Medium size box, don’t remember the weight. My son took care of mailing it. Same USPS they use in their business. It was nice to watch the progress of the delivery, went through customs in Venice and then to Rome where it was stuck for 10 days. I don’t fault USPS, it was the office in Rome, crooks.
You appeared to take issue with the $240.00 shipping cost. For that kind of money, either it wasn’t a small package, it was valuable, or it was heavy. A truly small package to Italy might only cost $24 to ship 1st class (1 pound). Your package must have gone via Express mail, which is pricy. But compare the USPS rates with UPS or any other carrier, and you will see it is the cheapest way to ship internationally. But yes, one the package leaves the US, anything can happen.