A European court has ruled that Italy breached the rights of three gay couples by refusing to let them get married.
Judges said that the country - which is the last major nation in Western Europe without same-sex marriage or civil partnerships - had violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which maintains the right to respect for private and family life.
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Some areas allow local civil unions, but there is a national ban on same-sex marriage, a stance that has caused a bitter split between city mayors and the state.
Rome's Mayor Ignazio Marino, center, poses with Andrea Rubera, left, and Dario de Gregori after he registered their gay marriage, in Rome. The gay marriage debate arrived within walking distance of the Vatican as Rome's mayor registered 16 gay marriages celebrated abroad in open defiance of Italy's government
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has promised to pass a law on civil unions, but it is not yet in force - and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday that his government had failed to "provide for the core needs relevant to a couple in a stable committed relationship", the BBC reported.
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The court said the existing legal protection was "not sufficiently reliable".
The three couples involved in the case have been together for years, but had all requests for marriage rejected.
The Italian government was ordered to pay the six men €5,000 (£3,500) each as compensation, plus expenses.
