Actually, there is quite a bit of flying going on in Italy. As in most other parts of the continent, the majority of GA activity is club-based. You typically need to be a club member to be able to access an a/c. Main reason for that is the insurance situation. For short term visitors, the easiest way to fly is to go up with a local safety pilot. Find a club in the general area you'd like to visit and make contact, usually no problem at all to go flying !
While I don't know about this specific situation, wet cost per hour in continental Europe typically is around EUR 140-180 for a PA28 or C172 or similar. In many club setups this is calculated chocks off to chocks on, sometimes it is the airborne time. Ask. Enjoy the flying !