I have been told that tiles made in The USA are not as good as tiles made in Italy. Is that true?
I assume that we're talking about durability, and not aesthetics. Aesthetically, the Italians, Portugese and Spanish are truly masters.
But for durability, we can't make the kind of blanket statements about European quality that we could make 30 years ago. There are problems on both sides of the ocean, and I'm seeing a lot of European "seconds" these days.
My suggestion is always the same. Buy one tile, and subject it to activity that mimics its planned use. If it's a floor tile, put it on the floor and have someone wearing "heels" walk on it. Slide a chair leg bottom across it. Wash it many times. If you're truly determined, drop something on it. Take a screwdriver and drag the blade across the surface.
Obviously, wall-tiles are less critical.
Dannie