Italy's presidency is a largely ceremonial role, but it's crucial for steering the country through times of political uncertainty. Like now, for example. So who exactly is Italian President Sergio Mattarella?

The role: Mattarella is Italy's 12th president and head of state since the country became a republic after the Second World War. If that number sounds low, given the 65 governments that have ruled Italy in the same period, that's because this role changes only every seven years. This is to avoid the president being too closely tied to any one parliament; both houses have a five-year term, but in practice they tend to change more frequently.