Italians Vote to Abolish the Monarchy and Found the Republic
For the first time, Italian women cast ballots, and the country chooses a republic over the House of Savoy
Quick facts
- Referendum date
- June 2, 1946
- Turnout
- 89.08% (about 24.9 million of 28 million eligible voters)
- Republic proclaimed
- June 18, 1946
- Constitution in force
- January 1, 1948
What happened
On June 2, 1946, Italian men and, for the first time, Italian women went to the polls in a referendum on whether the country should remain a monarchy under the House of Savoy or become a republic, while simultaneously electing a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution. Out of roughly 25 million votes cast, a turnout of 89 percent of the electorate, a majority chose the republic. After appeals from monarchist parties were reviewed and rejected, the Court of Cassation officially proclaimed the birth of the Italian Republic on June 18, 1946. The Constituent Assembly's new constitution came into force on January 1, 1948.
Why it matters
The referendum ended the House of Savoy's rule over Italy, which had lasted since Victor Emmanuel II's proclamation as king in 1861, and it marked the first time Italian women voted in a national election, a foundational moment for the postwar republic's claim to full democratic legitimacy after two decades of fascist dictatorship.
How we know
The June 2, 1946 referendum, its turnout figures, and the Court of Cassation's proclamation of the Republic on June 18, 1946, are documented in the official records of the Italian state itself, including the Ministry of Defence's own historical account of the vote.
Sources
- Italian Ministry of Defence. Towards 2 June · Primary source (author-declared)difesa.it · Cited as a "primary" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. Italy · Primary source (author-declared)history.state.gov · Cited as a "primary" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
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