What are the rules of a PhD scholarship?

Short answer: It is paid monthly or every two months, renewed each year if you complete the year's activities, and it cannot be combined with most other grants.

• Payment: at Trento it is paid in advance every two months, and the first two months of the calendar year are paid by the end of January (University of Trento). Brescia pays monthly (University of Brescia).
• Renewal: each year, after the doctoral committee confirms you completed the year's work.
• Extras: plus 50% for research periods abroad, up to 12 months in total; a research budget of at least 10% of the scholarship (University of Brescia).
• Not allowed: a second PhD scholarship in Italy if you already had one, even partly; combining it with other scholarships or research grants, except money for research stays abroad (University of Trento).
• Income ceiling: some calls also set a limit on your other personal income. Tuscia's call, for example, set €14,000 a year, not counting the scholarship (University of Tuscia decree).