What to know about electricity in Rome
The electrical current in Italy is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs, mostly 3 prongs with 2 different sizes like in the picture below.
The central prong is the "ground", and it's mandatory only for certain devices (basically, the ones with a metal chassis and never for the all-plastic ones).
So you will find 3 holes in the sockets (with 2 different sizes, the smaller being allowed to up 10 Amperes and the bigger being allowed to up 16 Amperes) but a 2 prongs plug, both big and smaller, will work properly.
But in Italy there is also another plug used on many devices (such as hairdrayer, iron...), and it is the German/French type, also called "Schuko".
This plug has two prongs which, while being spaced from each other as those of the Italian plug 10 A, are larger and therefore does not enter into the sockets of Italian type and the connection with the ground is realized by two side tabs. For these reasons, these plugs require special sockets, equipped with side metal contacts for the ground.
So, in modern apartment in Rome the socket will probably look like this:
And the schuko plug can be also connected to a normal italian socket using and adapter like this one:
And viceversa an italian plug can also be coonected to a schuko socket using this other kind of adapter:
If all that is too overwelming, don't bother yourself too much and just consider making a small investment in a universal adapter, which has several types of plugs in one lightweight, compact unit.
Remeber that this adapter does not convert voltage
Most laptops and mobile phone chargers are dual voltage (i.e., they operate equally well on 110 and 220 volts), so require only an adapter like the one above.
These days the same is true of small appliances such as hair dryers. Always check labels and manufacturer instructions to be sure. Don't use 110-volt outlets marked "for shavers only" for high-wattage appliances such as hair dryers.
Note that straightening irons from the United States don't heat up very well and tend to blow a fuse even with correct adapters.
Hair dryers and curling irons are the bane of modern day travel. These devices cannot often be used in dual voltage situations without voltage conversion. So you need a power converter
They are extremely high current devices, meaning that combined with the high voltage, they use a whole lot of power (current times voltage = power). You'll need to lug a large power converter or power transformer to convert Italy's higher voltage to the lower American voltage--or you'll risk having the curling iron really curl (meaning "fry") your hair.
Frequent travelers will want to simply buy one of these devices in Europe to avoid carrying both the device and the converter around. They aren't expensive in Italy. Most hotels and rental properties supply proper hair driers so you probably won't need to bring your own.
If you buy a power converter, make sure its power rating meets or exceeds the power rating of the single device you will use with it. This information is usually found on the body of the device near the power cord.
Note that straightening irons from the United States don't heat up very well and tend to blow a fuse even with correct adapters, as do American hair drayers.
Recap: for sure you will need a plug adapter and probably you will need a power converter aswell.
