I have a general question. Just curious. Is life for single women living on their own in Italy as easy as it is here in the U.S.?? I have felt that some Italian men are a bit chauvanistic compared to men in the U.S. (I do hope that most Italian men are not like Berlusconi!) Do single women have opportunities for meaningful work and do they get respect in general in public if they are not accompanied by a man?

Well, I'll let a woman answer to most of your questions, but I think I can answer at least to the last one: there is no need for a woman to be accompanied by a man to get respect, neither in public nor in other occasions and/or places.
:)

I know of 2 women who live in Italy and have great jobs and are very respected in their proffession.

Ciao Ed

I know an American lady that went to school in Rome in the late 1960's.(Her mother was Italian and her father American.)
She had long beautiful hair. Said the Italian men would not leave her alone when she went out in public by herself. They would
say rude things and even try to touch her hair.(Lasciami in pace! Vada via cretino!) When she went out with a man they would leave her alone.
Is it different in Rome now? Anybody know?

Tu sai in cetain parts of downtown Los Angeles I could see things like this happening even today.

But do You think we still live in the medio Evo period?
God... you really lived in Italy or what?