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

This was all from one very generous listserv member.

Below is information I gathered recently for UK Gluten-free message board 
for a teenager going to Rome.  You will find lots of specifics on Venice in 
particular in the Celiac Archives.  My impression is that the north of 
Italy has better awareness than elsewhere but I am sure you will find 
awareness evrywhere better than the US. Also rice dishes are more common in 
Venice (but be careful the rice is not cooked in pasta water). There are 
very good GF products around if you have time to find them - look at the 
Schar http://www.schaer.com and Bi-Aglut websites 
http://www.biaglut.com/prodotti/default.aspx Incidentally I have found it 
quite easy to eat gluten-free in really good Italian restaurants outside 
Italy as they know what is in their food and do not generally thicken 
sauces with flour.  Antipastas are generally OK. If in doubt go for the 
more upmarket places: the touristy places selling cheap pasta and pizza 
will be the worst.  Good Italian food is I think the best in the world, so 
you don't want to miss out!

Charlotte, Oxford, UK

Travel card:

http://www.celiactravel.com/gluten-free-cards/21-italian.html

You may need to take basics (bread, crackers and cereal), including snacks 
for the flights if you don't spend time searching for these products.

The Italian Coeliac society has quite lot of information but mostly in Italian:

http://www.celiachia.it/

Although all in Italian this page is good for the words to look out for (on 
packets of crisps, ice-creams etc). You could print this off and take it 
with you:

http://www.celiachia.it/alimentazione/dove.asp

Restaurants with gluten-free options (NB Rome is in Lazio; "Dove" means 
"where")

http://www.celiachia.it/ristoratori/ristoratori.asp?idregione=8

DS Pizza Point in Rome have Gf pizzas:

http://www.dspizzapoint.com/it/dove/9.html

icecream (gelateria):

http://www.celiachia.it/gelaterie/gelaterie.asp?idregione=8

Italian handbook to download (long):

http://www.celiachia.it/dietetici/

This lists products (in Italian only) by producer (next to phone number). 
You could write down the main names and look out for them in pharmacists 
("farmaci"), mostly Dr. Schar and Bi-Aglut (including Bi-Aglut GF lager). 
Look for the lit up green cross and ask for "Cibi senza glutine" 
(pronounced: cheebee senza gluteenay"if you don't know Italian). There are 
some excellent Italian products if you can find them, though some would 
need cooking."

"I went to Rome last year and stumbled on a central restaurant which did GF 
food. The owner was an absolute star and he did GF pizza and pasta (don't 
worry - his daughter's got CD so he knows what he's on about!) We ended up 
going most evenings and the desserts were wonderful too. Just ask for him 
and he will tell you what you can and can't have. The address is:

Al Caminetto, Via del Nazareno 3/4, 00187 Rome,Tel: 06.6793124

The pharmacies could order GF food for you but they don't as a rule tend to 
keep it on the shelves. As here, it appeared that they could get it in 
within a day."

"The oddest place I found for good GF meal was actually inside the Vatican 
complex - you have to queue up take a tour of the inside then it leads to a 
cafeteria type place."

This is my own travel card translated at: 
http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr. I always try to stress what I can eat! 
Try to learn a few phrases to say: "Non posso mangiare farina o pane" is 
the most basic.

TRAVEL Italian Restaurant card

ENGLISH


I have coeliac disease. I cannot eat gluten which is in wheat, barley, rye 
or oats. I cannot eat any bread, flour, pastas, biscuits or cake  -  not 
even the tiniest amount.

I can eat meat, vegetables, potatoes, rice, maize, butter, cheese, milk, 
fruit, oil, vinegar, sugar, wine.

Please suggest the meal that I can eat.

I appreciate your help.

ITALIAN


Ho malattia celiaca.


Non posso mangiare il glutine che è in frumento, in orzo, in segale o in avena.

Non posso mangiare alcuni pane, farina, paste, biscotti o torta - per non 
neppure l'importo più molto piccolo.


Posso mangiare la carne, verdure, patate, riso, mais, burro, formaggio, 
latte, frutta, olio, aceto, lo zucchero, vino.

Suggerisca prego il pasto che posso mangiare.

Apprezzo il vostro aiuto.

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