This report tells the story of the first phase of Italy’s response to the COVID-19 virus, which in many people transformed into the dreaded illness known as COVID-19, leading to unprecedented death tolls across the world. Readers should note that the report is an unfinished story. It was written in the midst of the initial phase of the pandemic in a climate of constant and daily change as the country responded to this unprecedented challenge. While early lessons will surely need to be revisited, this report is a first account of Italy’s immediate experience with COVID-19, dealing with different aspects of the response as the first country that experienced widescale community transmission in Europe.