Virginia Raggi from the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) became Rome's new mayor early on Monday by a landslide 67.2% of the vote.
Roberto Giachetti from Premier Matteo Renzi's center-left Democratic Party (PD) garnered just 32.8% in Sunday's runoff vote, which saw the M5S triumph in 19 out of the 20 towns and cities where it had fielded mayoral candidates.
In Turin, 54.5% of voters preferred the M5S's Chiara Appendino over PD incumbent Piero Fassino. Fassino, like many PD grandees a former Communist who has sometimes been uncomfortable with Renzi's centrist drive, is credited with reviving the city's fortunes and restoring its lure both for tourists and investors.
But Appendino, a former student at Milan's prestigious Bocconi University, has performed impressively in debates, showing a firm grasp of the issues.
In Naples, popular incumbent former prosecutor Luigi De Magistris won by 66.8% over center-right challenger Gianni Lettieri at 33.2%.
De Magistris is a maverick independent leftist who has restored some of Naples' pride after years of largely unsuccessful centre-left rule.
In Bologna, PD incumbent Virgilio Merola was reconfirmed with 54.6% of the vote against the center-right's Lucia Borgonzoni at 45.4%. Milan voters preferred PD candidate and former Milan Expo commissioner Giuseppe Sala with 51.7%, against 48.3% for former Confindustria chief, ex-Fastweb manager and ex-Milan city manager Stefano Parisi from the centre-right. The centre-right triumphed in northeastern Trieste, where Roberto Dipiazza unseated PD incumbent Roberto Cosolini and in the southern town of Benevento, where Clemente Mastella beat center-left incumbent Raffaele Del Vecchio. A total of 126 cities and towns across Italy held run-off ballots Sunday, involving some 8.6 million people. "This is just the beginning," said M5S chief Beppe Grillo, saying his party is ready for central government. "It's our turn now".
"Italians no longer believe in Renzi," commented anti-immigrant, rightwing Northern League chief Matteo Salvini.
The PD for its part admitted its defeat in Rome and Turn has "no extenuating circumstances", anticipating a meeting of the party's executive from next Monday to the coming Friday.
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