Laura Mattarella

Laura Mattarella (born 16 February 1967) is an Italian lawyer who is the current First Lady of Italy as the first child and the only daughter of President Sergio Mattarella, who has been in office since 2015.

Early and personal life

Laura Mattarella is the daughter of President Sergio Mattarella and Marisa Chiazzese. A lawyer specialised in Administrative law, she gave up her professional practice during her father’s mandate in order to carry out the ceremonial and protocol duties traditionally associated with the President’s spouse, as President Mattarella has been a widower since the death of his wife Marisa Chiazzese in 2012. She is married and has three children. Her paternal grandfather, Bernardo Mattarella, served several times as a minister, while her uncle Piersanti Mattarella was assassinated by Cosa nostra while serving as President of the Sicilian Region. Her maternal grandfather was the jurist Lauro Chiazzese.

In the history of the Italian Republic, Laura Mattarella is the third woman who was not the President’s spouse to assume the representative role traditionally performed by the President’s consort in ceremonial protocol. Before her, two other Presidents were accompanied by their daughters rather than their wives, as they were widowers: Giuseppe Saragat by Ernestina Saragat and Oscar Luigi Scalfaro by Marianna Scalfaro.

First Lady

President Sergio Mattarella is a widower since 2012, before his election in 2015. When he took office, the First Lady representation functions were then taken on by his daughter, who immediately accompanied her father on state trips and on visits within Italy.