Although Italy is currently home to an estimated 5,000 thousand Armenians, the ties between Italians and Armenians date back to the Roman era.  

During the Roman era, the Byzantine Armenian general Narses obtained military authority over Italy from the Emperor Justinian I. The south of Italy and Sicily had long been under Byzantine control by then, so many Armenians were able to follow and settle there; this would explain why Saint Gregory the Illuminator is particularly venerated in Nardo, Naples, and Palermo. 

The fall of the Kingdom of Cilicia marked a new wave of emigration to Italy and the construction of several churches, a few of which are still standing today. 

The seventeenth-century represented a golden age for Armenian merchants in Venice and Livorno, and it was during this time that the Mekhitarist Fathers settled in Venice as well. Armenian emigration towards all corners of Italy has continued through to the present day, albeit generally sporadically and in small groups. 

The largest Armenian community is based in Milan, but there are smaller communities in Rome, Padua, Bologna, Udine, Trieste, Venice, Turin, and Genoa.

The first Armenian church in Rome dates back to the seventh century. In 1883, Pope Leo XIII founded the Armenian Pontifical College in order to form an Armenian Catholic clergy. The college continues to function to this day today, and also hosts events for the city’s Armenian community. Adjacent to the college, the Church of St. Nicolas of Tolentine houses the tomb of Cardinal Agagianian, who was considered one of the leading candidates for the papacy during the conclave of 1958. The Church of San Biagio degli Armeni, dedicated to Saint Blaise, is an Armenian Catholic church from the nineteenth century. 

Rome is also the seat of the Congregation of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, well-known for their schools in the United States and Lebanon, as well as their humanitarian work in Armenia. 

Since the 13th century, Venice has had a notable significance for the development of Armenian language culture. 

In 1512, the first Armenian language printed book, The Book of Friday was printed in Venice, by Hakob Meghapart. Several of the city’s historic buildings belonged to Armenian families from the eighteenth century, such as the Sceriman Palace. Additionally, the Mekhitarist Fathers converted the Zenobio Palace into the Moorat Raphael Armenian College, which closed down in 1997. Today, the palace hosts exhibitions staged by the Venice Biennale, along with a small Museum of the 2018 Armenian Revolution and an Armenian library. 

In 1717, a congregation of Mekhitarist Fathers founded a decade earlier in Constantinople by the Armenian monk Mekhitar of Sebaste, settled in Venice. They settled on a small island off the coast of Venice, San Lazzaro degli Armeni. 

Today the Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni houses an impressive collection of Armenian manuscripts, as well as art, and historical artifacts from around the world. The congregation runs several schools and convents around the world (Lebanon, United States, France, Argentina, Syria). In 1816, Lord Byron visited the island twice a week during his stay in Venice. 

The charter of the Union of Armenians of Italy was officially ratified by the President of Italy in 1955. According to the decision on April 2, 2012, the union was recognized as a link between Italian citizens of Armenian origin and Italian state institutions.

The Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic passed a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide in 2000, additionally, more than 100 city councils have passed resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide.