Tip for increasing your Italian listening skills: for some time go beyond the meaning. Don't try to get any info. Just focus on the rhythm & breaks. On the breaths. Identify where sentences start and end, then do it for words. Repeat until you are familiar with most of the sounds.
Once you can do this without feeling stressed (ideally to the point that you can do it to relax) bring back the meaning to what you hear and see if it fits the sounds better.