: Meraviglioso!
: Have a great time! Don't get stabbed or anything.
Violence isn't usually a problem, but pickpockets are rampant (no pun intgendend), particularly around tourist destinations such as the Roman Forum. I was acosted by a group of children, probably aged 9-12 - they try to divert you by showing you a picture of something while another one grabs your wallet. I didn't fall for it, but a lot of people do.
And you ought to talk to your folks about their timing. Unless you're going to the Italian Alps, Italy is unbearably hot during the summer - it's really a great winter destination. We like to go in February - Carnival in Venice makes Mardi Gras look, well, really cheap. Rome is amazing - seeing the ruins makes you realize just how far civilization fell after the collapse of the Roman Empire. It basically took us until the 19th century to get back to where they were at the time. And the art in Florence is incredible. Leather goods are supposed to be cheap there, but they mark it up for the tourists and they are really hucksters when it comes to trying to get you to buy. Something tells me, however, that you don't have enough disposable income to have to worry about that.
Have a great time!
