Within minutes of the tense penalty-shootout victory over France, fans in Rome were yelling from atop their cars. Residents in the wine town of Soave set off fireworks.

"I don't believe it yet. I can't understand it yet," Roman lawyer Daniele Manfredi said at the city's ancient Circus Maximus, where 200,000 fans watched on three giants screens. "We're going to party until tomorrow morning."

One sign read, "Now we want the Mona Lisa back," a reference to Leonardo Da Vinci's famous portrait which hangs in Paris' Louvre museum.

"The feeling is indescribable. It is beautiful to see all these people here together in peace," said Giorgio Tonelli, a student from Sicily in Rome for the night of soccer's championship.

In Milan, about 150,000 fans watched the victory -- 5-3 in a shootout after ending extra time level at 1-1 -- on large screens in the Piazza del Duomo. Many hoisted white, red and green Italian flags.

It was a scene repeated across the nation.

The match in Berlin brought Italy to a halt -- many city streets were deserted after kickoff. Concerts and theater performances were canceled, and in Sicily religious processions were rescheduled to avoid conflicting with the game.

The victory brought fans much-needed joy after a massive match-fixing scandal involving top league clubs had left many shocked and disenchanted.

"The players deserved the victory in full," said Francesco Difronze, an auditor from the southern port of Bari celebrating in Milan. "The scandal exists, but it is very distant from the World Cup."

Associated Press Writers Matthew Fiorentino in Rome and Joseph Spinks in Milan contributed to this report.