What is the currency in use in Italy?
The Italian Lira , unique as it was for its tiny value and romantic appeal, is now a thing of the past. The currency used in Italy is now the uniform currency of most of the European Union, the Euro. It is calibrated in denominations of: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro notes, and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent coins. Five key countries – including Italy – engrave the Euro notes which are uniform throughout the Union. Each country, however, is represented with a different design on the reverse side of the coins. For example, Dante and Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man are featured on the Italian version of the coins. No matter which country’s Euros you happen to have in your pocket, they are the same size, worth exactly the same value and can be used interchangeably in all Euro-based countries. The Euro is now about equal to 1.20 US dollar (last updated January 2006). If it’s 100 Euros, it’s about $120. An excellent site for currency conversions is www.xe.com.
