Renting a car in Italy is very similar to renting one in the U.S. with a few minor differences. There are many agencies, but I recommend you stick to Hertz, Avis, or Budget. You can rent direct or through the website autoeurope.com. I highly recommend that you have a conversation with Paul before renting as he can likely save you considerable money.
In order to rent a car you will need the following: Driver's License Passport International Driver's Permit (obtained at AAA for $25) This is simply a translation of your driver's license into other languages. Keep in mind that the majority of cars in Italy are manual so if you can't drive one then you will need to specify an automatic. This will usually cost more.
The average temperatures in Petritoli at this time of year is a high of 76 and a low of 60.
You will need some Euros for miscellaneous expenses. Petritoli is a very small town, so some vendors may not accept credit cards. If you would like to get Euros before your arrival then the best option is to order them through your bank and they will be sent to you or you can pick them up. This will provide the best exchange rate. Do not get Euros at the airport or other currency exchange locations as they charge exorbitant fees.
Petritoli while small has everything you might need. There are three Supermarkets, a pharmacy , a bank, a post office, three bars, shops, and a hospital with ER, two butchers, two bakeries, four restaurants, a pizzeria and a hair salon,
The short answer is yes. The long answer is that the whole reason we are doing this is for you to disconnect and enjoy your time with us and others. You will be able to work if necessary, but we reserve the right to both look at you frustratingly and talk poorly about you to the other guests. The Italians have a saying about Americans "We work to live, you live to work"........try your best to not promote the stereotype.
In most of Italy you will find that you can get by without speaking the language. Italians love visitors and they are very proud to show you their country and all it has to offer with great hospitality. It is courteous however, to learn some basics of the language such as hello, goodbye, please and thank you to name a few. Italians love for you to attempt to speak the language (no matter how poorly) and they will likely use their best English (with a smile) if you don't succeed.