Heads of State of Italy
Charles the Fat (Carlo il Grosso)
Date of birth/date of death: b. 839; d. January 13 888.
House of Charlemagne
March 22 880 – November 887
Italian Republic
President of the Italian Republic
Napoléon Bonaparte
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 15 1769; d. May 5 1821
1802 – 1805
Kingdom of Italy
King of Italy
Napoléon
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 15 1769; d. May 5 1821
1805 – 1814
Kingdom of Italy (Regno d’Italia) (1861 – 1946)
Heads of State of the Kingdom of Italy
The unification of Italy, known as the Risorgimento, reached its climax in 1861 with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. This new kingdom was formally a continuation and expansion of the Kingdom of Sardinia, whose constitution became the constitution of Italy and who’s king Victor Emmanuel II became the first King of Italy. Under this system the king was both head of state and a central figure in government. He formally appointed and dismissed prime ministers, commanded the armed forces, and possessed the authority to dissolve parliament and call new elections. In principle, executive power was exercised in the king’s name, although ministers were responsible for carrying out government policy.
Over time, the monarchy gradually evolved into a more parliamentary system. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, governments increasingly depended on the confidence of the popularly-elected Chamber of Deputies. Monarchs such as Umberto I and Victor Emmanuel III still retained significant constitutional authority, but day-to-day governance was typically carried out by prime ministers and parliamentary majorities. The king nevertheless remained an important political actor during moments of crisis, since he retained the formal power to appoint governments and influence the direction of the state.
The monarchy’s role changed dramatically with the rise of fascism. In 1922, amid political turmoil and fears of socialist revolution, Victor Emmanuel III invited Benito Mussolini to form a government following the March on Rome. Although the fascist regime subsequently dismantled many parliamentary institutions and established a dictatorship, the monarchy itself was formally retained. The king continued to serve as head of state throughout the fascist period, though his role was largely ceremonial and he rarely challenged Mussolini’s authority.
The collapse of the fascist regime during the Second World War severely undermined the legitimacy of the monarchy. In 1943, after the Allied invasion of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III dismissed Mussolini and appointed a new government, but his long association with the regime had already damaged the crown’s reputation. In an effort to preserve the institution, he abdicated in favor of his son Umberto II in 1946. Shortly afterward, however, Italians voted in a national referendum to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic, bringing the eighty-five-year history of the Kingdom of Italy to an end.
King of Italy (Re d’Italia)
Ruler
Dynasty
Dates
Victor Emmanuel II (Vittorio Emanuele II)
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 14 1820; d. January 9 1876.
House of Savoy
March 17 1861 – January 9 1878
Humbert I (Umberto I)
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 14 1844; d. July 29 1900.
House of Savoy
January 9 1878 – July 29 1900
Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele III)
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1869; d. December 28 1947.
House of Savoy
July 29 1900 – May 9 1946
Humbert II (Umberto II)
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 15 1904; d. March 18 1983.
House of Savoy
May 9 1946 – June 12 1946
Heads of Government of the Kingdom of Italy
President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Italy (Presidente del Consiglio dei ministri del Regno d’Italia)
Leader
Political Party
Dates
Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Conte di Cavour
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 10 1810; d. June 6 1861.
Historical Right
March 23 1861 – June 6 1861
Bettino Ricasoli, I Conte di Brolio, II Barone Ricasoli
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 9 1809; d. October 23 1880.
Historical Right
June 12 1861 – March 3 1862
Urbano Pio Francesco Rattazzi
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 29 1808; d. June 5 1873.
Historical Left
March 3 1862 – December 8 1862
Luigi Carlo Farini
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 22 1812; d. August 1 1866.
Historical Right
December 8 1862 – March 24 1863
Bettino Ricasoli, I Conte di Brolio, II Barone Ricasoli
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 9 1809; d. October 23 1880.
Historical Right
June 20 1866 – April 10 1867
Urbano Pio Francesco Rattazzi
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 29 1808; d. June 5 1873.
