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List of heads of state of Italy

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This is a list of the heads of state of Italy. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader, in the late 5th century, followed by the Ostrogothic kings up to the mid-6th century. With the Frankish conquest of Italy in the 8th century, the Carolingians assumed the title, which was maintained by subsequent Holy Roman Emperors throughout the Middle Ages. The last Emperor to claim the title was Charles V in the 16th century. During this period, the holders of the title were crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.

From the unification of Italy in 1861 to 1946 the head of state was the King of Italy, who was the same person as the King of Sardinia according to the Constitution. Italy became a republic under the Constitution of 1948 and the monarch was replaced by a President.

Monarchs

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As "Rex Italiae"

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vassal of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Ostrogothic Kingdom (493 – 553)

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Kingdom of the Lombards (568 – 814)

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Main article: List of kings of the Lombards

Kingdom of Italy (781 – 962)

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Carolingian dynasty (781 – 888)

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Instability (888 – 962)

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After 887, Italy fell into instability, with many rulers claiming the kingship simultaneously:

vassal of the German King Arnulf of Carinthia, reduced to Friuli 889-894, deposed by Arnulf in 896.
opponent of Berengar, ruled most of Italy but was deposed by Arnulf.
subking of his father Guy before 894, reduced to Spoleto 894–895.

In 896, Arnulf and Ratold lost control of Italy, which was divided between Berengar and Lambert:

seized Lambert's portion upon the latter's death in 898.
opposed Berengar 900-902 and 905.
defeated Berengar but fled Italy in 926.
elected by Berengar's partisans in 925, resigned to Provence after 945.
jointly with his son:

In 951 Otto I of Germany invaded Italy and was crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. In 952, Berengar and Adalbert became his vassals but remained kings until being deposed by Otto.

Holy Roman Empire (962 – 1556)

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Further information: Holy Roman Emperors; King of the Romans; and List of German monarchs § Holy Roman Empire, 962–1806

Ottonian dynasty (962 – 1024)

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Image Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Otto I 23 November 912
-
7 May 973 		962[2] 7 May 973
Otto II 955
-
7 December 983 		c. October 980[3] 7 December 983
Otto III 980
-
23 January 1002 		c. February 996[4] 23 January 1002
Arduin 955
-
1015 		1002[2] 1014
Henry II
[5] 		6 May 973
-
13 July 1024 		1004[2] 13 July 1024

Salian dynasty (1027 – 1125)

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Image Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Conrad I
[6] 		990
-
4 June 1039 		1026[2] 4 June 1039
Henry III 29 October 1017
-
5 October 1056 		1039[2] 5 October 1056
Henry IV 11 November 1050
-
7 August 1106 		1056[2] December 1105
Conrad II of Italy 1074
-
1101 		1093[2] 1101
Henry V
[7] 		8 November 1086
-
23 May 1125 		1106[2] 23 May 1125

Süpplingenburg dynasty (1125 – 1137)

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Image Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Lothair III 9 June 1075
-
4 December 1137 		1125[2] 4 December 1137

Hauteville dynasty (1130 – 1154)

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Roger II used the title King of Sicily and Italy until at least 1135; later he used only the title King of Sicily, Apulia and Calabria. Although his realm included the southern Italian mainland, he never exerted any control over the official Kingdom of Italy, and none of his successors claimed the title King of Italy.

Image Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Roger II 22 December 1095
-
26 February 1154 		25 December 1130 26 February 1154

House of Hohenstaufen (1128 – 1197)

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Image Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Conrad III 1093
-
15 February 1152 		1138[2]
(Also crowned in 1128 in opposition to Lothair[8]) 		1152
Frederick I 1122
-
10 June 1190 		1154 1186
Henry VI November 1165
-
28 September 1197 		1186[2] 28 September 1197

House of Welf (1208 – 1212)

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Image Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Otto IV 1175 or 1176
-
19 May 1218 		1209[2] 1212

House of Hohenstaufen (1212 – 1254)

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Image Coat of Arms Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Frederick II
(Friedrich II) 		26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250 5 December 1212 13 December 1250
Henry
(Heinrich (VII)) 		1211 – 12 February 1242 23 April 1220 12 February 1242
Conrad IV
(Konrad IV) 		25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254 May 1237 21 May 1254

House of Luxembourg (1311 – 1313)

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Image Coat of Arms Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Henry VII 1275[9]
-
24 August 1313 		6 January 1311[10] 24 August 1313

