World Factbook
Italy
Repubblica Italiana
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), white, and red meaning: colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard history: design inspired by the French flag that Napoleon brought to Italy in 1797
note: similar to the flags of Mexico (longer, darker shades of green and red, and has its coat of arms centered on the white band), Ireland (longer and with orange instead of red), and Cote d'Ivoire (colors reversed)
Capital
name
Rome
etymology
by tradition, named after Romulus, one of the legendary founders of the city, but the name Romulus may instead derive from the city's name; the name Rome may come from an Etruscan name for the Tiber River, which was Roma or Ruma
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
41 54 N, 12 29 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Italy
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
4 years for EU nationals, 5 years for refugees and specified exceptions, 10 years for all others
Constitution
history
previous 1848 (originally for the Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by the Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948
amendment process
proposed by both houses of Parliament; passage requires two successive debates and approval by absolute majority of each house on the second vote; a referendum is only required when requested by one fifth of the members of either house, by voter petition, or by 5 Regional Councils (elected legislative assemblies of the 15 first-level administrative regions and 5 autonomous regions of Italy); referendum not required if an amendment has been approved by a two-thirds majority in each house in the second vote
Country name
former
Kingdom of Italy
etymology
derivation is unclear; traditionally said to come from the Vitali, a tribe that settled in what is now Calabria, and whose name is believed to be linked to the Latin word vitulus , or "calf;" alternatively, the name may derive from a local ruler known to the Romans as Italus
local long form
Repubblica Italiana
local short form
Italia
conventional long form
Italian Republic
conventional short form
Italy
Independence
17 March 1861
note: the Kingdom of Italy proclaimed on 17 March 1861, but Italy was not fully unified until 1871
Legal system
civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislation under certain conditions
Government type
parliamentary republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione (consists of the first president, deputy president, 54 justices presiding over 6 civil and 7 criminal divisions, and 288 judges; an additional 30 judges of lower courts serve as supporting judges; cases normally heard by 5-judge panels; more complex cases heard by 9-judge panels); Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (consists of the court president and 14 judges)
subordinate courts
various lower civil and criminal courts (primary and secondary tribunals and courts of appeal)
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president of the republic; judges may serve for life; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by Parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, who is known officially as the President of the Council of Ministers and locally as the premier; nominated by the president
chief of state
President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015)
election results
2022: Sergio MATTARELLA (independent) reelected president; electoral college vote count in eighth round - 759 out of 1,009 (505 vote threshold) 2015: Sergio MATTARELLA (independent) elected president; electoral college vote count in fourth round - 665 out of 995 (505 vote threshold)
head of government
Prime Minister Giorgia MELONI (since 22 October 2022); the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers
most recent election date
24-29 January 2022 (eight rounds)
election/appointment process
president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a 7-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by parliament
expected date of next election
2029
National holiday
Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
National color(s)
red, white, green
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
61 (55 cultural, 6 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Historic Center of Rome (c); Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata (c); Venice and its Lagoon (c); Historic Center of Florence (c); Piazza del Duomo, Pisa (c); Historic Centre of Naples (c); Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)(c); Mount Etna (n); Cultural landscape of the Benedictine settlements in medieval Italy (c); Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci (c); City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto (c); Crespi d'Adda (c); Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna (c); Historic Centre of the City of Pienza (c); Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena (c); Costiera Amalfitana (c); Villa Romana del Casale (c); Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia (c); Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological Sites of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padula (c); Historic Centre of Urbino (c); Villa Adriana (Tivoli) (c); Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites (c); City of Verona (c); Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands) (n); Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia (c); Val d'Orcia (c); Mantua and Sabbioneta (c); The Dolomites (n); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany (c); Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries: Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar (c); Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles (c); The Porticoes of Bologna (c); Evaporitic Karst and Caves of Northern Apennines (n); Via Appia: Regina Viarum (c); Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sardinia – The domus de janas (c)
Political parties
Action-Italia Viva Associative Movement of Italians Abroad or MAIE Brothers of Italy or FdI Democratic Party or PD Five Star Movement or M5S Forza Italia or FI Free and Equal (Liberi e Uguali) or LeU Greens and Left Alliance or AVS League or Lega More Europe or +EU South calls North or ScN South Tyrolean Peoples Party or SVP Us Moderates or NM other minor parties
Legislative branch
legislature name
Parliament (Il Parlamento)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"Il Canto degli Italiani" (The Song of the Italians)
history
adopted 2005; the anthem, originally written in 1847, is also known as "L'Inno di Mameli" (Mameli's Hymn), and "Fratelli d'Italia" (Brothers of Italy)
lyrics/music
Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO
National symbol(s)
five-pointed white star (Stella d'Italia)
National coat of arms
this coat of arms has been a symbol of the Italian Republic since May 5, 1948, when Paolo Paschetto’s design won a two-year public competition; the olive branch symbolizes national and global peace; the oak branch stands for the strength and the dignity of the Italian people, and the steel cog-wheel for their hard work; the single star represents Italy’s solidarity
Administrative divisions
15 regions ( regioni , singular - regione ) and 5 autonomous regions ( regioni autonome , singular - regione autonoma ) regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto autonomous regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardegna (Sardinia), Sicilia (Sicily), Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German), Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallée d'Aoste (French)
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
term in office
5 years
number of seats
400 (all directly elected)
electoral system
mixed system
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
9/25/2022
expected date of next election
September 2027
percentage of women in chamber
32.8%
parties elected and seats per party
Coalition Brothers of Italy (FdI) - Lega - Forza Italia - Us Moderates (Noi moderati, NM) (237); Democratic Party - Democratic and Progressive Italy (PD-IDP) - Greens and Left Alliance (AVS) - +EUROPA" - Civic Commitment (IC) (84); Five Star Movement (M5s) (52); Action - Italia Viva (21); Other (6)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate (Senato della Repubblica)
term in office
5 years
number of seats
205 (200 directly elected; 5 appointed)
electoral system
mixed system
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
9/25/2022
expected date of next election
September 2027
percentage of women in chamber
36.3%
parties elected and seats per party
Coalition Brothers of Italy (FdI) - Lega - Forza Italia - Us Moderates (Noi moderati, NM) (115); Democratic Party - Democratic and Progressive Italy (PD-IDP) - Greens and Left Alliance (AVS) - +EUROPA" - Civic Commitment (IC) (44); Five Star Movement (M5s) (28); Other (13)
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 518-2154
chancery
3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 612-4400
consulate(s)
Detroit
chief of mission
Ambassador Marco PERONACI (since 5 September 2025)
consulate(s) general
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
email address and website
washington.ambasciata@esteri.it https://ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/ambasciata_washington/en/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[39] 06-4674-2244
embassy
via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187 Roma
telephone
[39] 06-46741
mailing address
9500 Rome Place, Washington DC 20521-9500
chief of mission
Ambassador Tilman J. FERTITTA (since 6 May 2025); note - also accredited to San Marino
consulate(s) general
Florence, Milan, Naples
email address and website
uscitizenrome@state.gov https://it.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction