While looking at Italian embroidery the other day, I discovered Tutto Ricamo, which is an Italian site (available in both English and Italian) with a huge amount of information on Italian embroidery history, types of embroidery, a number of tutorials for Italian Needlework, and a video tutorial library. I had no idea there were so many kinds of embroidery in Italy! I will give a few examples below, but you should go look – there’s so many amazing pictures there.
Lampugnani embroidery is an Italian technique invented by Teresita Lampugnani of Novara in the 1920s, which reminds me of Kantha embroidery because it’s done entirely in running stitches. The picture to the left is the Silver Pheasant, one of her most significant works. Tutto Ricamo explains how to make it.
Estense embroidery is a lovely embroidery inspired by designs on Graffito ceramics in Ferraro, Italy. There’s a tutorial on bilateral pekinese stitch for the bands:
But for more information, you’d have to get the book Estense Embroidery (book review from Mary Corbet).
To the left is Chiaramonte stitch, and Tutto Ricamo provides detailed instructions (with both photos and diagrams) for working it. Below is a photo from the tutorial for interlaced hemstitch.
Finally, here is a picture of Casalguidi embroidery. It’s so cool!
embroidery for ducks 
This is way cool! I wonder why I didn’t see any of the casalguidi embroidery when I was in Italy? I wish I had.
It is a fascinating site, full of interesting things – thank you for reminding me of it!
Tried to get chiaramonte stitch instructions but your web page isn’t responding. They told me to notify you. Please help as I am in South Africa and rely on getting I need on the internet. HELP
Oh no! It turns out that since I posted this, they took that website down. They are slowly reposting the information at http://tuttoricamo.blogspot.com/ but I don’t see the chiaramonte stitch there yet. I found this other blog through Google, http://billabongs2bling.blogspot.com/2011/04/another-small-project.html and also it shows up on Stitchin Fingers http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/chiaramonte-stitch-copy. It links back to Tutto Ricamo for the tutorial, but perhaps if you ask her she will tell you how to do it? I haven’t done it myself, so I don’t remember the instructions well enough to tell you. Good luck! Let me know if you find something and I will update my post.