Minister of Foreign Affairs (Italy)

As in most countries, in Italy the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is one of the most important ministerial positions. The office was one of the position which Italy inheredited from the Kingdom of Sardinia where it was the most ancient ministry of the government: this origin gives to the office a ceremonial primacy into the Italian cabinet.

Kingdom of Italy

Foreign Minister Took office Left office
Count Camillo Benso di Cavour 1861 1861
Bettino Ricasoli 1861 1862
Urbano Rattazzi 1862 1862
Giuseppe Pasolini 1862 1863
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta 1863 1864
Alfonso Ferrero la Marmora 1864 1866
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta 1866 1867
Pompeo Di Campello 1867 1867
Federico Luigi, Conte Menabrea 1867 1869
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta 1869 1876
Luigi Amedeo Melegari 1876 1877
Agostino Depretis 1877 1878
Conte Luigi Corti 1878 1878
Benedetto Cairoli 1878 1878
Agostino Depretis 1878 1879
Benedetto Cairoli 1879 1881
Pasquale Stanislao Mancini 1881 1885
Agostino Depretis 1885 1885
Carlo Felice Nicolis, conte di Robilant 1885 1887
Agostino Depretis 1887 1887
Francesco Crispi 1887 1891
Antonio Starabba di Rudinì 1891 1892
Benedetto Brin 1892 1893
Barone Alberto de Blanc 1893 1896
Onorato Caetani 1896 1896
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta 1896 1898
Raffaele Cappelli 1898 1898
Felice Napoleone Canevaro 1898 1899
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta 1899 1901
Giulio Prinetti 1901 1903
Enrico Morin 1903 1903
Tommaso Tittoni 1903 1905
Antonino Paternò-Castello, marchese di San Giuliano 1905 1906
Conte Francesco Guicciardini 1906 1906
Tommaso Tittoni 1906 1909
Conte Francesco Guicciardini 1909 1910
Antonino Paternò-Castello, marchese di San Giuliano 1910 1914
Barone Sidney Sonnino 1914 1919
Tommaso Tittoni 1919 1919
Vittorio Scialoja 1919 1920
Carlo Sforza 1920 1921
Pietro Tommasi della Torretta 1921 1922
Carlo Schanzer 1922 1922
Benito Mussolini 1922 1929
Dino Grandi 1929 1932
Benito Mussolini 1932 1936
Galeazzo Ciano 1936 1943
Benito Mussolini 1943 1943
Raffaele Guariglia, Barone di Vituso July 25, 1943 February 11, 1944
Pietro Badoglio February 11, 1944 June 8, 1944
Ivanoe Bonomi June 18, 1944 December 12, 1944
Alcide De Gasperi December 12, 1944 June 2, 1946

Italian Republic

Foreign Minister Image Born - Died Took office Left office Political Party
Alcide De Gasperi 1881 - 1954 June 2, 1946 October 18, 1946 Christian Democracy
Pietro Nenni 1891 - 1980 October 18, 1946 January 28, 1947 Italian Socialist Party
Carlo Sforza 1872 - 1952 February 2, 1947 July 26, 1951 Italian Republican Party
Alcide De Gasperi 1881 - 1954 July 26, 1951 August 17, 1953 Christian Democracy
Giuseppe Pella 1902 - 1981 August 17, 1953 January 18, 1954 Christian Democracy
Attilio Piccioni 1892 - 1976 January 18, 1954 September 16, 1954 Christian Democracy
Gaetano Martino 1900 - 1967 September 16, 1954 May 15, 1957 Italian Liberal Party
Giuseppe Pella 1902 - 1981 May 19, 1957 July 1, 1958 Christian Democracy
Amintore Fanfani 1908 - 1999 July 1, 1958 February 15, 1959 Christian Democracy
Giuseppe Pella 1902 - 1981 February 15, 1959 March 25, 1960 Christian Democracy
Antonio Segni 1891 - 1972 March 25, 1960 May 7, 1962 Christian Democracy
Amintore Fanfani 1908 - 1999 May 7, 1962 May 29, 1962 Christian Democracy
Attilio Piccioni 1892 - 1976 May 29, 1962 December 4, 1963 Christian Democracy
Giuseppe Saragat 1898 - 1988 December 4, 1963 December 28, 1964 Italian Socialist Democratic Party
Aldo Moro 1916 - 1978 December 28, 1964 March 5, 1965 Christian Democracy
Amintore Fanfani 1908 - 1999 March 5, 1965 December 30, 1965 Christian Democracy
Aldo Moro 1916 - 1978 December 30, 1965 February 23, 1966 Christian Democracy
Amintore Fanfani 1908 - 1999 February 23, 1966 June 24, 1968 Christian Democracy
Giuseppe Medici 1907 - 2000 June 24, 1968 December 12, 1968 Christian Democracy
Pietro Nenni 1891 - 1980 December 12, 1968 August 5, 1969 Italian Socialist Party
Aldo Moro 1916 - 1978 August 5, 1969 June 26, 1972 Christian Democracy
Giuseppe Medici 1907 - 2000 July 26, 1972 July 7, 1973 Christian Democracy
Aldo Moro 1916 - 1978 July 7, 1973 November 23, 1974 Christian Democracy
Mariano Rumor 1915 - 1990 November 23, 1974 July 29, 1976 Christian Democracy
Arnaldo Forlani 1925 - July 29, 1976 August 4, 1979 Christian Democracy
Franco Maria Malfatti 1927 - 1991 August 4, 1979 January 15, 1980 Christian Democracy
Attilio Ruffini 1925 - January 15, 1980 April 4, 1980 Christian Democracy
Emilio Colombo 1920 - April 4, 1980 August 4, 1983 Christian Democracy
Giulio Andreotti 1919 - August 4, 1983 July 22, 1989 Christian Democracy
Gianni De Michelis 1940 - July 22, 1989 June 28, 1992 Italian Socialist Party
Vincenzo Scotti 1933 - June 28, 1992 July 29, 1992 Christian Democracy
Giuliano Amato 1938 - July 29, 1992 August 1, 1992 Italian Socialist Party
Emilio Colombo 1920 - August 1, 1992 April 28, 1993 Christian Democracy
Beniamino Andreatta 1928 - 2007 April 28, 1993 April 19, 1994 Italian Popular Party
Leopoldo Elia 1925 - 2008 April 19, 1994 May 10, 1994 Independent
Antonio Martino 1942 - May 10, 1994 January 17, 1995 Forza Italia
Susanna Agnelli 1922 - 2009 January 17, 1995 May 17, 1996 Independent
Lamberto Dini 1931 - May 17, 1996 June 6, 2001 Independent
Giuliano Amato 1938 - June 6, 2001 June 11, 2001 The Olive Tree
Renato Ruggiero 1930 - June 11, 2001 January 6, 2002 Independent
Silvio Berlusconi 1936 - January 6, 2002 November 14, 2002 Forza Italia
Franco Frattini 1957 - November 14, 2002 November 18, 2004 Forza Italia
Gianfranco Fini 1952 - November 18, 2004 May 17, 2006 Alleanza Nazionale
Massimo D'Alema 1949 - May 17, 2006 May 8, 2008 Democratic Party
Franco Frattini 1957 - May 8, 2008 November 16, 2011 The People of Freedom
Giulio Terzi Sant'Agata 1946 - November 16, 2011 Incumbent Independent

See also