13 June 1946. King Umberto II leaves Italy to go to Cascais (Portugal). He died in Geneva on 18 March 1983 without ever being allowed to visit Italy. The exile of the male heirs of the Savoys, Vittorio Emanuele (son) and Emanuele Filiberto (grandson) terminated in 2002.

On 2nd and 3rd June 1946 Italian were asked to cast their vote in the National referendum to choose between Monarchy and Republic.12,717,923 votes went to the Republic (54.3%) and 10,719,284 votes went to the  Monarchy (45.7%); Votes declared void were 1,498,136.

It was also the first time women were allowed to cast their vote.

27 December 1947. Umberto Terracini, Presidente of the Assemblea Costituente, signs the text of the Italian Constitution.

The Italian Parliament is formed by a lower House (La Camera dei Deputati) (630 members) and the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) (315 members plus life-senators)

In the Elections of 18 April 1948 the Christian Democratic Party (Democrazia Cristiana or DC) got 48.5% of the votes. Second was the Fronte Popolare (formed by the Communist and Socialist parties) with 31%. The DC governed the Country for 50 years, until the scandal uneathed by the inquest Mani Pulite (Clean Hands).

Maria Callas in La Vestale, by Gaspare Spontini (1954). Italian Opera and, especially the La Scala Theatre in Milan is considered as one of the best known Italian 'brands' in the world..

The EEC Treaty was signed in Rome on 25 March 1957. Also the new was signed in Rome on 29 October 2004.

Fiat 500. The Turin car manufacturer introduced in March 1955 the "600" and in 1957 the "500". These two cars were to motorize the Italians in the sixties. The small  500 became a "cult". Some are still circulating today.

Domenico Modugno won the Sanremo's Festival in 1958 with "Nel blu dipinto di blu", also known as "Volare". Together with the the Neapolitan "' O Sole mio" it is still the most famous Italian song in the world.

The funerals of Totò, in 1967. In the Basilica del Carmine Maggiore, in Naples attended more than three thousand mourners. Another one hundred thousand paid their respect by standing outside the church, in  the immense public square. An applause and the sound of the bells greeted him for the last time.

The massacre of Piazza Fontana

On 12 December 1969 a bomb exploded in the National Bank of Agriculture in Milan: 16 died and 88 were hurt. It was the beginning of one of the darkest periods of recent history, one of  opposite extremisms and defined as "anni di piombo". It culminated in 1978 with the murder of Aldo Moro by the Brigate Rosse (BR)..

Berlinguer was, with Aldo Moro, the craftsman of the "historical compromise" (compromesso storico) between DC and Pci. It was also promoter of the ephemereous  "eurocomunismo", that marked the disengagement from the USSR and the approach towards the European social democracy.

Pertini, a Socialist imprisoned during the Fascismo and then sent in exile in France, is considered as one of the most popular Italian Presidents. Eduardo, great Neapolitan actor, has been the greatest Italian theatre writer after Pirandello.

Anti Mafia Judge Falcone inflicted a mortal blow to the criminal organization Cosa Nostra, persuading their boss  Tommaso Buscetta to reveal their secrets. He was killed on 23 May 1992 in the attack of Capaci together with his wife Francesca Morvillo and his police escort. Less than two months later, on 19 July1992 Judge Borsellino was killed too, in Via D' Amelio in Palermo, together with his police escort.

1st January 2002. The era of Italian Lira ends. It's the conclusion of a long process begun on 1 July 1990 with the start of the European political and monetary Union (UEM).