2 June is the "Festa della Repubblica" in Italy. On this day in 1946, a referendum was held to decide whether Italy should remain a monarchy or become a republic (photo, ballot paper). Concurrently, a Constituent Assembly was elected to write a new Constitution >> 1 
Turnout was 89.08%. Women voted for the first time (12,998,131 women voted compared to 11,949,056 men). The result was: Republic 54.3%, Monarchy 45.7%. There was a difference just short of 2 million votes. This clear national result, however, hid large regional disparities >> 2
The north voted 66.2% for the Republic, the south voted 63.8% for the Monarchy. Rome voted 49% for the Republic and 51% for the Monarchy. Residents of the provinces of Bolzano, Gorizia & Trieste could not vote as they were disputed territories still governed by Allied forces >> 3
The electoral districts with the largest pro-Republic vote were Trento (85%) and Bologna (80.5%). The electoral districts with the largest pro-Monarchy vote were Naples (78.9%) and Lecce (75.3%) >> 4
The national result was clear and, as early as 6 June, Corriere della Sera proclaimed the birth of the Italian Republic (photo). However, it would only become definitive upon proclamation by the Supreme Court of Cassation >> 5
Considering the importance of the result & to ensure transparency, the Court checked the votes meticulously, in the presence of Anglo-American observer and journalists. This delay, however, led to rising tensions, with pro-Republic & pro-Monarchy demonstrations taking place >> 6
Proclamation of the result was made on 10 June 1946 but, in a further complication, the Court added that it would integrate the results with some missing data and examine formal protests made regarding voting in some polling stations. 11 June was declared a public holiday >> 7
On 11 June, a pro-monarchy demonstration in Naples was broken up violently by police, resulting in 9 deaths & 150 people injured. Meanwhile, King Umberto II (who'd only been King for a month, since his father's abdication) insisted on waiting for final decision of the Court >> 8
On 12 June, another monarchist protest was broken up, without victims, and the provisional government became worried about risk of instability if establishment of the Republic was delayed. Socialist leader, Pietro Nenni (photo), famously said, "either the Republic or chaos!" >> 9
On the evening of 12 June the government met & discussed the situation all night. On the morning of 13 June, they voted to make PM Alcide De Gasperi (photo) provisional Head of State based on the Court's proclamation of 10 June. Only one Minister (a monarchist) voted against >>10
On the same day (13 June) King Umberto II made a unilateral decision to leave Italy. He declared the act of the government to be illegal but was concerned about the possibility of civil war & the Allies had made clear that they would do nothing to protect him >> 11
His father, Victor Emanuel III, who had been King throughout Mussolini's time in power, had gone into exile in Alexandria (Egypt) on 9 May 1946, after abdicating. Umberto, instead, went into exile in Portugal (photo, leaving Ciampino airport on 13 June 1946) >> 12
In December 1947, the Constituent Assembly, elected on the day of the referendum & charged with writing a new Constitution, voted 214-145 in favour of Transitory & Final Provision XIII of the Italian Constitution concerning the former Royal Family >> 13
It read: "1. Members & descendants of the House of Savoia shall not have the right to vote, nor to hold public office or elected office.
2. Former Kings of the House of Savoy, their consorts and their male heirs shall not be permitted to enter or reside on Italian territory >> 14
2. Former Kings of the House of Savoy, their consorts and their male heirs shall not be permitted to enter or reside on Italian territory >> 14
3. All property, on Italian territory, belonging to the former Kings of the House of Savoia, their consorts & their male heirs shall revert to the State. Transfers & the establishment of royal rights on said goods, which happened after 2 June 1946, shall be null and void." >> 15
Paragraphs 1 & 2 were repealed in 2002 & family members have since returned to Italy but none have stood for public office. In 2007, the family sought €260m damages for exile under ECHR but later withdrew. In any case, Italy signed ECHR with express exemption for this case >> 16
On 18 June 1946, the Supreme Court of Cassation declared the result valid. Monarchists had maintained the result should be 50% + 1 of all votes, including spoiled & blank ballot papers. Even considering these (1,498,136), the Republic had a clear, albeit reduced, majority //17
