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Italy was the first country in Europe to be hit by the epidemic and had to be the first to find solutions to deal with it. Looking at the measures taken, their effectiveness, and the reactions of the Italian population had the potential to be a source of lessons for neighboring countries, and particularly for France, which followed seven to twelve days behind Italy during the first wave.Italy already had experience in dealing with natural disasters—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and so on—but was less prepared for a major epidemic, reminiscent of those that had ravaged it between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. The differences in how Italy’s regions—which the Constitution grants strong decision-making capabilities when it comes to health—responded to the virus and implemented measures when faced with the same level of danger can be particularly instructive for public health. They also raise questions about the need for recentralization when it comes to matters of health in such circumstances. In addition, Italy called for the awareness of the European Union (EU), which ultimately led to European measures of solidarity being put in place. On top of this, by raising the issue of Europe’s strategic independence in the supply of essential drugs and devices for the fight against the pandemic, Italy has helped to reaffirm the need for a European Health Union.