House of Wittelsbach (1327 – 1347)

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Image Coat of Arms Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Louis IV 1 April 1282
-
11 October 1347 		1327 11 October 1347

House of Luxembourg (1355 – 1437)

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Image Coat of Arms Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Charles IV 14 May 1316
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29 November 1378 		1355[2] 29 November 1378
Sigismund 14 February 1368
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9 December 1437 		1431[2] 9 December 1437

House of Habsburg (1437 – 1556)

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Image Coat of Arms Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Frederick III 21 September 1415
-
19 August 1493 		16 March 1452 19 August 1493
Charles V 24 February 1500
-
21 September 1558 		24 February 1530[11] 16 January 1556

Charles V was the last emperor to be crowned king of Italy, or to officially use the title.[2] The Habsburg emperors claimed the Italian crown until 1801. The empire continued to include Italian territories until its dissolution in 1806.

Kingdom of Italy (1805–1814), House of Bonaparte

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Image Coat of Arms Name Life Coronation Ceased to be King
Napoleon I 15 August 1769
-
5 May 1821 		17 March 1805 11 April 1814

Full title

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This title is present on Italian laws proclaimed by Napoleon I:

[Name], by the Grace of God and the Constitutions, Emperor of the French and King of Italy.

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946), House of Savoy

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The succession to the throne of Italy was the same as the succession to the throne of the Sardinia.

Monarch Reign Position Royal House
# Portrait Name Reign start Reign end Duration
1 Victor Emmanuel II
(1820–1878) 		17 March 1861 9 January 1878 16 years, 298 days King of Italy House of Savoy
2 Umberto I
(1844–1900) 		9 January 1878 29 July 1900 22 years, 201 days King of Italy House of Savoy
3 Victor Emmanuel III
(1869–1947) 		29 July 1900 9 May 1946
(Abdicated) 		45 years, 284 days King of Italy
Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941)
King of Albania (1939–1943) 		House of Savoy
4 Umberto II
(1904–1983) 		9 May 1946 12 June 1946
(Deposed) 		40 days King of Italy House of Savoy

Provisional head of state

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After the constitutional referendum which took place at the same time as the general election 54.3% voted for a republic. The Constituent Assembly which had the power to rule Italy until a new constitution for the republic was drawn up. The provisional Head of State after Alcide De Gasperi who exercised the powers after the King of Italy left was Enrico De Nicola who was proclaimed in 1946 but he was called Temporary Chief of State because he did not want to be called President of the Republic until the constitution was law.

No. Portrait Name Term Tenure Election Year
Voter Percentage
— Alcide De Gasperi
(1881–1954) 		— 12 June
1946 		1 July
1946 		—
He exercised the powers of Provisional Head of State as Prime Minister between the departure of King Umberto II on 12 June 1946, and the proclamation of Enrico De Nicola as Head of State by the Constituent Assembly
1 Enrico De Nicola
(1877–1959) 		1 1 July
1946 		25 June
1947 		1946 — 78.57%
396
2 26 June
1947 		1 January
1948 		1947 — 93.96%
405

Presidents

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Main article: List of presidents of Italy

Under the Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of Italy, the President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The President was elected by Parliament and Regional governments for a seven-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Senate served as Acting President.

Parties

Traditionally, Presidents have not been members of any political party during their tenure, in order to be considered above partisan interests. The parties shown are those to which the President belonged at the time they took office.

  • 1946–1993:

  Christian Democracy   Democratic Party   Democratic Socialist Party   Liberal Party   Socialist Party

  • Since 1994:

