*In a note, Himaruya stated that Italy was not entirely weak, but due to him being cowardly and scared, he does not use his strength. However, as a child, he was shown at one point to be strong enough to defeat Ottoman forces that were invading the Adriatic Sea (referencing how Italian naval troops were thought to be stronger than the ones on land). In another illustration, the female version of Italy is shown to display an incredible bout of strength when angered, much to the surprise of her male counterpart.
 
*In a note, Himaruya stated that Italy was not entirely weak, but due to him being cowardly and scared, he does not use his strength. However, as a child, he was shown at one point to be strong enough to defeat Ottoman forces that were invading the Adriatic Sea (referencing how Italian naval troops were thought to be stronger than the ones on land). In another illustration, the female version of Italy is shown to display an incredible bout of strength when angered, much to the surprise of her male counterpart.
 
*In the special booklet included with the third volume of the published manga, it was revealed that Italy's curl was a last-minute addition to the design to make him look cuter. Himaruya calls the curl "important" now.<ref name="Vol3SE">{{cite book|last=Himaruya|first=Hidekaz|year=2010|title=Axis Powers ヘタリア 3 特装版|trans_title=Axis Powers Hetalia 3 Specially Equipped Edition|publisher=Gentosha|page=25|isbn=978-4-3448-1938-2}}</ref>
 
*In the special booklet included with the third volume of the published manga, it was revealed that Italy's curl was a last-minute addition to the design to make him look cuter. Himaruya calls the curl "important" now.<ref name="Vol3SE">{{cite book|last=Himaruya|first=Hidekaz|year=2010|title=Axis Powers ヘタリア 3 特装版|trans_title=Axis Powers Hetalia 3 Specially Equipped Edition|publisher=Gentosha|page=25|isbn=978-4-3448-1938-2}}</ref>