italy is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery.” – D.H. Lawrence

“…is there anywhere in the world as full of beauty as Italy?” – Natalia Sanmartín Fenollera, The Awakening of Miss Prim

“Italy was where the soul went to find calm and love, and I wanted to hold the best of it in the palm of my hand.” – Lisa Brennan-Jobs

Quotes on Italy – Italian Cities & Destinations

With so many wonderful places to visit throughout Italy, it is perhaps no surprise that so many Italy quotes are centred around beautiful Italian destinations and cities. These of course include quotes on Venice, Florence, Rome, and Milan to name a few!

Quotes About Venice

Enjoy these inspiring Venice quotes. 

“Venice is eternity itself.” – Joseph Brodsky

“To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius.” – Alexander Herzen

“Paris is an ideal place to become informed, while Venice is a place to think and write.” – Pontus Hulten

“Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.” – Truman Capote

“If I were not King of France, I would choose to be a citizen of Venice.” – Henry III of France

Quotes on Rome

Hopefully, these quotes about Rome will inspire you to visit and explore the ‘Eternal City’.

“I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” – Roman Emperor Augustus

“Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.” – Giotto di Bondone

“Oh Rome! my country! city of the soul!” – Lord Byron

“Rome is a place almost worn out by being looked at, a city collapsing under the weight of reference.” – Graham Joyce

“From the dome of St. Peter’s one can see every notable object in Rome… He can see a panorama that is varied, extensive, beautiful to the eye, and more illustrious in history than any other in Europe.” – Mark Twain

Milan Quotes 

Elegant and chic Milan has been attracting both fashionistas and travellers to its fashionable streets. Read these alluring quotes about Milan to get inspired to visit too!

“In Paris, choosing a dress is a monumental decision. In Milan, it’s a kick.” – Chris Dee

“Milan is a true metropolis: strong and fearless but welcoming, too. Little by little, I came to realize that I could become someone here.” – Giorgio Armani

“My cousin Francis and I are in perfect accord – he wants Milan, and so do I.” – Charles V

“Retire me to my Milan, where every third thought shall be my grave.” – William Shakespeare

Florence Quotes

Last but not least, here are some quotes about Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance and a stunning place to visit. I’m sure these Florence, Italy quotes will give you that extra nudge to visit this beautiful historic city!

“This is the fairest picture on our planet, the most enchanting to look upon, the most satisfying to the eye and the spirit. To see the sun sink down, drowned on his pink and purple and golden floods, and overwhelm Florence with tides of colour that make all the sharp lines dim and faint and turn the solid city to a city of dreams, is a sight to stir the coldest nature, and make a sympathetic one drunk with ecstasy.” – Mark Twain

“Visiting Florence was like attending a surprise party every day.” – Jennifer Coburn

“Everything about Florence seems to be coloured with a mild violet, like diluted wine.” – Henry James

“In Paris, you learn wit, in London you learn to crush your social rivals, and in Florence you learn poise.” – Virgil Thomas

“Through these old streets I wander dreamily; Around me Florence sweeps her busy tide of life.” – William Leighton

Inspiring Quotes About Italians & Their Culture

If you’ve ever met an Italian or watched a stereotypical movie about travelling to Rome, you’ll have some sort of idea that the people are known for being lively. Not to mention spontaneous and just overall happy. Here are some inspiring quotes about Italians and how they are.

“I love places that have an incredible history. I love the Italian way of life. I love the food. I love the people. I love the attitudes of Italians.” – Elton John

“It’s in the nature of Italians to live life with a positive tone and to celebrate the invitations that come along in life. Italian food is so conducive to all of that.” – Lidia Bastianich

“Italians are fantastic people, really. They can work you over in an alley while singing an opera.” – Don Rickles

“Love and understand the Italians, for the people are more marvellous than the land.” – E. M. Forster

“Italians are very conscious of what they eat, how they eat, and its digestion.” – Lidia Bastianich

“I will never find people like the Italians… there is this spontaneity, this living life with a smile, to its fullest.” – Pavel Nedved

“The Italians have their priorities right: They’re driven, they do their work, but they really enjoy the day-to-day and they don’t put off the enjoyment of the everyday for some future goal.” – Frances Mayes

“First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Your Italy and our Italia are not the same thing. Italy is a soft drug peddled in predictable packages, such as hills in the sunset, olive groves, lemon trees, white wine, and raven-haired girls. Italia, on the other hand, is a maze. It’s alluring, but complicated. It’s the kind of place that can have you fuming and then purring in the space of a hundred meters, or in the course of ten minutes. Italy is the only workshop in the world that can turn out both Botticellis and Berlusconis.” – Beppe Severgnini, La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

Quotes About Italian Food

Pizza, pasta, wine – the Italians truly know how to do it right when it comes to all things food and drink. Here are some drool-worthy quotes about the deliciousness that is Italian food.

“First we eat, then we do everything else.” – M. F. K. Fisher, food writer

“Everything you see I owe to pasta.” – Sophia Loren, actress

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini, director

“The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.” – George Miller, director

“You can do irrefutably impossible things with the right amount of planning and support from intelligent and hardworking people and pizza.” – Scott M. Gimple, writer

“Ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around.” – Anna Quindlen, author and journalist

“In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta.” – Steve Albini, singer-songwriter

“You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.” – Yogi Berra, baseball legend

“If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant?” – Martin Scorsese, director

Beautiful Italian Quotes (With Translation)

Not only is Italy a bucket-list-worthy country filled with beautiful people and delicious food, but the language is a beauty all on its own. Here are some Italian quotes that are beautiful in every language. 

“Non puoi insegnare niente a un uomo. Puoi solo aiutarlo a scoprire ciò che ha dentro di sé.” / “You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help find it within himself.” – Galileo Galilei

“Tutte le verità sono facili da capire una volta che sono state rivelate. Il difficile è scoprirle.” / “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. What is difficult is to discover them.” – Galileo Galilei

“La semplicità è la suprema sofisticazione.” / “Simplicity is the highest form of sophistication.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

“L’arte non è mai finita, ma solo abbandonata.” / “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

“Siccome una giornata bene spesa dà lieto dormire, così una vita bene usata dà lieto morire.” / “As a day well spent brings happy sleep, so a life well lived gives happy death.”  – Leonardo Da Vinci

“La sapienza è figliola dell’esperienza.” / “Wisdom is the daughter of experience.”  – Leonardo Da Vinci

“Noi non potemo avere perfetta vita senza amici.” / “We cannot have a perfect life without friends.” – Dante Alighieri

“Se non hai mai pianto, i tuoi occhi non possono essere belli.” / “If you haven’t cried, your eyes can’t be beautiful.” – Sophia Loren

“La bellezza è come ci si sente dentro, e si riflette negli occhi.” / “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.” – Sophia Loren

“La superstizione porta sfortuna.” / “Superstition brings misfortune.” – Umberto Eco

“Se obbedisci alle regole, ti perdi tutto il divertimento.” / “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” – Katherine Hepburn

“Non aspettare. Non sarà mai il momento giusto.” / “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill