With a lengthy injury list forcing his hand, coach Jacques Brunel has also given starts to centre Michele Campagnaro, winger Leonardo Sarto, flyhalf Tommaso Allan and flyhalf Edoardo Gori in a callow-looking backline.
Veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco will become Italy's longest serving player, overtaking Sergio Lanfranchi, but there is no place in the squad for his brother, Mirco.
Sergio Parisse will skipper the side after missing the last two games of the 2013 Six Nations through suspension.
Among those absent through injury are Wasps full-back Andrea Masi, Zebre wing Giovanbattista Venditti and La Rochelle centre Gonzalo Canale.
Italy, who won twice in last year's championship but usually struggle on the road, have faced Wales 21 times, losing 17 and winning just twice in Rome. Their best result in Cardiff was an 18-18 draw in 2006.
Italy: 15-Luke McLean, 14-Angelo Esposito, 13-Michele Campagnaro, 12-Alberto Sgarbi, 11-Leonardo Sarto, 10-Tommaso Allan, 9-Edoardo Gori; 8-Sergio Parisse, 7-Mauro Bergamasco, 6-Alessandro Zanni, 5-Marco Bortolami, 4-Quintin Geldenhuys, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1-Michele Rizzo.
Replacements: 16-Davide Giazzon, 17-Alberto De Marchi, 18-Lorenzo Cittadini, 19-Joshua Furno, 20-Francesco Minto, 21-Tobias Botes, 22-Luciano Orquera, 23-Tommaso Iannon.
(Writing by Mitch Phillips/Brian Homewood; editing by Justin Palmer)
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