Italy has a new president, Sergio Mattarella, a 73-year-old Sicilian judge whose politician brother was gunned down by the Mafia and died in his arms on the way to hospital.

The election of the softly spoken Mattarella, a veteran politician little known internationally but widely respected at home as an anti-corruption fighter, represents a significant victory for Italy's young centre-left Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Italy's new President Sergio Mattarella. Credit:Reuters

In a remarkable display of political strength and strategy, Mr Renzi out-manoeuvred opponents - including his predecessor, Silvio Berlusconi - to secure an outright win for Mr Mattarella, his personal choice.

While Mr Berlusconi is banned from public office in the wake of a conviction for a multimillion-euro tax fraud, he remains a powerful figure and continues to be consulted by MPs of his Forza Italia party. Italian media and analysts had widely predicted that Mr Renzi would be forced to select a new president from a list of compromise candidates acceptable both to him and Mr Berlusconi.