I stumbled upon these videos on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOZLHeKWhTQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uebPhpnio8Y

and have been playing around with the opening with pretty good results so far. The are a couple of traps that black can fall for just by playing intuitively. And since most people are unfamiliar with this opening, even if black doesn't fall for the traps, you'll likely feel much more comfortable and have a slight positional advantage going into the middle game. At worst you'll have an even game.

Anyway, I think this is a good opening if you're looking for an e4 opening that's pretty sound, but doesn't have deep book lines like the Ruy Lopez. Any inherent weaknesses in the opening don't appear to be easily exploited by intermediate players.

Sure, the ponziani is a fine opening. Or the scotch, or e4 Nf3 Bc4. Just remember to learn why each move is played, not just that it is played.

I concur.

I had a young intermediate student about a year ago who hipped me onto this opening after he watched the youtube vids.

I watched them myself and he then had my blessing to play the opening.

His results with it were good.

Actually, I have been looking a lot at the Black side of the open games during the last weeks. I am not too impressed with the linked videos because he spends most of this time at the line 3... Nf6 4. d4 exd4? He does a good job of presenting the basic ideas, though.

The critical Black answer is 3... d5 which can lead to extremely tactical play with sacrifices in a lot of lines, so the sensible choice for Black (if he doesn't want to learn all this theory by heart) is probably 3... Nf6. After 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Ne7 6. Nxe5 Ng6 we have reached the starting position of the line (which is only shown during the last few seconds of video 1).
Black's position is totally fine here (in spite of White's space advantage) as he is a bit better developed and White has some problems with developing the queen side.

I have used the Ponziani myself in some blitz games, and if Black knows what he is doing, the opening is as harmless as it sounds.
If someone is looking for an easy to play, sound opening after 1... e5, I would rather recommend the Bishop's game (or the Vienna move order) with f4.