Are there Protestants in Italy today? Are there Protestants in Italy today and what became of the Protestants reformers from the peninsula during the reformation?  The reason I ask is that I've never heard of any particular persecution either way in the old nations surrounding the Rome, all the fighting and carrying on seemed to happen in German nations or England, but the absence of hearing about something doesn't mean nothing happened, it just means worse things happened in other places so I'd just like to know what became of the Protestants in what is now Italy and how they're carrying on today.
Apparently, protestantism used to gather some heat there in Italy.  However, with the Vatican Council II, relations improved and protestants aren't as persecuted as much.


  That was two decades ago. These days, a more relaxed Vatican and an
  unprecedented influx of immigrants has nudged open the doors of acceptance
  for Protestant Christianity.
  Note #6186 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS


There are a total of about 725,000 protestants in Italy, most of whom are Assemblies of God (400,000).  There are also about 175,000 mainline Protestants, the largest and oldest of which are the Waldensians.

The Waldensian church has roots dating back to the 12th century, but they aligned themselves with Calvinism in the 16th, which transformed the denomination.

There is a fascinating article that I think you might find interesting.