To say that bread is an important part of the Italian daily-life and culture would be a huge understatement!

There was just an interesting statistic on RAI Television: 4 out of  5 Italians will buy bread and eat bread every day.  In fact, when you go to most any restaurant, they will usually charge you a "pane e coperto", a service charge for the "bread and cover" for preparing the table, which of course includes some fresh bread to enjoy.  Depending on the place, it usually runs a few Euros per person.  

Oddly enough, the dark bread is still not as popular in Italy, despite its health benefits.  Look at all the words that derive from bread

• Pane - bread
• Panificio - bakery
• Pangrattato - bread crumbs
• Panino - A toasted sanwich, usually with prosciutto and tomato
• Pane di spagna - sponge cake
• Pane tostato - Toasted Bread
• Panettone - a sweet bread loaf, almost like fruit cake, popular during Christmas time
• Pane bianco - white bread
• Panettiere - baker
• Panificatore - baker

Shortage of Bakers in Italy

In the more traditional southern regions of Italy, there are still many panifici (plural), and you can walk down many streets, and still enjoy the aromas of their craft as you walk by the bakery.  However, in the more cosmopolitan northern regions, there is a shortage of qualified bread makers.  In fact, the Italian government is now offering incentives for those interested in opening up a panifcio.