# List of mayors of Bolzano

The mayor of Bolzano is an elected politician who, along with the Bolzano's city council, is accountable for the strategic government of Bolzano in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy, the capital city of South Tyrol.
The current mayor is Renzo Caramaschi, elected in May 2016.

## Overview

According to the Italian Constitution, the mayor of Bolzano is member of the city council.
The mayor is elected by the population of Bolzano, who also elects the members of the city council, controlling the mayor's policy guidelines and is able to enforce his resignation by a motion of no confidence. The mayor is entitled to appoint and release the members of his government.
Since 1995 the mayor is elected directly by Bolzano's electorate: in all mayoral elections in Italy in cities with a population higher than 15,000 the voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. If no candidate receives at least 50% of votes, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a preference vote: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally.

## 1449–1948

From 1449 onwards, when the earliest mayor, named Hans Trott, is recorded, the first citizen of Bolzano was called Bürgermeister. With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I and the annexation of the Southern Tyrol by Italy in 1919–20, the burgomasters became sindaco (mayor).
From 1895 up to 1922, when Fascist squadrons occupied the town hall, the democratically elected Julius Perathoner was mayor, modernizing the city by sustaining a widespread urban renewal.

## Republic of Italy (since 1948)
### City Council election (1948–1995)

From 1948 to 1995, the mayor of Bolzano was elected by the city council.
| | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Party |
| 1 | Lino Ziller | 27 July 1948 | 13 July 1957 | DC |
| 2 | Giorgio Pasquali | 13 July 1957 | 19 June 1968 | DC |
| 3 | Giancarlo Bolognini | 2 July 1968 | 26 August 1983 | DC |
| 4 | Luigi de Guelmi | 26 August 1983 | 1 October 1985 | DC |
| 5 | Marcello Ferrari | 1 October 1985 | 30 August 1988 | DC |
| Special Prefectural Commissioner tenure (30 August 1988 – 4 August 1989) |||||
| 6 | Valentino Pasqualin | 4 August 1989 | 3 November 1989 | DC |
| (5) | Marcello Ferrari | 21 November 1989 | 19 July 1995 | DC |

#### Notes

* ↑ Died in office.

### Direct election (since 1995)

Since 1995, under provisions of new local administration law, the mayor of Bolzano is chosen by direct election.
| | Mayor | Took office | Left office | Party | Coalition | Election |
| 7 | Giovanni Salghetti Drioli (b. 1941) | 19 July 1995 | 27 June 2000 | Ind | PDS • PdD • SVP • PPI | 1995 |
| 7 | Giovanni Salghetti Drioli (b. 1941) | 27 June 2000 | 23 May 2005 | Ind | DS • SDI • SVP • VGV | 2000 |
| 8 | Giovanni Benussi (b. 1948) | 23 May 2005 | 22 June 2005 | Ind | AN • FI • LN | 2005 |
| Special Prefectural Commissioner tenure (23 June 2005 – 11 November 2005) |||||||||
| 9 | Luigi Spagnolli (b. 1960) | 11 November 2005 | 19 May 2010 | DL PD | SVP • DS • DL • SDI • VGV • PRC | 2005 (special) |
| 9 | Luigi Spagnolli (b. 1960) | 19 May 2010 | 26 May 2015 | DL PD | SVP • PD • IdV • SEL • VGV • PRC | 2010 |
| 9 | Luigi Spagnolli (b. 1960) | 26 May 2015 | 24 September 2015 | DL PD | SVP • PD and leftist lists | 2015 |
| Special Prefectural Commissioner tenure (25 September 2015 – 23 May 2016) |||||||||
| 10 | Renzo Caramaschi (b. 1946) | 23 May 2016 | 4 October 2020 | Ind | SVP • PD • VGV and leftist lists | 2016 (special) |
| 10 | Renzo Caramaschi (b. 1946) | 4 October 2020 | Incumbent | Ind | SVP • PD • VGV and leftist lists | 2020 |

#### Notes

* ↑ Benussi won the mayoral election only by 7 votes (50.01% of the popular vote). He later decayed after the City Council didn't approve his executive cabinet.
* ↑ Resigned after losing the majority in the City Council.
* ↑ Close to the Democratic Party (PD).
* ↑ Election originally scheduled for May 2020 then postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.