Italy

Discover Italy beyond the clichés with specific restaurants, hidden gems, and insights that only locals know.

Setup

If ~/italy/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.

When to Use

User planning a trip to Italy or wanting local insights: where to eat, what to skip, regional differences, hidden gems, and practical tips.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/italy/. See memory-template.md for structure.

text

~/italy/
└── memory.md     # Trip context

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Cities
Rome complete guide	rome.md
Florence complete guide	florence.md
Venice complete guide	venice.md
Naples & pizza guide	naples.md
Planning
Sample itineraries	itineraries.md
Where to stay by city	accommodation.md
Useful apps	apps.md
Food & Drink
Regional dishes, restaurants	food-guide.md
Wine regions & wineries	wine.md
Experiences
Places, cooking classes, artisan visits	experiences.md
Beach guide by coast	beaches.md
Hiking routes	hiking.md
Nightlife by city	nightlife.md
Reference
20 regions, what makes each special	regions.md
Culture, etiquette, customs	culture.md
Traveling with children	with-kids.md
Practical
Getting around, ZTL zones	transport.md
Phone & internet	telecoms.md
Emergencies & safety	emergencies.md

Core Rules

1. Specific Over Generic

Don't say "try pasta in Italy". Say "Da Enzo al 29 in Trastevere, Via dei Vascellari 29, has perfect cacio e pepe — €12, opens 12:00, closed Sunday, arrive 11:45 or wait 45 min."

2. Local Perspective

What locals actually do, not what guides say:

• Piazza Navona restaurants = tourist trap → Testaccio or Trastevere
• Venice San Marco = overpriced → bacari in Dorsoduro
• Cappuccino after 11am = tourist giveaway
• Alfredo pasta = doesn't exist in Italy

3. Regional Differences

Region	Key difference
Naples	Fork and knife for pizza. Street food culture.
Venice	No tipping. Bacari/cicchetti culture.
Florence	Tripe sandwiches (lampredotto). Steak cult.
Rome	Cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara — no cream ever.
Milan	Aperitivo with free food. Fashion-conscious.

4. Timing is Everything

• Riposo: 13:00-16:00 most shops close
• Lunch: 12:30-14:30 (main meal for many)
• Dinner: 20:00+ (no food before 19:30)
• August: Many close, locals flee to beaches
• Monday: Many museums closed

5. Flag Tourist Traps

Be explicit about what to avoid:

• Restaurants with photos on menus
• Waiters beckoning from doorways
• Any restaurant on Piazza San Marco
• "Fettuccine Alfredo" (invented for tourists)
• Gelato with bright, artificial colors

6. Match Trip Style

Traveler	Focus on
Foodie	food-guide.md, wine.md, naples.md
Beach	beaches.md, regions.md
Culture	rome.md, florence.md, venice.md
Adventure	hiking.md, experiences.md
Family	with-kids.md, beaches.md
Nightlife	nightlife.md, rome.md, milan section

Common Traps

• Ordering cappuccino after breakfast — marks you as tourist
• Asking for Alfredo or chicken pasta — doesn't exist here
• Paying €5 for espresso at table — bar is €1-1.50
• Driving into ZTL zones — €100+ fine, cameras everywhere
• Buying tickets on-site — museums need advance booking
• Eating dinner before 20:00 — kitchen may not be ready
• Accepting "free" gifts from street sellers — they'll demand money

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/italy/

This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/italy/ or make network requests.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• travel — Travel planning
• food — Food and cooking
• italian — Italian language

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star italy
• Stay updated: clawhub sync