Italy's World Cup winners have returned home after their triumph in Germany.
The team were honoured on arrival at a military airport outside Rome by an aerobatic performance in the Italian colours from the country's airforce display team.
The team was also fêted by President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
Huge crowds slowed down the footballers' progress to the city centre as thousands gathered in the city's Circus Maximus for an all night party.
This is the fourth time Italy have won the World Cup, the first since 1982.
In another development, Zinedine Zidane's agent has said the France captain head butted Marco Materazzi in yesterday's World Cup final because the Italian made what he said was a very serious comment.
Zidane is to speak in the next few days about incident for which he was dismissed from the game.