Historical Left
April 10 1867 – October 27 1867
Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana)
Heads of State of the Italian Republic
Following a two year transitional period after the abolition of the monarchy, Italy adopted a new republican constitution in 1948, which created the office of President of the Italian Republic. Under this constitution, the presidency is not an explicitly political office, and presidents are expected to be non-partisan in executing their duties. The president is elected to a seven-year term by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament as well as representatives of Italy’s different regions. Consequently, they must have broad cross-partisan appeal.
The president carries out several official duties, including dissolving Parliament, calling elections, and appointing prime ministers. Arguably the most important function of the office, however, has been to act as a stabilizing and unifying force. Throughout most of its post-war history, Italy has experienced frequent changes of government and has endured periods of political turmoil and violence, particularly in the 1970s. In such times, presidents have exercised their authority and moral influence to guide government formation, mediate between political factions, and ensure continuity of the state, reinforcing the office’s role as a guarantor of constitutional stability.
Provisional Head of State
Alcide De Gasperi (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. April 3 1881; d. August 19 1954.
Non-Partisan
1946
Enrico De Nicola
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 9 1877; d. October 1 1959.
Non-Partisan
1946 – 1947
President of the Italian Republic
Enrico De Nicola
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 9 1877; d. October 1 1959.
Non-Partisan
1948
Luigi Numa Lorenzo Einaudi
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 24 1874; d. October 30 1961.
Non-Partisan
1948 – 1955
Giovanni Gronchi
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 10 1887; d. October 17 1978.
Non-Partisan
1955 – 1962
Antonio Segni
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 2 1891; d. December 1 1972.
Non-Partisan
1962 – 1964
Cesare Merzagora (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 9 1898; d. May 1 1991.
Non-Partisan
1964
Giuseppe Saragat
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 19 1898; d. June 11 1988.
Non-Partisan
1964 – 1971
Giovanni Leone
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 3 1908; d. November 9 2001.
Non-Partisan
1971 – 1978
Amintore Fanfani (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1908; d. November 20 1999.
Non-Partisan
1978
Alessandro “Sandro” Pertini
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 25 1896; d. February 24 1990.
Non-Partisan
1978 – 1985
Francesco Maurizio Cossiga
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 26 1928; d. August 17 2010.
Non-Partisan
1985 – 1992
Giovanni Spadolini (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 21 1925; d. August 4 1994.
Non-Partisan
1992
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 9 1918; d. January 29 2012.
Non-Partisan
1992 – 1999
Nicola Mancino (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 15 1931.
Non-Partisan
1999
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 9 1920; d. September 16 2016.
Non-Partisan
1999 – 2006
Giorgio Napolitano
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 29 1925; d. September 22 2023.
Prime ministers: Romano Prodi (2006 – 2008); Silvio Berlusconi (2008 – 2011); Mario Monti (2011 – 2013); Enrico Letta (2013 – 2014); Matteo Renzi (2014 – 2015).
Other prominent offices: Member of the Chamber of Deputies (1953 – 1963; 1968 – 1996); Member of the European Parliament (1989 – 1992; 1999 – 2004); President of the Chamber of Deputies (1992 – 1994); Minister of the Interior (1996 – 1998); Member of the Senate of the Republic (2005 – 2006; 2015 – 2023).
Non-Partisan
2006 – 2015
Pietro Grasso (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 1 1945.
Prime Minister: Matteo Renzi.
Other prominent offices: Member of the Senate of the Republic (2013 – 2022); President of the Senate of the Republic (2013 – 2018).
Non-Partisan
2015
Sergio Mattarella
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 23 1941.
Prime Ministers: Matteo Renzi (2015 – 2016); Paolo Gentiloni (2016 – 2018); Giuseppe Conti (2018 – 2021); Mario Draghi (2021 – 2022); Giorga Meloni (2022 – present).
Other prominent offices: Member of the Chamber of Deputies (1983 – 2008); Minister of Parliamentary Relations (1987 – 1989); Minister of Public Education (1989 – 1990); Deputy Prime Minister of Italy (1998 – 1999); Minister of Defence (1999 – 2001); Judge of the Constitutional Court of Italy (2011 – 2015).
Non-Partisan
2015 – present
Heads of Government of the Italian Republic
President of the Council of Ministers
Mariano Rumor
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 16 1915; d. January 22 1990.
