The China embassy in Rome doesn't provide the mail back service, if you don't want to pick up your visa and passport, you can give the pick-up receipt to someone else and ask him to collect the visa and your passport, once the pick-up receipt is lost, you have to take your ID card or other valid certificates to pick up your visa in person.

Many thanks for the reply.

Is it also possible to ask somebody to bring your passport and documents to the Chinese Ambassy in order to apply for the visa?

Thanks,

Letizia

yes, you can entrust someone else to submit the passport and other required documents to the Chinese embassy if you can't go to the embassy in person.