I'm flying a Mavic Air. Flying was fun indeed; the Italians are so relaxed and that's why I love the country. I flew right under the noses of local police. In the fountain scene, there is a police station on the right. The building left of the cathedral appears to be city hall and had an armed guard at the door, in the port scene I launched right in front of the harbour police station.
The key is, to use a small "toyish" drone and make it all look naturally and as a matter of course. That works just fine off-season in the lesser destinations. After all, you're basically not doing anything wrong. BTW, in Italy you need insurance and it's a good idea to carry proof of that.
I wouldn't recommend droning in areas where they're really watching out for terrorism, like the highly frequented areas in Rome, the Vatican, Venice, or places like the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa for example. Those are definetely no-fly-zones, and they're enforced. (Photo taken with the soldier's permission!)
©2017 Folker Wulff
Interesting... So I have a Mavic Pro, which is small but still large (and loud) enough to get on others peoples nerves. I saw the air and thought the size did look better and less attention (negative) grabbing. Glad to hear the Italians were so chilled about it. I am always very aware of flying anywhere near people with guns or target areas, just happened that most of Roma was such an area! Good idea to ask permission :)
P.S - I have tagged you in a recent post I did about a website that you will certainly find useful - as you travel with your drone. Look forward to seeing more of your stuff