Air quality in Italian cities

In nearly a years travel in Europe I cannot remember ever having any problems. But I am sure that there maybe situations where the air could be bad for a day or two. But we have never encountered bad air.

I’ve been to Italy 3 times and I have never noticed any difference in the air from here in America.

The air in Venice is particularly good, due to the absence of cars.

While I do not have asthma, I live in the mid South in the US which means nearly year round pollen alerts and allergies. I have had no problems traveling to Italy in either the spring (go figure!) or the fall. As someone said above, that doesn't mean that there couldn't be a one or two day weirdness, but I find it way easier to breathe in Italy than I do in the States.

I'd take my asthma meds along, of course.

I actually got quite sick during my vacation in Italy. No matter where I walked I was breathing in car fume exhaust. I didn't have a lot of time to explore so I kept going instead taking some time to rest away from traffic. And of course I chose to eat outside in traffic zones. Poor planning.

I have asthma and always travel with my rescue inhaler (in addition to my daily Advair dispenser). I have been to Italy 4 times in the past 8 years and never had a problem. Never once needed my rescue inhaler. I visited cities like Rome, Naples and Florence, and the villages with farm animals and fields. I’ve visited in fall and summer. I thought I would have issue due to the dank older buildings and more generous smoking policies but no. I have more trouble in my hometown than anywhere else I’ve been. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.

No issues that I've ever noticed. Been awhile since I've been to Venice but practically the entire historic center is pedestrianized as well as parts of Florence and Rome. Other parts have traffic limitations. That keeps the exhaust fumes down MUCH more than in American cities.

With the Med on one side and the Adriatic Sea on the other, air quality is okay other than livestock odors in the countryside.
Venice does have a definite "lake" smell--kind of like dead fish. But it is not a car pollution odor.

Cities with poor air quality in Italy are concentrated in the industrial north and Rome.
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/health-impact-assessment/activities/integrating-health-in-environmental-assessments/health-impact-assessment-of-air-pollution-in-italian-cities

The results of this study, carried out by WHO/Europe in the eight
largest Italian cities (Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples,
Palermo, Rome and Turin), confirm the findings from several
investigations worldwide: in large cities of industrialized countries,
a sizeable proportion of several adverse health outcomes, including
mortality, is due to air pollution.

For the eight largest Italian cities, the estimates suggest that there
are thousands of excess deaths, hospital admissions, cases of
bronchitis and other respiratory conditions compared to the rates that
can be predicted at lower PM10 concentrations.

https://www.lifegate.com/people/news/air-pollution-europe-eea

Air pollution. Italy is Europe’s most polluted country

Particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide. Europe’s air quality is
significantly threatened by these pollutants, mostly in urban centres,
according to the latest report of the European Environment Agency
(EEA), entitled Air Quality in Europe 2015. It examines the European
population’s exposure to air pollutants and provides a snapshot of air
quality based on data provided by official monitoring stations across
Europe.

Updated report from the one cited:
https://www.eea.europa.eu//publications/air-quality-in-europe-2017

Thanks for all the replies! Good information and advice!!

The only place I noticed any pollutants was in Rome with all of the cars, busses, and trucks. It wasn't too bad, but it was noticeable especially later in the evening when I wanted to have my hotel window open.