| Agency Name: | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation |
| Nativename: | Ministero degli affari esteri e della cooperazione internazionale |
| Nativename A: | MAECI |
| Jurisdiction: | Council of Ministers of Italy |
| Headquarters: | Rome |
| Minister1 Name: | Antonio Tajani |
| Website: | www.esteri.it |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Italian: Ministero degli affari esteri e della cooperazione internazionale or MAECI) is the foreign ministry of the government of the Italian Republic. It is also known as the Farnesina as a metonym from its headquarters, the Palazzo della Farnesina in Rome. The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Antonio Tajani.
The first official manifestation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was called The Secretary of the State of Foreign Affairs for the now defunct Kingdom of Sardinia. The original name was derived from the Albertine Statute that founded the Ministry in 1848. The original location was the Palazzo della Consulta in Rome, where it remained until 1922.
The first significant reform came under the direction of the minister Carlo Sforza who reorganized the Ministry around territorial bases. However, this system was later replaced during Benito Mussolini's fascist regime. During this time the Ministry was housed at Palazzo Chigi; after a brief period in Brindisi during the war, Cabinet President Pietro Badoglio restored the full services of the Ministry with a ministerial decree on 15 July 1944.
Since 1959 the Ministry has been at its current location in Palazzo della Farnesina, which together with the Reggia di Caserta is one of the biggest buildings in Italy.
The current role of the MAECI are laid out in the laws passed on 23 April 2003 n. 109 which states that the Ministry holds the explicit function of representing and guarding the interests of Italy concerning its political, economic, social, and cultural relations with the world and its direct relations with other states and international organizations. The ministry represents Italy in its implementation and revisions of treaties and international conventions. Within the organization of the European Union, the ministry advocates Italy's positions on councils of foreign politics and common security such as, CFSP, The European Community and Euratom. It cooperates with international organizations on issues of development, immigration, and the protection of Italians and workers abroad.
See main article: Minister of Foreign Affairs (Italy).
| Name | Period | Government | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcide De Gasperi (DC) | 14 July 1946 - 18 October 1946 | De Gasperi II Cabinet | |
| Pietro Nenni (PSI) | 18 October 1946 - 2 February 1947 | De Gasperi II Cabinet | |
| Carlo Sforza (PRI) | 2 February 1947 - 16 July 1951 | De Gasperi III Cabinet De Gasperi IV Cabinet De Gasperi V Cabinet De Gasperi VI Cabinet | |
| Alcide De Gasperi (DC) | 16 July 1951 - 17 August 1953 | De Gasperi VII Cabinet De Gasperi VIII Cabinet | |
| Giuseppe Pella (DC) | 17 August 1953 - 18 January 1954 | Pella Cabinet | |
| Attilio Piccioni (DC) | 18 January 1954 - 19 September 1954 | Fanfani I Cabinet Scelba Cabinet | |
| Gaetano Martino (PLI) | 19 September 1954 - 6 May 1957 | Scelba Cabinet Segni I Cabinet | |
