Constitution of the Republic of Italy

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Constitution of the Republic of Italy, which went into effect in 1948, replaced the Statuto Albertino, the constitution of the Kingdom of Italy. The Statuto Albertino, originally granted in 1848, established a constitutional monarchy and was later modified under Fascist rule before its abolition. The Lateran Treaty, signed in 1929 and confirmed by the 1948 constitution, recognized papal sovereignty over Vatican City and established Catholicism's special status in Italy, though this was later revised in 1985 to end Catholicism as the state religion.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Italy
Birth of the Italian republic
The Constitution of the Republic of Italy established a parliamentary system of government with two elected houses (Chamber of Deputies and Senate). It also guaranteed civil and political rights and established an independent judiciary, a constitutional court with powers of judicial review, and the right of…
Read More
The Constitution of the Republic of Italy established a parliamentary system of government with two elected houses (Chamber of Deputies and Senate). It also guaranteed civil and political rights and established an independent judiciary, a constitutional court with powers of judicial review, and the right of…
Read More