Electrical plugs in Italy

I have traveled to Italy more than 3 times, and stayed in numerous hotels. I have never needed anything but a "C" adapter, as is used elsewhere in Europe.
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/electric-adapters-converters

Never had any problems with my EU adaptor plug in France, Germany, Austria and Rome. But, the hotel in Florence had older wiring and my EU plug would not fit. Couldn’t charge my phone, IPAD, hair iron etc, but the reception staff rustled through a box of adaptors and found plugs that would work.

The thing that makes it a type L plug is the center ground pin. Unless you really need a ground, all you need is a Type C two pin adapter. It will fit in a type L outlet as well as the more common type C.

The same really goes for most of mainland Europe, while there are a number of grounding schemes and even shapes of the outlet opening, a simple Type C adapter, like what you can get at Target or Walmart, work pretty much universally for the low wattage electronics you travel with.

a simple Type C adapter... work[s] pretty much universally for the low
wattage electronics

"low wattage" is the key here. Technically, the type C plug is limited by codes to 2½ amps, 575 watts at 230V. That should be enough for most hair curlers, but not enough for a hair dryer.

Also, in the past (I had one), some supposed "type C" adapters were made with 4.8mm pins. They fit in German and French Schuko receptacles in northern Europe, but not in 4.0mm receptacles in Switzerland and Italy.

Also, in the past (I had one), some supposed "type C" adapters were made with 4.8mm pins.

The outlets with 4.8 mm pins are higher power (10-16 Amps), for appliances, for which you would use the larger pin adapter. Both for whatever logic are Type C. The normal size pin adapters work in both outlets, the large pin only in the higher power outlets.

With the smaller pin adapter, and using a hair dryer, yes, you can trip a breaker if it is a standard low power outlet, if the outlet is higher power, then no harm, everything will work fine, the adapter can handle the wattage.

An addition: This is also why sometimes your adapter seems really loose in an outlet sometimes, the outlet is likely a higher power outlet.

Thanks for explaining the 2 different pin sizes. We had both adapters in our luggage for a trip to the Puglia region of Italy. We stayed in private apartments and had to use both sizes. Just learned that ones without up graded wiring needed the smaller pin. Guess we will carry both sized adapters on future trips. Who knew!

Both for whatever logic are Type C.

The small pin, 2½ amp, Type C, called the Europlug, is defined by CEE 7/16. The higher amperage Type C plug is defined by CEE 7/17.

From the World Standards website,

Appliances that do not require earthing, but which are high
energy-consuming, are almost always fitted with this kind [CEE 7/17] of plug
(e.g. hair dryers, bathroom heaters, vacuum cleaners, etc.).

Note, it says "appliance" not adapters. It is my understanding that these plugs are hard-wired to a specific appliance that has been approved by regulatory agencies for this kind of plug (it probably has something to do with double insulated). I don't think that the regulations apply to adapters, because you can never be sure of what kind of appliance is plugged into them. But I think that UL, if they approved adapters, would say that any adapter that accepted a three prong US plug would have to have a grounding plug, which neither Type C (neither CEE designation), have.

Type C "Europlug" plugs are widely used in most of Europe for small, ungrounded appliances (e.g. phone, iPad). The diameter comes in a range of 4 - 4.8 mm, and the two-pins spacing also comes in a range of 17.5 - 18.6 mm apart.

Italy has two variants of Type L plug: diameter/spacing of 4mm/19mm (10 A current, e.g. phone), and 5mm/26mm (16 A current, e.g. hair dryer)

Northen Europe Type F plug (Schuko plug): diameter/spacing of 4.8mm/19mm.

These variations explain why sometime you might find the fitting a bit loose or unstable for Type C plug. Beside the variation in dimensions; sometime it's simpy because the wall sockets can be worn, especially in older ones in Italy (which I encoutered many times). I started to pack some masking tape for my European trips; which I use to hold the plug to the wall socket when this happened.

I almost agree with you except that the "Europlug" (CEE 7/16) has only 4mm pins. It's called the Europlug because it can be used in any receptacle in Europe, some of which, in southern Europe, Italy and Switzerland, cannot take pins larger that 4mm. The higher amperage, Type C, CEE 7/17), is NOT a Europlug, and it's pins are 4.8mm diam., too big for southern Europe receptacles.

BTW, it's easy to tell if you have 4mm or 4.8mm plugs. Compare them to 3/16" and 5/32" drill bits; they are only about one thousandth of an inches smaller than 4.8 and 4.0 mm diam. pins respectively. If you don't have a calipers, use a crescent wrench.