Advice and Tips for Dating Italian Men

If you have your eyes on an Italian guy you may want to understand that there are going to be some things about him that you will need to know. In fact, anytime you date a person who is from a different cultural background there are going to be distinct differences. Knowing some of these things beforehand could help you to avoid some serious problems or conflicts later down the road. When dealing with Italian men there are some common characteristics that you should familiarize yourself with. The following are some of the most important pieces of information regarding Italian men and what you should know. Remember that these statements are general and that there is no way of knowing which guys will actually fit the profile here and which won’t.

Have You Ever Seen a Real Live Mama’s Boy?

Italian men are typically crazy about mama! She is the light of their lives and they will be the first to let you know. For this reason you better go into the relationship knowing that you will never truly be #1 in his eyes. If you are the type of person that gets jealous when your man shows someone else affection or takes other people’s sides over yours then you may want to run for the hills and pick a different guy. However, if you have no trouble with his mama then by all means go right ahead and move forward with the relationship. Try to look at “Everybody Loves Raymond” and see the relationship between Ray and his mama and how it affects his wife Deb. This may be just what you are in for.

Talk About Stubborn!

Alright, let’s be fair. I am not saying that all Italian men are stubborn but let us just say that of all the Italian men I have met, and being Italian myself, there have been many, they have all been super stuck in their ways and unbending. When an Italian guy gets something in his head, you are not going to change his mind. In fact no one will change his mind, well except maybe his mama! Some Italian men are so stubborn that they will not even budge on the meaning of a word if you show them the dictionary definition. They may even insist the dictionary is wrong or that it is a misprint. This could really wind up getting on your nerves but if you have the foresight to know that it is one of the many cultural differences you will have to accept then you will have a head start in the situation.

Italian Men Will Rock Your World

Now let us get into the good stuff. We have seen that Italian men are stubborn and that they love their mamas but just incase you were ready to click the x and run away with your tail between your legs, wait just a minute. Italian men are notoriously the best lovers around. They are romantic in spirit and know just how to make a woman feel beautiful and absolutely euphoric. Women and love are two of the most cherished concepts in the Italian culture. Just as your man loves his mama, chances are his dad and grand dad and great grand dad did too. Because of their major appreciation for women, Italian men are very in tuned to our needs and desires and they will not leave any of that out when it comes to the bedroom. Of course it does not hurt to add that Italian men are also gorgeous as I am sure you have figured out by now.

Italian Men Can Be Possessive and Protective

Italian men can be quite possessive of their women. The degree of possessiveness will depend on the individual but if you are looking for an easy going, care-free lover who will gladly accept that you want to be in an open relationship, be careful that you do not let an Italian man fall in love with you. Once an Italian man has given you his heart he considers you his to keep forever. He is not going to want to share you with anyone, not even your girlfriends in some cases. Understand that this is just a part of the Italian culture. Italian men are not notoriously abusive to women and so this may not be something you will have to worry yourself with but God help the other guy!

Italians Are Loud and Expressive People

If you have ever been to a large Italian family gathering then you may have left with a major headache. Italians love to yell and talk loudly and use wild hand gestures. Sometimes you may think that everyone in the room is getting ready to grab the steak knives and start killing each other. However, two minutes later the room is erupting with laughter. If you come from a quiet and serine household then this may scare the death out of you the first time it happens. Italians display their affection a lot of the time with pinches and even slaps to the back of each others head. Do not be alarmed if dinner begins to sound like World War III only to end with everyone crying, laughing and singing, all at the same time.

The truth is if you have found an Italian guy who really likes you then you have probably just snagged a really good catch. Italian guys are great and very loving for the most part. If you find a hot Italian guy who gives you his heart then make sure you take good care of it because chances are he is going to take good care of you, in many ways.

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  1. Ms Crawford, there is simply no way your are Italian, I cannot imagine an Italian would raise so many stereotypes about their own culture.

  2. You're right on about Italian men loving their mothers. However, Italian men brought up in Italy feel they have the right, and it is the custom, for them to have affairs even when married. It is simply their inherited culture.

  3. This article was good up until you started going into the so-called "good stuff" about Italian men and their family dynamics. I've seen nothing but arguing and screaming at dinner and this has been after 5 yrs being with my Sicilian boyfriend who is obnoxiously proud of his culture. I've never ever seen laughing after dinner or during ANY family get together. His family is only filled with drama and yelling. Even my boyfriend conveys the message to me that his family is talking about at any given time because I don't speak the language. Even HE leaves with a headache and bad attitude afterwards. Not only that, he's a huge mama's boy, which makes me feel just as the article said "You will never truly be his #1"… that part is 100% true.

