Once, ‘Roma caput mundi’. Now a microcosm of Italian politics

Rome occupies a relevant place in Italian politics. As the national capital and the country’s largest city, it has sometimes anticipated or mirrored national transformations, synchronised with others, and amplified or refracted still others. This article argues that Rome can therefore be understood as a microcosm of Italian politics and uses the city’s electoral history to examine three decades of political change, from the collapse of the First Republic to the 2022 general election. The analysis focuses on five critical turning points—1993, 2011, 2013, 2018 and 2022—which together chart the transformation of Italy’s political landscape. It examines the collapse of the First Republic, the emergence and eventual decline of the bipolar party system associated with the Berlusconi era, the rise of the Five Star Movement (M5S), and the growing strength of right-wing sovereigntist parties. Throughout, particular attention is paid to the increasing personalisation and mediatisation of politics, changes in political leadership, and the weakening of territorially based political loyalties. Drawing on evidence from mayoral elections, electoral geography, gender representation and patterns of electoral participation, the article shows how developments in Rome interlace wider national trends, making the city an especially revealing barometer of political change in Italy.