There are two grading systems used in Italy:
To someone familiar with both the Italian and the U.S. college systems, Italian grades are best translated into American grades (and vice versa) according to the following table:
University
For ordinary exams, universities in Italy use a 30-point scale simply divided in two: non passing (0 to 17), and passing grades (18 to 30 cum laude). For the final rating a 110-point scale is used, which is divided in two as well, with 66 being the minimum for passing. The 110-point scale incorporates scores on both exams and the final thesis. For outstanding results, the Lode "praise" is added to the maximum grade.
References
Academic grading in Italy Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA