Molten mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and yeast are the aromas that punctuate summer in Rome. On a recent day, 7-year-old Filippo Virgo has a hankering for pizza — a classic of the Eternal City. The problem is that Filippo has celiac disease. This means he gets sick from eating gluten — a protein found in wheat and other grains. Pizza is usually out of bounds. And, for a second-grader, that's a travesty.

Filippo's family heads inside Il Tulipano Nero, a classic Italian restaurant — right down to the checkered tablecloth. The menu reads like a gluten minefield: linguine, penne, macaroni. But just when we fear Filippo is doomed to dine on pea soup, dinner is saved. The waiter comes by to tell him the food is gluten-free. There's a great deal of public awareness in Italy about celiac disease. 

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Source: http://apr.org/