Christian Democracy
1968 – 1970
Emilio Colombo
Date of birth/date of death: b. April 11 1920; d. June 24 2013.
Christian Democracy
1970 – 1972
Giulio Andreotti
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 14 1919; d. May 6 2013.
Christian Democracy
1972 – 1973
Mariano Rumor
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 16 1915; d. January 22 1990.
Christian Democracy
1973 – 1974
Aldo Moro
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 23 1916; d. May 9 1978.
Christian Democracy
1974 – 1976
Giulio Andreotti
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 14 1919; d. May 6 2013.
Christian Democracy
1976 – 1979
Francesco Maurizio Cossiga
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 26 1928; d. August 17 2010.
Christian Democracy
1979 – 1980
Arnaldo Forlani
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 8 1925; d. July 6 2023.
Christian Democracy
1980 – 1981
Giovanni Spadolini
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 21 1925; d. August 4 1994.
Italian Republican Party
1981 – 1982
Amintore Fanfani
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1908; d. November 20 1999.
Christian Democracy
1982 – 1983
Benedetto “Bettino” Craxi
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 24 1934; d. January 19 2000.
Italian Socialist Party
1983 – 1987
Amintore Fanfani
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1908; d. November 20 1999.
Christian Democracy
1987
Giovanni Giuseppe Goria
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 30 1943; d. May 21 1994.
Christian Democracy
1987 – 1988
Luigi Ciriaco De Mita
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 2 1928; d. May 26 2022.
Christian Democracy
1988 – 1989
Giulio Andreotti
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 14 1919; d. May 6 2013.
Christian Democracy
1989 – 1992
Giuliano Amato
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 13 1938.
Italian Socialist Party
1992 – 1993
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 9 1920; d. September 16 2016.
Independent
1993 – 1994
Silvio Berlusconi
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 29 1936; d. June 12 2023.
Forza Italia
1994 – 1995
Lamberto Dini
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 1 1931.
Independent
1995 – 1996
Romano Prodi
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 9 1939.
Independent
1996 – 1998
Massimo D’Alema
Date of birth/date of death: b. April 20 1949.
Democrats of the Left
1998 – 2000
Giuliano Amato
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 13 1938.
Independent
2000 – 2001
Silvio Berlusconi
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 29 1936; d. June 12 2023.
Forza Italia
2001 – 2006
Romano Prodi
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 9 1939.
Independent (2006 – 2007); Democratic Party (2007 – 2008)
2006 – 2008
Silvio Berlusconi
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 29 1936; d. June 12 2023.
Forza Italia
2008 – 2011
Mario Monti
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 19 1943.
Independent
2011 – 2013
Enrico Letta
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 20 1966.
Democratic Party
2013 – 2014
Matteo Renzi
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 11 1975.
Democratic Party
2014 – 2016
Paolo Gentiloni Silveri
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 22 1954.
Democratic Party
2016 – 2018
Giuseppe Conti
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 8 1964.
Independent
2018 – 2021
Mario Draghi
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 3 1947.
Independent
2021 – 2022
Giorgia Meloni
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 15 1977.
Brothers of Italy
2022 – present
Heads of Government of Italy
Kingdom of Italy
President of the Council of Ministers
Vittorio Emanuele Orlando
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 19 1860; d. December 1 1952.
Liberal Party
1917 – 1919
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 29 1883; d. April 28 1945.
National Fascist Party
1922 – 1943
Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Ababa
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 28 1871; d. November 1 1956.
Independent
1943 – 1944
Italian Republic
President of the Council of Ministers
Alcide De Gasperi
Date of birth/date of death: b. April 3 1881; d. August 19 1954.
Christian Democracy
1945 – 1953
Amintore Fanfani
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1908; d. November 20 1999.
Christian Democracy
1954
Mario Scelba
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 5 1901; d. October 29 1991.
Christian Democracy
1954 – 1955
Antonio Segni
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 2 1891; d. December 1 1972.
Christian Democracy
1955 – 1957
Amintore Fanfani
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1908; d. November 20 1999.
Christian Democracy
1958 – 1959
Antonio Segni
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 2 1891; d. December 1 1972.
Christian Democracy
1959 – 1960
Amintore Fanfani
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1908; d. November 20 1999.
Christian Democracy
1960 – 1963
Giovanni Leone
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 3 1908; d. November 9 2001.
Christian Democracy
1963
Aldo Moro
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 23 1916; d. May 9 1978.
Christian Democracy
1963 – 1968
Giovanni Leone
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 3 1908; d. November 9 2001.
Christian Democracy
1968
Vice President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic
Palmiro Michele Nicola Togliatti
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 26 1893; d. August 21 1964.
Italian Communist Party
1944
Palmiro Michele Nicola Togliatti
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 26 1893; d. August 21 1964.
Italian Communist Party
1944 – 1945
Giuseppe Saragat
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 19 1898; d. June 11 1988.
Italian Democratic Socialist Party
1947 – 1950
Luigi Numa Lorenzo Einaudi
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 24 1874; d. October 30 1961.
Italian Liberal Party
1947 – 1948
Giuseppe Saragat
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 19 1898; d. June 11 1988.
Italian Democratic Socialist Party
1954 – 1957
Antonio Segni
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 2 1891; d. December 1 1972.
Christian Democracy
1958 – 1959
Arnaldo Forlani
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 8 1925; d. July 6 2023.
Christian Democracy
1983 – 1987
Giuliano Amato
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 13 1938.
Italian Socialist Party
1987 – 1988
Sergio Mattarella
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 23 1941.
Italian People’s Party
1998 – 1999
Gianfranco Fini
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1952.
National Alliance
2001 – 2006
Marco Follini
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 26 1954.
Union of the Centre
2004 – 2005
Massimo D’Alema
Date of birth/date of death: b. April 20 1949.
Democrats of the Left (2006 – 2007); Democratic Party (2007 – 2008)
2006 – 2008
Angelino Alfano
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 31 1970.
New Centre-Right
2013 – 2014
Luigi Di Maio
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 6 1986.
Five Star Movement
2018 – 2019
Matteo Salvini
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 9 1973.
Lega per Salvini Premier
2018 – 2019
Matteo Salvini
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 9 1973.
Lega per Salvini Premier
2022 – present
Milan
Duchy of Milan
Duke of Milan
Francis I
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 12 1494; d. March 31 1547.
House of Valois (Orléans-Angoulême) – Capet
1515 – 1521
Francis I
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 12 1494; d. March 31 1547.
House of Valois (Orléans-Angoulême) – Capet
1524 – 1525
Philip IV
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 19 1683; d. July 9 1746.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1700 – 1714
Francis II
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 12 1768; d. March 2 1835.
House of Habsburg-Lorraine – Lorraine
1792 – 1796
Naples
Kingdom of Naples
King of Naples
Philip IV
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 19 1683; d. July 9 1746.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1700 – 1714
Charles VII
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 20 1716; d. December 14 1788.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1735 – 1759
Joseph
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 7 1768; d. July 28 1844.
House of Bonaparte
1806 – 1808
Parma and Piacenza
Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
Duke of Parma and Piacenza
Charles I
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 20 1716; d. December 14 1788.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1731 – 1735
Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
King of Sardinia
Philip IV
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 19 1683; d. July 9 1746.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1700 – 1714
Charles Albert
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 2 1798; d. July 28 1849.
House of Savoy
1831 – 1849
Victor Emmanuel II (Vittorio Emanuele II)
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 14 1820; d. January 9 1876.
House of Savoy
1849 – 1861
Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
Duke of Savoy
Charles Albert
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 2 1798; d. July 28 1849.
House of Savoy
1831 – 1849
Victor Emmanuel II (Vittorio Emanuele II)
Date of birth/date of death: b. March 14 1820; d. January 9 1876.
House of Savoy
1849 – 1861
Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
King of Sicily
Philip IV
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 19 1683; d. July 9 1746.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1700 – 1713
Charles III
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 20 1716; d. December 14 1788.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1735 – 1759
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
King of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 12 1810; d. May 22 1859.
House of Bourbon – Capet
1830 – 1859