by Francesca Di Meglio

Many readers continue to get in touch with me about a story I wrote more than four years ago about Italian men. Most of the people who write to me are women trying to win the heart of an Italian man. Finally, I decided that it was time to write an article on how to do just that. Some of these tips will serve you well in any relationship. Of course, some of these suggestions are based on generalizations about Italian men; you might want to modify the list for your unique Italian man. If you want to get started, read on to discover 25 ways to woo an Italian man:

1. Be nice to his mom - and other relatives. Family is important to most Italians.

2. Cook Italian food for him with your own two hands.

3. Tell him how beautiful and wonderful he is.

4. Walk away when he's cranky. Let him pout and try talking to him after he's had time to get over whatever is bothering him.

5. Send him sexy and/or romantic text messages (known as SMS messages in Italy).

6. Have a glass of wine waiting for him when he gets home from work.

7. Have his mom or nonna teach you how to make his favorite meal - and then make it for him.

8. Give him a passionate kiss unexpectedly. Be affectionate often.

9. Stand up for yourself when you must. Do not let him - or anyone else - walk all over you.

10. Be jealous within reason. Remember, there's a fine line between being a psycho and protective of your relationship. On the other hand, if some other woman is trying to woo your Italian man, you have to let everyone know he belongs to you. He'll appreciate knowing that you want him - as long as you don't step over to the psycho side.

11. Bring him to meet your family - once you're serious and committed to one another.

12. Play "L'Italiano" when he enters the room.

13. Dance cheek to cheek.

14. Take care of yourself. Italians are big on the "bella figura," the impression you give to people based mostly on your outer appearance. Although this line of thinking sounds superficial, bella figura is ingrained in the Italian culture. That's not going to change, so we have to accept it if we want to be with an Italian. Groom yourself, work out, and dress well to score points. You'll feel great about yourself, too.

15. Eat with your man. No salads for you. Be adventurous with what you eat. Enjoy every bite. Critique the meal with him. It's an Italian pastime.

16. Let him pay. Italian men still believe it's their job to pay for women, not even just their romantic partners but even female friends and relatives.

17. Speak Italian. Do your best to learn the language - or at least key phrases such as "Baciami," which means "Kiss me" and "Ti amo," which means "I love you."

18. Make sure your Italian man knows he's your top priority and your one and only.

19. Be easy going. In any relationship, if you're too high maintenance, you risk driving away the other person.

20. Take him on a trip to the homeland. Rome, Venice, and Florence are all possibilities because just about anywhere you go in Italy is ultra romantic.

21. Offer to play Italian games with him. Neapolitan card games such as, Scopa, or Tombola, which is Italian bingo are lots of fun.

22. Discover the wonders of espresso. Have Sambuca on hand for when he wants a tazzina di caffe.

23. Make a gift for him to show your love. Even just a card that you made with your own two hands, reminds him of his home, and is written in Italian would warm his heart.

24. Show off your talents - from making a business deal to making tomato sauce from scratch.

25. Be nurturing and loving and natural. If your caring self shines through, a worthy Italian man will notice - and never let you go. That should be true regardless of the nationality of your love object.

Di Meglio is the Newlyweds guide at About.com. You can also discover more information on all things Italian at www.francescadimeglio.com.

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