Virginia Raggi has emerged as the first ever female mayor of the historic city of Rome.

The election which held on Sunday, June 19, saw the 37-year old lawyer and political novice winning 67 percent of the votes cast.

Raggi  entered politics five years ago, drawn in by her husband’s support for the populist Five Star Movement, M5S, founded by Beppe Grillo.

The movement’s anti-corruption theme struck a chord in Rome, where the centre-left mayor was forced to resign last year over an expenses scandal.

“I will be a mayor for all Romans. I will restore legality and transparency to the city’s institutions after 20 years of poor governance,” she said.

Raggi, who is also a specialist in intellectual property was elected to the city council in 2013, and was quickly noticed for her “eloquence and stubbornness.”

“I was a curious young girl, interested in many things, but very focused, as I am today. Determination never failed me,” she said.

According to her website, mountain hikes, swimming and skiing are among her favourite pastimes.

Public transport was one of the key issues Raggi’s campaign focused on as she vowed to undo 20 years of stagnation, corruption and administrative mismanagement.

One of her biggest challenges will be convincing the city she can act independently, despite signing a contract with M5S in which she pledged to toe the party line and consult it on all major administrative decisions.