1 year rule for international driver's license (Milan)

Hi all,

I lived in Milan for 3 years and recently moved back to the US. I was wondering if I ever come back to Italy, will I be able to use my American drivers license for another year? If my carta d'identità has the date of my new residency, I don't think they could argue against it. I guess the only risk is if I get into an accident and the authorities are able to see that I lived in Italy for 3 years previously. Obviously I would want to obtain an Italian license but it would be nice to be able to drive legally while studying for the exam.

Thanks!