The election was called by President Scalfaro after the technocratic government of Lamberto Dini lost its support in the Parliament in 1995.

[3] The legislature ended after completing its five-year-long natural course, when President Ciampi dissolved the houses on 8 March 2001.

At the end of the legislature, eight seats remained vacant making the final total number of deputies 622.

For these seats no by-election was planned, since they were left vacant less than a year before the natural end of the legislature.

At the beginning of the legislature there were 10 life senators (Giovanni Leone and Francesco Cossiga as former Presidents, and the nominated life senators Amintore Fanfani, Leo Valiani, Carlo Bo, Norberto Bobbio, Gianni Agnelli, Giulio Andreotti, Francesco De Martino and Paolo Emilio Taviani).