Rome - Piazzas from Rome to Milan, and small towns in between, erupted in cheers and fireworks on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of joyous, flag-waving Italians celebrated their team's fourth World Cup title, won in a tense penalty shoot-out victory against France.
The hard-fought victory brought a welcome relief from the massive match-fixing scandal that has tainted Italian soccer, involving four top Serie A clubs that provided 13 of the players on the national team.
Within minutes of clinching the title, fans in cities and towns throughout the country were in their cars with horns blaring and Italian flags waving from windows to celebrate the victory.
In Rome, fans jumped on top of their cars in joy in the neighbourhood near the Vatican. And in the wine town of Soave, outside of Verona, residents set off fireworks in celebration.
'Give back the Mona Lisa'
Fans in Rome waved a sign: "Now we want the Mona Lisa back," a reference to Leonardo Da Vinci's famous portrait, which hangs in the Louvre in Paris.
Throughout the country, bottles of Italian spumante were favoured over champagne.
"It is a wonderful victory," said Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, the news agency ANSA reported. "The boys played an extraordinary World Cup with great technique. All of Italy embraces the Azzurri and tomorrow Rome will give them the tribute that they deserve with a huge and wonderful celebration at the Circus Maximus."
Prime Minister Romano Prodi watched the game in Bologna with his wife Flavia and Defence Minister Arturo Parisi. When Fabio Grosso scored the last penalty, they all jumped to their feet, the news agency Ansa reported.
"One bar made the difference, Prodi said, referring to France's missed penalty shot. "There are some competitions that you win that way."
The scenes were similar across Italy: at Rome's ancient Circus Maximus - a classic spot for soccer fans in the capital - 200 000 fans watched on three giant screens; Neapolitan fans revelled at the downtown vast Piazza del Plebiscito; while in Florence cheers went up at the Piazzale Michelangelo, a spot known for its beautiful view of the Tuscan city.
Event 'beautiful'
"The feeling is indescribable. It is beautiful to see all these people here together in peace," said Giorgio Tonelli, a 24-year-old student from Sicily, celebrating in Rome.
The final in Berlin brought the nation to a halt. Concerts and theatre performances were cancelled or rescheduled, some movie theatres planned to shut down and city streets were deserted after kick-off. In Sicily, religious processions were moved up or postponed to avoid coinciding with the game.
The victory will lighten the mood as Italians wait for the verdict in the sports trial linked to the soccer scandal.
"This national side has made Italians fall back in love with soccer, it has restored a sense of beauty that had got lost," Veltroni said earlier, after surveying the Circus Maximus, where fans were gathering.
Officials were taking no chances. In Naples, some fountains in the centre were sealed off to prevent possible vandalism. In Rome, alcohol was banned in some public spaces from 18:00, two hours before kickoff.
