As far as I know any EU plastic licence is OK in Italy. The older UK paper licence (if any still exist) may not be.
There are lots of the old paper licences still around. When I presented mine for a van hire recently I was told around half their customers still had them. They don't expire so if you haven't moved house there is no need to change.
I'm interested to read about the International Driving Permit though. I'm off to New Zealand later this month and according to the website I'll need an IDP there. How long has this requirement been in place? I've driven in many countries around the world, including the U.S.A. and Australia, but only ever carried my UK licence before.
