| Ambassador of the United States to Italy | |
|---|---|
| Ambasciatore degli Stati Uniti d'America in Italia | |
Seal of the United States Department of State | |
Flag of a United States ambassador | |
since May 6, 2025 | |
| Residence | Villa Taverna, Rome |
| Nominator | Thepresident of the United States |
| Appointer | Thepresident withSenateadvice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | John Nelson as Chargé d'Affaires |
| Formation | October 24, 1831 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy – Rome |
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Since 1840, the United States has haddiplomatic representation in theItalian Republic and its predecessor nations, theKingdom of Sardinia and then theKingdom of Italy, with a break in relations from 1941 to 1944 while Italy and the U.S. were at war duringWorld War II. The U.S. Mission to Italy is headed by theEmbassy of the United States in Rome, and also includes sixconsular offices.
Beginning in 2006, the U.S. ambassador to Italy is concurrently accredited as theU.S. ambassador to San Marino.[1][2]
Listed below are the head U.S. diplomatic agents in Italy, theirdiplomatic rank, and the effective start and end of their service in Italy.
| Name and title | Presentation of credentials | Termination of mission |
|---|---|---|
| John Nelson, Chargé d'Affaires | October 24, 1831 | October 15, 1832 |
| Enos T. Throop, Chargé d'Affaires | September 28, 1838 | December 29, 1841 |
| William Boulware, Chargé d'Affaires | December 29, 1841 | June 24, 1845 |
| William Hawkins Polk, Chargé d'Affaires | July 24, 1845 | May 11, 1847 |
| John Rowan, Chargé d'Affaires | June 27, 1848 | November 9, 1849 |
| Edward Joy Morris, Chargé d'Affaires | April 4, 1850 | August 25, 1853 |
| Robert Dale Owen, Minister Resident | October 22, 1853 | September 20, 1858 |
| Joseph Ripley Chandler, Minister Resident | September 20, 1858 | November 6, 1860 |
The Embassy at Naples closed November 6, 1860.
| Name and title | Presentation of credentials | Termination of mission |
|---|---|---|
| Hezekiah Gold Rogers, Chargé d'Affaires | September 15, 1840 | November 22, 1841 |
| Ambrose Baber, Chargé d'Affaires | December 1, 1841 | January 10, 1844 |
| Robert Wickliffe, Jr., Chargé d'Affaires | January 10, 1844 | 1847 |
| Nathaniel Niles, Chargé d'Affaires | April 28, 1848 | August 20, 1850 |
| William B. Kinney, Chargé d'Affaires | August 21, 1850 | October 8, 1853 |
| John Moncure Daniel, Chargé d'Affaires | October 10, 1853 | September 3, 1854 |
| John Moncure Daniel, Minister | September 4, 1854 | January 10, 1861 |
| George P. Marsh, Envoy | June 23, 1861 | 1865 |
| Name and title | Presentation of credentials | Termination of mission |
|---|---|---|
| George P. Marsh, Envoy | 1865 | 1871 |
| Name and title | Presentation of credentials | Termination of mission |
|---|---|---|
| George P. Marsh, Envoy | 1871 | July 23, 1882 |
| William Waldorf Astor, Envoy | November 21, 1882 | March 1, 1885 |
| John B. Stallo, Envoy | November 27, 1885 | June 6, 1889 |
| Albert G. Porter, Envoy | June 6, 1889 | July 9, 1892 |
| William Potter, Envoy | December 28, 1892 | March 8, 1894 |
| Name and title | Presentation of credentials | Termination of mission |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne MacVeagh, Ambassador | March 11, 1894 | March 4, 1897 |
| William F. Draper, Ambassador | June 29, 1897 | June 5, 1900 |
| George V. L. Meyer, Ambassador | February 4, 1901 | April 1, 1905 |
| Henry White, Ambassador | April 16, 1905 | February 26, 1907 |
| Lloyd C. Griscom, Ambassador | March 17, 1907 | June 14, 1909 |
| John G. A. Leishman, Ambassador | July 4, 1909 | October 7, 1911 |
| Thomas J. O'Brien, Ambassador | November 13, 1911 | September 17, 1913 |
| Thomas Nelson Page, Ambassador | October 12, 1913 | June 21, 1919 |
| Robert Underwood Johnson, Ambassador | April 22, 1920 | May 20, 1921 |
| Richard Washburn Child, Ambassador | July 28, 1921 | January 20, 1924 |
| Henry P. Fletcher, Ambassador | April 2, 1924 | August 3, 1929 |
| John W. Garrett, Ambassador | November 20, 1929 | May 22, 1933 |
| Breckinridge Long, Ambassador | May 31, 1933 | April 23, 1936 |
| William Phillips, Ambassador | November 4, 1936 | October 6, 1941 |
| George Wadsworth, Chargé d'Affaires | October 6, 1941 | December 11, 1941 |
Diplomatic relations were severed and the U.S. Embassy in Rome was closed on December 11, 1941, after Italy declared war on the United States. Diplomatic relations were reestablished on October 16, 1944. Ambassador Alexander C. Kirk reopened the U.S. Embassy in Rome when he presented his credentials on January 8, 1945.[3]
| Name and title | Presentation of credentials | Termination of mission |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander C. Kirk, Ambassador | January 8, 1945 | March 5, 1946 |
| James Clement Dunn, Ambassador | February 6, 1947 | March 17, 1952 |
| Ellsworth Bunker, Ambassador | May 7, 1952 | April 3, 1953 |
| Clare Boothe Luce, Ambassador | May 4, 1953 | December 27, 1956 |
| James David Zellerbach, Ambassador | February 6, 1957 | December 10, 1960 |
| G. Frederick Reinhardt, Ambassador | May 17, 1961 | March 3, 1968 |
| H. Gardner Ackley, Ambassador | April 3, 1968 | August 27, 1969 |
| Graham A. Martin, Ambassador | October 30, 1969 | February 10, 1973 |
| John A. Volpe, Ambassador | March 6, 1973 | January 24, 1977 |
| Richard N. Gardner, Ambassador | March 21, 1977 | February 27, 1981 |
| Maxwell M. Rabb, Ambassador | July 1, 1981 | June 3, 1989 |
| Peter F. Secchia, Ambassador | July 3, 1989 | January 20, 1993 |
| Reginald Bartholomew, Ambassador | October 14, 1993 | September 28, 1997 |
| Thomas M. Foglietta, Ambassador | December 11, 1997 | March 1, 2001 |
| Melvin Floyd Sembler, Ambassador | December 10, 2001 | July 26, 2005 |
| Ronald P. Spogli, Ambassador[4] | August 12, 2005 | February 6, 2009 |
| David H. Thorne, Ambassador[4] | September 4, 2009[5] | July 30, 2013 |
| John R. Phillips, Ambassador[4] | September 13, 2013 | January 18, 2017 |
| Kelly C. Degnan, Chargé d'Affaires[4] | January 18, 2017 | October 1, 2017 |
| Lewis Eisenberg, Ambassador | October 4, 2017 | January 4, 2021 |
| Thomas D. Smitham, Chargé d'Affaires | January 4, 2021 | July 15, 2022 |
| Shawn P. Crowley, Chargé d'Affaires | July 18, 2022 | August 26, 2023 |
| Jack Markell, Ambassador | September 23, 2023 | January 11, 2025 |
| Shawn P. Crowley, Chargé d'Affaires | January 11, 2025 | May 5, 2025 |
| Tilman J. Fertitta, Ambassador | May 6, 2025 | Incumbent |