    I have never seen an adult 30 year old male (or any male!) complain so much about having to do his OWN laundry, or OH MY GOD… WASH DISHES. You would think it's D-DAY. It's really unacceptable behavior and just because it's in their culture does NOT mean it's correct! I have spoken to an Italian counselor about this in fact, and those were her words. (sigh) It's useless. I have seen my boyfriends' friends and family members and the way they blatantly leave ANY AND ALL cleaning up to the woman of the house (wife, mother, etc) is appalling and sad. It's sadder that the women of this culture haven't stood up for themselves and demanded help and equality. They just feed the men. Then they have to clean up their mess. This is all my boyfriend has witnessed. I'm terrified that this is what he expects ME to become – his mama! No way in hell.

  4. I want to know everything about Italian men as I have just started talking to a new man. 🙂

    This was a great article and it makes me feel more comfortable now. Thank you!

  5. I've never read so much rubbish in all my life LOL! My 10 years first-hand experience of an Italian man is they are liars; cheats and are never faithful to their women. Even though they may look doting, looks are very deceiving.

  6. I love an Italian guy and I’m 13 but I just feel like I have no chance with him 🙁 Like one day he looked at me like if I was a Goddess and have been flirting with the looks for about two days. After, it became like before. My parents don’t let me wear makeup, do my hair straight (so it’s poufy). And I have no choice to present as me as myself. I really need some advice.

  7. Thank you so much for this article. I am an African woman and my boyfriend is an Italian, this article has helped me to understand him better so thank you.

  8. I am 100% Italian (2nd generation) and I can see slight undertones of truth about Italian men being very close to their mothers, but the mama's boy statement is a little off the mark. I see my parents once a week for a family gathering and speak with them one other time during the week. That hardly qualifies me as a mama's boy. Moreover, I simply adore my wife, cook gourmet meals for her and treat her like a goddess, make love to her like a stallion and would never even conceive of betraying her trust in any way. So, Italian men being notorious cheaters is another false stereotype. As for being stubborn, yes I am passionate about many things in life and do not prostitute my principals for anyone. However, I am open minded and always willing to change for the better.

    Additionally, anyone who argues and yells at other family members over the dinner table is very dysfunctional. Which does NOT represent the Italian culture. Lastly, I am very protective over my wife, kids and family (as anyone should be). As for being possessive, my friends and I cannot relate to that. We do not view women as an object or possession. However, it is true we love women more than life and express this through mutual respect, erotic love making and a deep passion for pleasing our woman.

  9. Everything in this article is true, I'm engaged to a very handsome Italian man, he's jealous, stubborn, loves his mama, excellent lover, and he spoiled me, he gives me everything I want and need at times we bump heads because of the different cultures, I'm Guyanese but we love each other so very much, and in the process of planning a very big wedding next summer.

  10. Pretty true. I am aussie with an Italian (ex tourist) fiance! It has been terrific and hell all at once. I have met his mamma and papa and she didnt like that her son paid me more attention and gave me more kisses than HER! She tried to sabotage our relationship but he said 'Its my life'!! Needless to say we dont get along. She is back in italy after staying here for a month and Yes I did $everything! We have a son together and another on the way. Would I recommend italian men…?!? The answer… yes, IF you are extremely patient and tolerant and stand ya damn ground. Also lots of gentleness is important. 😃

  11. I married a first generation Italian man and wished I would have read this article years ago. He kept telling me "I'm different from the rest of my family" but yep then came the part about the notorious liar part. He's a great listener, so that part is not on the mark, but being there and protecting our family… absolutely NOT. So I find out years later that he basically has a "harem". Half the time I wonder where he is and have for the most part done that our whole relationship. And his mother is NOT happy that I am not Italian, so she often belittles me, tries to get custody of the kids (claiming I am an unfit mother), and says she really wishes he would have married someone else. I wonder if that is a stereotype also :o(

  12. I'm in high school (please hold collective groans until the end) and I just started dating the Italian Foreign Exchange Student. Everywhere he goes girls practically undress themselves flirting with him and honestly I'm jealous and afraid he will cheat… But those girls aren't the only problem: I've been sexually harassed for 4 years and I am afraid to get physical.

    I have been around Foreigners my whole life (I grew up with Russians, then went to school with Norwegians, French, Spanish, Brazilians, Germans, and other Italians) so I am good with those who don't speak much English (if that means anything). Any advice is greatly appreciated!

    (You may groan now)

  13. I'm a northern Italian woman married to a northern Italian man. All things you've written don't belong to my husband, who doesn't live for his mother, he isn't loud, possessive, aggressive, all you've written is about southern Italians.

