Ok, one more lesson down on my way to becoming a Visa Consultant. (Discounts for services available for friends 45 and older.)
If I can get an Italian Notarization, no Apostille is required.
If I must get a non-Italian notarization, it must be based on my current geography. So, I have to get a Polish notarization and the i must get the Apostille from the appropriate Polish entity...
8 hours of my life without a tangible result, but I came away with a lesson which I can turn into Euros - guiding others who don’t have time make the mistakes themselves.