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Handwritten will (testamento olografo): a model to copy out by hand (Italy)

Italy · in Italian

€2.00This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.

This document is in Italian

The PDF you download is in Italian — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.

Made for use in Italy

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This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.

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For anyone in Italy who wants to make a will in their own handwriting. A holographic will is valid only if written entirely, dated and signed in the testator's own hand (art. 602 of the Italian Civil Code): this sheet is not a will, printed or signed. It contains instructions and a model text to copy by hand onto a blank sheet, with the reserved shares and the publication by a notary after the death (art. 620). The alternative is a public will made before a notary and two witnesses. In Italian.

  • Last updated October 27, 2026
Record & Protocol
Legal
Italiano
Italy
Print & sign
2 pages

Published byDocMuse

When to use this document

  • You want to write your will by hand in Italy and need a model to copy.
  • You want to leave your house to your children and put it in a handwritten will.
  • You have savings and belongings and want to decide who gets them after your death.
  • You are looking for a sample handwritten will with instructions for Italy.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

  • Testator
  • City
  • Date

Common questions

Is a will written on a computer or printed valid in Italy?
No. A holographic will must be written entirely, dated and signed in the testator's own hand (art. 602 of the Italian Civil Code): a printed or typed text, one sent by certified e-mail (PEC) or one signed with digital tools is not a holographic will. Without the handwriting or the signature the will is void; a defect in the date makes it voidable (art. 606). Copy the model out in full by hand on paper, date it and sign it.
What happens to a handwritten will in Italy after the death?
Whoever holds it must present it to a notary for publication as soon as they learn of the testator's death (art. 620 of the Italian Civil Code). The notary publishes it before two witnesses in a record to which the original sheet and an extract of the death certificate are attached; only after publication can the will be carried out. A photocopy is not enough: keep the original somewhere safe or leave it with a notary.
Can an Italian handwritten will leave everything to one person?
One sole heir can be named, but the law reserves part of the estate to the forced heirs: the spouse or civil-union partner, the children and, if there are no children, the parents (articles 536 onwards of the Italian Civil Code). A will that cuts into the reserved share stays valid, but the forced heirs can ask the court to reduce the gifts. The shares depend on who survives; for a complex estate the alternative is a public will before a notary.

How you can sign this document

  • Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
  • Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.

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