    THIS ISN'T MY LIFE.

    I could NEVER be with a man who fits your description. Please, stop writing everywhere the story of Italian guys and their mothers, my mother-in-law is nothing like you foreigners think.

    In northern Italy we're like French.

    PS. To Alceo: I'm a REAL Italian, born and raised in northern Italy.

  14. Everything written is a hundred percent true, I am an Italian man from Italy moved here when I was young but visit every year still due to so much family still there and yes I am a mommas boy and proud of it. She will always be my #1 girl always! 2, dinners are exactly as described and 3, we are possessive but not abusive and we are extremely passionate sexually and emotionally so I have to say great job on the article an anyone who disagrees clearly is not a REAL Italian. Second generation third generation is not what this article is referring to. This is about true Italian men not Americans.

  15. Oh my God, my fiancé is Italian and we are really in love. I mostly like to read and know more about Italian guys and culture, and I see most of what I’ve read here about them true, my fiancé is jealous, too much romantic that makes my eyes filled with tears sometimes as much as he tell me sweet and romantic words.

    And about possessive, umm he like to call me -mine- and you are my my most of the time.

    I don't know but I like that and I liked what I get to know about that they turn the dinner looks like world war III, Lmao.

    I also like how he love his mother. XD

  16. I have impression that Italians at home hate each other. There is little respect between children-parents and mother-father relation in northern European culture meaning. They are stubborn, not elegant mannered and often rude. They want her wife to do everything; they always have headaches or irrational problems. They are also lazy. They don't have any sophisticated topics: pasta and pizza is most important part of their life. Number one in their life is not mom but themselves.

  17. Who are you trying to kid darling? You are about as Italian as a coconut & I say that as someone who has lived in the Italian areas of FOUR major American cities & whose husband is Sicilian. All you have recited is the 1000th stereotypical ideology that Italian men are stubborn mama boys with explosive passions who are so romantic women are dropping their panties at the sound of their voice.

    In Italy there’s a term from such men. In English it’s akin to cassanova. No respectful Italian women ever willingly associates with these skirt chasers. But the skirt chasers love foreigners / or non-Italians who think all Italian men are like this and so put up with their behavior/disrespect.

    That sort of drama queen man would have his head taken off by his mother & grandmother alike for being too intense, too rude, too ignorant and too much of a crybaby. Yes Italian men may like their mothers but mothers still want them to be men & that means a) respect, b) respecting women, c) no crying on their skirts whenever the going gets tough. In fact such pansy irresponsible Italian men wouldn’t be seen as men at all… It’s why, after all, princess those involved in big businesses in Italy, etc. are distinctively cold. Lack of control, letting one’s emotions get the better of them, is the mark of a useless and/or untrustworthy man.

  18. Who are you trying to kid darling? You are about as Italian as a coconut and I say that as someone who has lived in the Italian areas of FOUR major American cities and whose husband is Sicilian. All you have recited is the 1000th stereotypical ideology that Italian men are stubborn mama boys with explosive passions who are so romantic women are dropping their panties at the sound of their voice.

    In Italy there’s a term from such men. In English it’s akin to cassanova. No respectful Italian women ever willingly associates with these skirt chasers. But the skirt chasers love foreigners/or non-Italians who think all Italian men are like this and so put up with their behavior/disrespect.

    That sort of drama queen man would have his head taken off by his mother and grandmother alike for being too intense, too rude, too ignorant and too much of a crybaby. Yes Italian men may like their mothers but mothers still want them to be men and that means a) respect, b) respecting women, c) no crying on their skirts whenever the going gets tough. In fact such pansy irresponsible Italian men wouldn’t be seen as men at all… It’s why, after all, princess those involved in big businesses in Italy, etc. are distinctively cold. Lack of control, letting one’s emotions get the better of them, is the mark of a useless and/or untrustworthy man.

  19. Well written. Dinner times can be quite a racket and I haven’t got used to it. But Italian and Sicilian people, they love to express and interact.

    Nothing wrong about that!

    Mama is a matriac. Respect it or pack your bags. Find a way to get on her good side.

    If a Italian or Sicilian man is interested in you he will pursue you. He is confident. He will buy you gifts and genuinely want to know you and what you think.

    But the minute you “give him a sign”, he will make you his. I especially like the comment about “god help the other guy”.

    Passionate and beautiful, these people will feed and befriend you and your family.
    Good in business and love to negotiate…

    If you’ve snagged yourself a spunk from the Mediterranean culture, enjoy the attention! They are really charming man’s.

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