Saturday's historic 17-37 win over Scotland in Edinburgh has made the Azzurri hungry to set a new benchmark against Wales here in two weeks.
Italy's first ever away victory in the Six Nations has given Pierre Berbizier's men a realistic chance of making more history by winning two games this season.
The Azzurri have never won more than one match in a Six Nations campaign since joining the competition in 2000.
"We must not take any steps backwards," said dynamic Stade Francais flanker Mauro Bergamasco on Monday.
"We must maintain this standard and we can win again".
Beating Scotland lifted the Azzurri into the top 10 of the International Rugby Board ranking, moving up from 12th to ninth.
It also took them off the bottom of the Six Nations table to fourth place.
Italy have two games left to play, both at home, against Wales on March 10 and Ireland on March 17, St. Patrick's Day.
Victory over the Irish side that humiliated world champions England 43-13 last weekend might be too much to ask.
But Wales have lost their first three games and the upbeat Italians will fancy their chances of heaping more misery on the 2005 Grand Slam winners at Rome's Stadio Flaminio.
Former Azzurri great Diego Dominguez warned about the danger of getting carried away with the euphoria of Saturday's heroics.
"Italy were great against Scotland," said the legendary fly-half, the Azzurri's all-time top points scorer.
"Now cool heads, humility and hard work are needed to prepare the match against Wales. Achieving an historic result is not impossible, but maintaining that level is difficult".
Veteran scrum-half Alessandro Troncon, man of the match in Edinburgh and in the February 10 defeat to England, struck a similar note.
"Saturday's victory should be a starting point for us," the 33-year-old said.
The Italian team were given a heroes' welcome on their return to Rome airport on Sunday night.
Premier Romano Prodi called to congratulate the players and AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti invited them to come to his side's Champions League clash against Scottish club Glasgow Celtic next week.
Italy's sports media have been toasting the historic feat too.
"Italy falls in love with the scrum boys," read a headline in Corriere della Sera Monday.
A great deal of attention is being given to the fair play shown in rugby.
Rugby players rarely argue with referees over decisions and crowd trouble at rugby matches is unheard of.
This situation is being contrasted with that of Italian football, which is still coming to terms with the death of a police officer during rioting at a top-flight match in Catania on February 2.
"Rugby is not just a great sport, it can also give lessons to the contaminated world of soccer," wrote Candido Cannavo' in Monday's edition of sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.
