Captain Sergio Parisse, one of the few constants in an Italian side that has languished at the bottom of the tournament since they entered in 2000, said at least the newcomers would get a chance to impress.
"Obviously for us as an Italian team, it is really, really tough, this tournament," Parisse said. "But it is going to be a good opportunity for the young players to show their talent and show they can play for the Italian team."
Coach Jacques Brunel has called up 10 uncapped players, among them South African-born back row forwards Abraham Steyn and Andries van Schalkwyk, who play their club rugby in Italy.
Italy, who finished fifth in the Six Nations last year, have come last 10 times since 2000.
They face France in their opening match in Paris on Feb. 6, a team they have beaten just three times in 36 attempts. That will be followed the next weekend by a match against England, a team they have never beaten in 21 matches.
A lacklustre World Cup, in which they failed to reach the knockout phase and finished third in Pool D behind Ireland and France, will have done nothing for their confidence.
And with other so-called second-tier teams like Georgia coming of age in the championship, it has raised questions about why stragglers like Italy and Scotland are afforded the commercial windfall of being part of the Six Nations.
Georgia have won the last five European Nations Cups, sometimes referred to as the Six Nations B, putting pressure on tournament organisers to introduce a promotion and relegation system between the two events.
Fortunately for Italy, such a change to the structure does not appear to be imminent. A good showing in 2016 would help to quieten the discontent from some corners.
"In order to do that you would have to look at a whole restructure of the Six Nations, and that is not on the cards at the moment," said Bill Beaumont, the chairman of the Six Nations Council.
"I'm not saying it shouldn't be, but it's not on the cards at the moment."
(Reporting by John Geddie, editing by Larry King)
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