I've never shopped for a bicycle in Italy but it certainly has a storied history in the world of cycling. Yep the manufacturing is all in the north. You don't necessarily need a cyclocross bike to ride bumpy roads, maybe some local old dude has a classic steel touring bike collecting dust he'd be happy to unload for a few of your greenbacks. Maybe try to find a local cycling club and meet some people. You should be able to determine your approximate frame size either in the local shop or use an online fit kit and measure yourself. Of course you should actually try the bike you're buying to confirm, but at least you'll know the ballpark.