The ( of the
Parliament Of Italy . It was established in its current form on
8 May 1948 , but it existed during the monarchy as '''Senato del Regno''', ('Senate of the Kingdom'), continuing from the Subalpine Parliament of
Piedmont established on
8 May 1848 .
The Senate consists of 315 elected members (''senatori''), elected for a maximum of 5 years, of whom six represent Italians residing overseas. Senators must be 40 or older, and are elected by citizens 25 years of age or over. According to special (former President),
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (former President),
Giulio Andreotti (former Prime Minister),
Rita Levi Montalcini (Nobel Prize winner for Medicine 1986),
Emilio Colombo (former Prime Minister),
Sergio Pininfarina (Designer),
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (former President).
Giorgio Napolitano (former President of the
Chamber Of Deputies and former leader of the
Communist Party ), currently
President Of The Republic , is not anymore a member of the Senate, but is able to resume his duties as a senator after 2013, if not later still.
Senate members meet at the
Palazzo Madama in Rome.
The Senate may be dissolved before the expiration of its normal term by the
President Of The Republic , when no government can obtain a majority.
See also
Parliament Of Italy .
