List of presidents of Italy
The president of Italy is the head of state of the Italian Republic. Since 1948, there have been 12 presidents of Italy.
The official residence of the president is the Quirinal Palace in Rome. Among the Italian presidents, three came from Campania, three from Piedmont, two each from Sardinia and from Tuscany, one from Liguria, and one from Sicily. No woman has ever held the office.
Election
The president of the Republic is elected by Parliament in a joint session of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. In addition, the 20 regions of Italy appoint 58 representatives as special electors. Three representatives come from each region, save for the small Aosta Valley which appoints one, so as to guarantee representation for all localities and minorities.According to the Constitution, the election must be held in the form of secret ballot, with all senators, all deputies and the 58 regional representatives all voting. A two-thirds vote is required to elect on any of the first three rounds of balloting and after that a majority suffices. The election is presided over by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, who calls for the public counting of the votes. The vote is held in the Palazzo Montecitorio, home of the Chamber of Deputies, which is expanded and re-configured for the event.
The president assumes office after having taken an oath before Parliament and delivering a presidential address. Presidents are elected to serve a seven-year term. Giorgio Napolitano was the first president to be elected to a second term in 2013, followed by Sergio Mattarella in 2022.