Upvote:5
As a US citizen you can enter the Schengen area without needing a visa. You can then stay for 90 days. Therefore, my suggestion is that you use this visa-free access to enter Italy, and deal with the bureaucracy from there. In the meantime, prepare your case defense properly:
You will need to bring all the supportive evidence you have in order to explain your situation to the immigration officer upon landing in Italy.