I’ve been married to an Italian for 2 years, and these men are completely different from the characters in the movies.

The Italian feels obliged to do everything possible to conquer a woman and show his best version. A woman must be able to handle all the intense flow of romantic emotions and feelings, oysters and sweets, a billion compliments and a million messages, as she is considered a queen. I think starting dating an Italian is a dream for many women. However, I have bad news for those who like the most romantic part of this phase: Italians don’t usually give bouquets of flowers, even if it’s a wedding gift.

The Italian always invites his girlfriend to a restaurant he has visited many times. The reason is simple: he certainly knows all the dishes, prices, waiters and even the head chef and the owner of the favorite establishment; feeling at ease, the Italian will be able to express himself in the best way to charm his wife.

The first date always presupposes the best dishes, fireworks and “o sole mio!” under the stars. During this period, Italians do their best to win over their lady. A recent observation: in Northern Italy, men and women tend to split the dinner bill, but Southern men prefer to pay for everything.

During the honeymoon phase, men often show their generosity through a bunch of gifts, but that doesn’t last forever. At the beginning of the relationship, my friend’s Italian boyfriend invited her, along with her parents, to Venice, since she had enough resources to impress the whole family. It was an incredible trip: gondolas, fancy restaurants, marble columns in the hotel room. But when the parents left, and the couple returned home, the man said, “Well, we’re out of money, we’re back to our routine.” It’s really hard to accept that such an important step ends so quickly.