Our family of four travelled to Italy this summer. Three of us are vegetarians - we don't eat anything that used to have a face! We had no problems even though alot of Italian dishes did have meat or stock with meat or fish. I would strongly suggest keeping those phrases handy - we found the waiters to be very helpful.

Just an aside to some of the other posters. I haven't eaten meat in 10 years and have been informed by a dietian that it indeed can make you ill. If your system is not accustomed to something and it is introduced your body will probably react with severe abdominal cramps (particularly with protein).

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Il Vegetariano in Florence is on my list, and I have already made reservations for Sunday brunch at Margutta Vegetariano in Rome (my first time speaking Italian with an actual Italian person).

flanneruk~ I appreciate your thoughts that a cookbook would not be helpful at all, as each cook does whatever they want. Believe me, I know that, as I am of Italian heritage and was taught to cook by my Italian grandmother.

My idea was not that it would guarantee an item to be vegetarian, but might sort out certain dishes that definitely would contain meat or stock.

HI nicegirl512--gelato has raw eggs as an ingredient. I saw that you mentioned being willing to eat cheese, but I did not notice if you mentioned your position on eating eggs.

In Tahiti I refused to eat one of the pork dishes at a luau and the Tahitian girl loudly acclaimed.....YOU NO EAT PEEEG?
I said, no, I no eat peeeg.

It has become a family joke when I refuse some kind of red meat.

I guess she exclaimed, not acclaimed.

I am a confessed "steak eating" vegetarian. I eat a filet steak about 4 times a year. Most soups in my experience will have a chicken or beef broth. This will NOT upset your system. Eating a peice of meat contrary to what MK2 states can make you feel a bit unwell if you have not eaten it for years as your stomach I think stops producing the enzymes to break meat down. Maybe Rex can clarify this as a Dr. If I eat meat after a year its harder to digest and I feel full for ages.

I Never eat fish as the taste outs me off and I have always had an aversion to iit unfortunately but If its used for broth I never got sick from eating it.

For me it has nothing to do with Animals just went off it over the years since I was young. SOmeone once said maybe I am allergic to fish as I have such an aversion to it, who knows. I certainly do not starve to death I am still a food lover!