It is pretty easy to incorporate something like teaching English into your experience, especially in Bologna. The Brown program is well-established and is often approached by language schools looking for students to help teach English and I had some friends who did that.

Finding another kind of internship can be pretty difficult. Things run more really slowly with Italian companies and they are not used to a system of students interning part-time during the school year. Many students spend over a month just trying to establish contact with the correct person in a company or museum etc.  If you are really sure you want to find an internship, come at least a month early to start setting things up. Be aware that companies operate on a stand-still in August and most people are on vacation – – it would be very unlikely to find a job during that month.