  Democrats of the Left   Democratic Party   Independent

Status
  Denotes President of the Senate acting as President
No. Portrait Name Term Tenure Election Year
Voter Percentage
1 Enrico De Nicola
(1877–1959) 		2 1 January
1948 		12 May
1948 		1947 — 93.96%
405
2 Luigi Einaudi
(1874–1961) 		1 12 May
1948 		11 May
1955 		1948 — 59.40%
518
3 Giovanni Gronchi
(1887–1978) 		1 11 May
1955 		11 May
1962 		1955 — 78.90%
658
4 Antonio Segni
(1891–1972) 		1 11 May
1962 		6 December
1964 		1962 — 52.60%
443
Resigned
— Cesare Merzagora
(1898–1991) 		— 6 December
1964 		29 December
1964 		—
As President of the Senate he acted as President until after the 1964 presidential election
5 Giuseppe Saragat
(1898–1988) 		1 29 December
1964 		29 December
1971 		1964 — 68.90%
646
6 Giovanni Leone
(1908–2001) 		1 29 December
1971 		15 June
1978 		1971 — 52.00%
518
Resigned
— Amintore Fanfani
(1908–1999) 		— 15 June
1978 		9 July
1978 		—
As President of the Senate he acted as President until after the 1978 presidential election
7 Sandro Pertini
(1896–1990) 		1 9 July
1978 		29 June
1985 		1978 — 83.61%
832
Resigned
8 Francesco Cossiga
(1928–2010) 		— 29 June
1985 		3 July
1985 		—
1 3 July
1985 		28 April
1992 		1985 — 75.20%
754
As President of the Senate he acted as President until after the 1985 presidential election which he won.
Resigned
— Giovanni Spadolini
(1925–1994) 		— 28 April
1992 		28 May
1992 		—
As President of the Senate he acted as President until after the 1992 presidential election
9 Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
(1918–2012) 		1 28 May
1992 		15 May
1999 		1992 — 67.06%
672
Resigned
— Nicola Mancino
(1931–) 		— 15 May
1999 		18 May
1999 		—
As President of the Senate he acted as President until after the 1999 presidential election
10 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
(1920–2016) 		1 18 May
1999 		15 May
2006 		1999 — 71.41%
707
Resigned
11 Giorgio Napolitano
(1925–2023) 		1 15 May
2006 		20 April
2013 		2006 — 54.85%
543
2 20 April
2013 		14 January
2015 		2013 — 74.10%
738
Resigned
— Pietro Grasso
(1945–) 		— 14 January
2015 		3 February
2015 		—
As President of the Senate he acted as President until after the 2015 presidential election
12 Sergio Mattarella
(1941–) 		1 3 February
2015 		Incumbent 2015 — 65.91%
665

Styles

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Country Years Title of Head of State
 Kingdom 1861 King of Italy
Re d'Italia
1861 - 1936 By the Grace of God and by the Will of the Nation King of Italy
Con la grazia di Dio e per la Volontà della Nazione Re d'Italia
1936 – 1939 By the Grace of God and by the Will of the Nation King of Italy, Emperor of Ethiopia
Con la grazia di Dio e per la Volontà della Nazione Re d'Italia, Imperatore d'Etiopia
1939 – 1943 By the Grace of God and by the Will of the Nation King of Italy and of Albania, Emperor of Ethiopia
Con la grazia di Dio e per la Volontà della Nazione Re d'Italia e di Albania, Imperatore d'Etiopia
1943 - 1946 By the Grace of God and by the Will of the Nation King of Italy
Con la grazia di Dio e per la Volontà della Nazione Re d'Italia
1946 King of Italy
Re d'Italia
 Republic 1946 – 1948 Temporary Chief of State
Capo provvisorio dello Stato
1948 – Present President of the Italian Republic
Presidente della Repubblica Italiana

References

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  1. ^ Bryce, James The Holy Roman Empire (1913), pg. xxxv
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Lodovico Antonio Muratori, Giuseppe Oggeri Vincenti, Annali d'Italia, 1788, pp. 78-81.
  3. ^ According to Sismondi, History of the Italian Republics in the Middle Ages (pg. 29), although Otto II was crowned King of the Romans in 961 and Holy Roman Emperor in 967, he only obtained the Iron Crown at Pavia in late 980, during his descent into Italy, and prior to his celebrating Christmas at Ravenna.
  4. ^ Although Otto III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor at Rome on 21 May 996, he was crowned King of Italy at Milan prior to the death of Pope John XV in early March 996 - see Comyn, History of the Western Empire, Vol. 1, pg. 123
  5. ^ enumerated as successor of Henry I who was German King 919–936 but not Emperor.
  6. ^ enumerated as successor of Conrad I who was German King 911–918 but not Emperor
  7. ^ Barraclough, Geoffrey (1984). The Origins of Modern Germany. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-30153-2.
  8. ^ Comyn, Robert. History of the Western Empire, from its Restoration by Charlemagne to the Accession of Charles V, Vol. I. 1851, p. 191.
  9. ^ Kleinhenz, Christopher, Medieval Italy: an encyclopedia, Volume 1, Routledge, 2004, pg. 494
  10. ^ Jones, Michael, The New Cambridge Medieval History, Vol. VI: c. 1300-c. 1415, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pg. 533
  11. ^ Philip Pandely Argenti, Chius Vincta, 1941, p. xvii.
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