<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thank you to all who responded for such thoughtful answers and wonderful news about how easy it is to still enjoy food in Italy, even if GF! Here is my summary, by topic area, to make it easier for others to reference in the future...


ITALY AND CELIAC DISEASE
Celiac disease has high prevalence in Italy.  Italians are quite aware of celiac and I understand that children are tested when they are very young because the disease is so prevalent.  I think you will be surprised and comforted by their understanding of the problem.   
When my son traveled to Italy I got him the book "The Gluten-Free Guide to Italy." It lists restaurants, stores to buy GF items, etc. for towns all over Italy. He found it very helpful.  Here is the link:   http://www.gfguideny.com/homegfguideitaly.html
http://www.celiactravel.com/gluten-free-holiday.html
has some other information including a guest house in Lake Garda.


GF FOOD/PRODUCTS
In Italy they sell gluten free food through the pharmacies, which are everywhere.  If you need something they don't have on the shelf, you can order it and it is usually at the store for you to pick up within 24 hours. This includes gf beer, pasta, and pizza shells.  You can often carry the pizza shells or pasta into restaurants and they will prepare it for you.

Most ‘farmacias’ with the green cross have some gluten free products there; you may have to ask for them as they might be in the back of the store.  The larger pharmacies are more apt to have a bigger selection.  Many of them carry Schaar, which makes really good Gf products. I found that there are rice cakes in many stores and that worked well for snacks or picnicking after going to an open market. 
The following website is to BiAglut products, you may search to see which grocery stores have their products.  http://www.biaglut.it/en/home/

I found the Billa stores have a few gluten free products also.  http://www.billa.it/Layouts/dd_bi_startseite.aspx?folderId=118340&pageId=1110526                                             


GF RESTAURANTS
Many restaurants have gluten free pasta or there is a polenta option that is almost always gluten free. Remember, risotto can easily replace pasta and is readily available. 
Not all gelato is gluten free.  I had to ask at each place.  Grom is a chain that has heavenly gelato, sometimes a bit more expensive but they have gluten free stuff.  Some gelato places have gluten free cones, what a luxury that was.  http://www.grom.it/eng/index.php.


Italy was easy to eat in.  The Italian celiac society has a webpage which lists restaurants that have GF menus.  Most any sit-down restaurant could accommodate me.  I just took a card I printed off the internet explaining it, but they were familiar with it.


ITALIAN GF/CELIAC LANGUAGE
Celiac in Italian is ‘celiaco’ (che lee' a co).  Gluten free is ‘senza glutine.’

Here are a couple of Italian texts (with English translations) that I have kept from other posts about traveling to Italy:

“I am very allergic to gluten. I cannot eat food prepared with wheat, rye, barley, oats and all their derivatives: meaning anything containing flour, bread, pasta, or semolina. The following are allowed: mais, mais starch, potatoes, potato starch, pulse, meat, fruit, vegetables, corn, and rice if prepared without using derivatives from forbidden cereals. Thank you!Please be also careful that there aren't any traces of gluten in the sauce (flours, glutamate, bouillon, grain starch).”

“Non parlo Italiano. Ho una seria allergia al glutine. Non posso mangiare cibi preparati con grano, segale, orzo, avena e tutti i loro derivati: dunque tutto cir che contiene farina, pane, pasta, semolino, o che contiene "aromi naturali". Sono permessi mais e amido di mais, riso, patate e fecola di patate, legumi, carne, frutta e verdure, purchi siano preparati senza usare derivati dei cereali proibiti. Possopero mangiare cibi che contengono riso e grantusco. Grazie!” 


Also, here is another translation: 

“Here is my GF pasta.  Please cook it in a clean pan using clean utensils, clean water, etc. and
use with (whichever sauce you have determined is GF). "

“ECCO LA MIA PASTA SENZA GLUTINE.  POTREBBE CUOCERLA PER ME IN UNA PENTOLA A PARTE USANDO NUOVA ACQUA, UNO SCOLAPASTA PULITO ED UN CUCCHIAIO PULITO (ANCHE LA TRACCIE DI GLUTINE MI FANNO MALE).  MI RACCOMANDO ANCHE CHE NON CI SIANO TRACCIE DI GLUTINE NEL CONDIMENTO (FARINE, GLUTAMMA, DAD, AMIDO DI GRANO)."

Grazie,  Jessica from Seattle

Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC