List of presidents of Italy facts for kids

• Top left: Enrico De Nicola was Italy's first president.
• Top right: Antonio Segni was the first president to step down.
• Bottom left: Giorgio Napolitano was the first president chosen for a second term.
• Bottom right: Sergio Mattarella is Italy's current president and the longest-serving one.

The president of Italy (called Presidente della Repubblica in Italian) is the leader of the Italian Republic. This important role is like being the head of the country. Since 1948, Italy has had 12 presidents.

The president's official home is the beautiful Quirinal Palace in Rome. Italian presidents have come from different parts of Italy. Three were from Campania (all from Naples), three from Piedmont, and two each from Sardinia and Tuscany. One president came from Liguria, and another from Sicily. So far, no woman has held this high office.

How the President of Italy is Elected

The president of Italy is chosen by members of the Italian Parliament. This includes members from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Also, 58 special representatives from Italy's 20 regions join in the vote. Each region sends three representatives, except for the small Aosta Valley region, which sends one. This makes sure all parts of Italy are included.

The Voting Process

The Italian Constitution says the election must be a secret vote. All senators, deputies, and regional representatives cast their ballots. To win in the first three rounds of voting, a candidate needs two-thirds of the votes. After that, a simple majority (more than half) is enough to be elected. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies leads the election and announces the votes. The voting takes place in the Palazzo Montecitorio, which is the home of the Chamber of Deputies. It gets special changes for this big event.

Taking Office and Term Length

Once elected, the president takes an oath in front of Parliament. They also give a speech to the country. Presidents serve for a term of seven years. Giorgio Napolitano was the first president to be elected for a second term in 2013. Sergio Mattarella also served a second term starting in 2022.

Presidents of the Italian Republic (1948–Present)

PLI           DC           PSDI           PSI           DS           Independent
Picture	Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office		Political Party		Election Year	Ref.
		Started	Finished
	Enrico De Nicola (1877–1959)	1 January 1948	12 May 1948		Italian Liberal Party	1947
		132 days
	Luigi Einaudi (1874–1961)	12 May 1948	11 May 1955		Italian Liberal Party	1948
		6 years, 364 days
	Giovanni Gronchi (1887–1978)	11 May 1955	11 May 1962		Christian Democracy	1955
		7 years, 0 days
	Antonio Segni (1891–1972)	11 May 1962	6 December 1964		Christian Democracy	1962
		2 years, 209 days
	Giuseppe Saragat (1898–1988)	29 December 1964	29 December 1971		Italian Democratic Socialist Party	1964
		7 years, 0 days
	Giovanni Leone (1908–2001)	29 December 1971	15 June 1978		Christian Democracy	1971
		6 years, 168 days
	Sandro Pertini (1896–1990)	9 July 1978	29 June 1985		Italian Socialist Party	1978
		6 years, 355 days
	Francesco Cossiga (1928–2010)	3 July 1985	28 April 1992		Christian Democracy	1985
		6 years, 300 days
	Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (1918–2012)	28 May 1992	15 May 1999		Christian Democracy	1992
		6 years, 352 days
	Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1920–2016)	18 May 1999	15 May 2006		Independent	1999
		6 years, 362 days
	Giorgio Napolitano (1925–2023)	15 May 2006	14 January 2015		Democrats of the Left / Independent	2006 2013
		8 years, 244 days
	Sergio Mattarella (born 1941)	3 February 2015	Incumbent		Independent	2015 2022
		10 years, 151 days

Timeline of Presidents

Who Acts as Head of State When the President is Away?

Sometimes, the president of Italy might be unable to do their job. This could be because they resign or are unwell. In these cases, someone else steps in to act as the head of state. This role is called the Acting President of the Republic (Presidente supplente della Repubblica). The Italian Constitution doesn't specifically name this role, but it allows for it.

History of Acting Presidents

Only Enrico De Nicola had an official title as a temporary head of state. He was chosen by the Constitutional Assembly in 1946 and lived in the Quirinal Palace. Other people who filled in for the president took on the powers of the head of state, but not the official title. After Italy's Constitution was adopted in 1948, the president of the Senate became the person who takes over if the President of the Republic is absent.

DC           PLI           PRI           PPI           PD           Independent
Picture	Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office		Political Party		Election	Ref.
		Started	Finished
	Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954)	13 June 1946	1 July 1946		Christian Democracy	—
		18 days
	Enrico De Nicola (1877–1959)	1 July 1946	31 December 1947		Italian Liberal Party	1946 1947
		1 year, 183 days
	Cesare Merzagora (1898–1991)	6 December 1964	29 December 1964		Independent	—
		23 days
	Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999)	15 June 1978	9 July 1978		Christian Democracy	—
		24 days
	Francesco Cossiga (1928–2010)	29 June 1985	3 July 1985		Christian Democracy	—
		4 days
	Giovanni Spadolini (1925–1994)	28 April 1992	28 May 1992		Italian Republican Party	—
		30 days
	Nicola Mancino (born 1931)	15 May 1999	18 May 1999		Italian People's Party	—
		3 days
	Pietro Grasso (born 1944)	14 January 2015	3 February 2015		Democratic Party	—
		20 days

See also

• Lists of office-holders
• King of Italy, for previous Italian heads of state between 1861 and 1946
• List of prime ministers of Italy
• Politics of Italy
• Prime Minister of Italy