Italian President Napolitano departs, setting challenge for Renzi

Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano waves during a Liberation Day ceremony at the Unknown Soldier's monument in central Rome April 25, 2014, in this handout photo provided by the Italian Presidency Press Office. REUTERS/Paolo Giandotti/Italian Presidency Press Office/Handout via Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano handed in his resignation as head of state on Wednesday, leaving Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with the politically delicate task of finding a successor.

The 89-year-old Napolitano, widely respected outside Italy as a guarantor of stability during the euro zone crisis, had always been expected to step down before the end of his second term in office because of his advanced age.