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Catholicism is the largest religion in Italy, but the government has not formally named Catholicism as the state religion. Approximately 87.8% of Italians believe in Catholicism. Italy’s Catholic Church is part of the global Roman Catholic Church.

Each Italian has a Christian name, one given by the priest when he or she was baptized as a baby. After getting married, most women change their surnames to those of their husbands; there are also some Italians who choose to use the joint surnames of both. Italians shake hands in social occasions, friends and relatives hug each other when meeting each other, and acquaintances meeting on streets wave hands to each other.

Italy has many holidays. On Sunday and during important religious festivals, most shops are closed. In August, the whole nation is off; even government organs are off duty. In winter, most seaside hotels and attractions are closed, too.

In churches or church museums, it is forbidden to wear shorts, short skirts or sleeveless tops, but shawls, scarves and other items can be used to cover shorts, short skirts or sleeveless tops. Visitors to St. Peter's Basilica and museums of Vatican have to go through a particularly stringent process of inspection and even security check. So, you should pay special attention to how you are dressed and the items you take with you.

* The above information is for reference only. For more, contact the embassy.

* For more information on visa, head to the Star Alliance website.