| Giuseppe Pella (DC) | 6 May 1957 - 25 March 1960 | Zoli Cabinet Fanfani II Cabinet Segni II Cabinet | |
| Antonio Segni (DC) | 25 March 1960 - 7 May 1962 | Tambroni Cabinet Fanfani III Cabinet Fanfani IV Cabinet | |
| Attilio Piccioni (DC) | 7 May 1962 - 4 December 1963 | Fanfani IV Cabinet Leone I Cabinet | |
| Giuseppe Saragat (PSDI) | 4 December 1963 - 28 December 1964 | Moro I Cabinet Moro II Cabinet | |
| Amintore Fanfani (DC) | 28 December 1964 - 24 June 1968 | Moro II Cabinet Moro III Cabinet | |
| Giuseppe Medici (DC) | 24 June 1968 - 12 December 1968 | Leone II Cabinet | |
| Pietro Nenni (PSI) | 12 December 1968 - 5 August 1969 | Rumor I Cabinet | |
| Aldo Moro (DC) | 5 August 1969 - 26 June 1972 | Rumor II Cabinet Rumor III Cabinet Colombo Cabinet Andreotti I Cabinet | |
| Giuseppe Medici (DC) | 26 June 1972 - 8 July 1973 | Andreotti II Cabinet | |
| Aldo Moro (DC) | 8 July 1973 - 23 November 1974 | Rumor IV Cabinet Rumor V Cabinet | |
| Mariano Rumor (DC) | 23 November 1974 - 29 July 1976 | Moro IV Cabinet Moro V Cabinet | |
| Arnaldo Forlani (DC) | 29 July 1976 - 4 August 1979 | Andreotti III Cabinet Andreotti IV Cabinet Andreotti V Cabinet | |
| Franco Maria Malfatti (DC) | 4 August 1979 - 15 January 1980 | Cossiga I Cabinet | |
| Attilio Ruffini (DC) | 15 January 1980 - 4 April 1980 | Cossiga I Cabinet | |
| Emilio Colombo (DC) | 4 April 1980 - 4 August 1983 | Cossiga II Cabinet Forlani Cabinet Spadolini I Cabinet Spadolini II Cabinet Fanfani V Cabinet | |
| Giulio Andreotti (DC) | 4 August 1983 - 22 July 1989 | Craxi I Cabinet Craxi II Cabinet Fanfani VI Cabinet Goria Cabinet De Mita Cabinet | |
| Gianni De Michelis (PSI) | 22 July 1989 - 28 June 1992 | Andreotti VI Cabinet Andreotti VII Cabinet | |
| Vincenzo Scotti (DC) | 28 June 1992 - 29 July 1992 | Amato I Cabinet | |
| Emilio Colombo (DC) | 29 July 1992 - 28 April 1993 | Amato I Cabinet | |
| Beniamino Andreatta (DC) | 28 April 1993 - 10 May 1994 | Ciampi Cabinet | |
| Antonio Martino (FI) | 10 May 1994 - 17 January 1995 | Berlusconi I Cabinet | |
| Susanna Agnelli (Ind) | 17 January 1995 - 17 May 1996 | Dini Cabinet | |
| Lamberto Dini (RI) | 17 May 1996 - 11 June 2001 | Prodi I Cabinet D'Alema I Cabinet D'Alema II Cabinet Amato II Cabinet | |
| Renato Ruggiero (Ind) | 11 June 2001 - 14 November 2002 | Berlusconi II Cabinet | |
| Franco Frattini (FI) | 14 November 2002 - 18 November 2004 | Berlusconi II Cabinet | |
| Gianfranco Fini (AN) | 18 November 2004 - 17 May 2006 | Berlusconi II Cabinet Berlusconi III Cabinet | |
| Massimo D'Alema (PD) | 17 May 2006 - 8 May 2008 | Prodi II Cabinet | |
| Franco Frattini (PdL) | 8 May 2008 - 16 November 2011 | Berlusconi IV Cabinet | |
| Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata (Ind) | 16 November 2011 - 28 April 2013 | Monti Cabinet | |
| Emma Bonino (Rad) | 28 April 2013 - 22 February 2014 | Letta Cabinet | |
| Federica Mogherini (PD) | 22 February 2014 - 31 October 2014 | Renzi Cabinet | |
| Paolo Gentiloni (PD) | 31 October 2014 - 12 December 2016 | Renzi Cabinet | |
| Angelino Alfano (AP) | 12 December 2016 - 1 June 2018 | Gentiloni Cabinet | |
| Enzo Moavero Milanesi (Ind) | 1 June 2018 - 5 September 2019 | Conte I Cabinet | |
| Luigi Di Maio (M5S) | 5 September 2019 - 22 October 2022 | Conte II Cabinet Draghi Cabinet | |
| Antonio Tajani (FI) | 22 October 2022 - incumbent | Meloni Cabinet | |