The Country

Italy, or Italian Republic, as it’s officially known, is the boot shaped nation you see in your world atlas. This democratic republic is the byproduct of the Risorgimento consolidation, a period where all the warring remnants of the former Roman Empire were brought to heel and unified under a single banner.

The country of 60 million is governed by the Council of Ministers, headed by the Council President who is also the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers is chosen from an elected 945 strong Chamber of Deputies and Senate of The Republic.

The Republic’s official language is Italian and although there are no official religions prescribed in the constitution, over 80% of Italians consider themselves as Roman Catholics. It is worth noting that there are more Italian speakers outside of the country, owing to the flourishing Italian communities the world over.

Relationship With An Italian Woman

The sense of history, the aura of violence and the timeless quality of its ancient monuments - bearing testament to all that have lived and loved in the forgotten annals of this storied land’s history - over the scorching heat of the summer sun will inevitably stoke the raging torrent of passion in any red-blooded male. A man suddenly becomes more prone to fall in love, more virtuous in nature and most importantly, for probably the first time in their lives, throws caution to the wind.

The Italian maidens with their legendary ardor, fiery passion and their personification of the perfect feminine image as defined by the western world (Claudine Auger anyone?), causes these poor, semi-coherent, sun-baked and overly tanned men to fall ever so hopelessly in love with them.

You start with the proposal. Typically, in the land of romance, men are expected to serenade their proposal to the prospective bride; although grooms sometimes take the easier alternative of employing professionals for this and at times, even forego it completely and settle for the ol’ bended knee routine.

Once she accepts, a date for the wedding will be set and engagement rings are exchanged. The groom will then carry a piece of iron on his self until the wedding day as a ward against evil and mischief. There is also the small matter of dowry from the bride’s side, although this tradition is almost extinct now.

On the wedding day, the bride will wear a white gown and her faced veiled, as they believe that letting the groom see her face would invite misfortune. The wedding will be held at the local church where the groom will wait. The father will accompany the bride for the walk to the podium. The minister would then read a passage from the Bible and proceed to bless the couple and legalize the marriage in the eyes of God.

The ceremony is concluded with the release of a pair dove in to the air. As the newlywed exits the church, guest will shower the couple with confetti, rice and sugar coated almonds (though this has been in decline over the years as the almonds causes bruising, swelling and internal hemorrhaging).

In the ensuing wedding reception, the best man officiate the event with a toast of 100 years of happiness (per cent’anni). Other guests join in with the toasting and it is customary for them to plant a few kisses for luck, on BOTH of them. The feast will consist of sugar, carbs, sugar, carbs-based soups, sugar, espresso and the wedding cake (carbs AND sugar).
As everyone starts to join in the compulsory circle dance under the furious tarantella beats, the newlyweds shatters a glass and count the number of broken pieces as it is believe it will indicate the number of years the couple will spend together.

Regulation

Foreigners marrying an Italian are required to furnish copies of their identification, evidence of termination of previous marriage (if any) and an atto notorio declaration (where four people must signed an affidavit stating that you are legally eligible to marry). An Italian Consular Officer must translate the documents into Italian. These documents are then presented to the Ufficiale di Stato Civile (Civil Registrar) and two adults must be present to bear witness to the ceremony. The marriage announcement will then be posted at the Civil Registrar notice board for two weeks before the marriage is ratified.