...
for the past 4 decades, Alitalia staff have had a l@ser like focus on serving only their own narrow self interest,
Don't tar them all with a broad brush. I once had to get back from Rome to the UK urgently because of a family illness. This was in 1997 just a few days after the Umbria earthquake. All flights were full. guys on the Alitalia desk at Fiumicino pulled out all the stops to get me back at short notice.