Citizenship by Birthplace
Plain English
It's the principle of citizenship by birthplace. In Italy this rule applies in narrow cases, mainly for children born in Italy to stateless parents, or in some situations to children of unknown parents. Pure iure soli (citizenship just for being born on Italian soil) is not the general rule here.
Why it matters
Italy doesn\'t hand out citizenship just for being born here. People born in Italy to foreign parents usually have to wait until 18 to apply, if they\'ve lived here continuously since birth.
Common confusion
Italy is not like the US. Being born here to foreign parents doesn\'t automatically make you Italian. The default rule for kids of foreign parents is to apply at 18.
Official source
Ministero dell'Interno