Posting this in the EK forum as came across it while checking a fare ex Italy on emirates.com, where I got the following message:

„For itineraries with a first point of departure in Italy, passengers who miss their first flight for any reason must inform Emirates if they would still like to take any remaining flights in their booking. You’ll need to contact Emirates within 24 hours of the departure time on the unused ticket and at least two hours before your next booked flight. If you fail to contact us in time, your booking will be cancelled and you may be charged the difference between the original fare and the highest cabin class fare when your ticket is reissued.“

It could be implied this means that tickets may be used out of sequence in Italy, at least to the extent that the first sector does not need to be used, without repricing or penalties being applied. Anyone have any experience in this regard? Thanks!