The Senate consists of 315 elected members, plus a number of appointed life senators and ex officio life senators. Among the life senators appointed by the President of the Republic "for outstanding merits in social, scientific, artistic and literary fields", we can recall such names as orchestra conductor Arturo Toscanini (who rejected the appointment), poet Eugenio Montale and playwright Eduardo De Filippo, to mention but a few. Former Presidents of the Republic are ex officio life senators. Presently the senators appointed for life by the President of the Republic are: Mario Monti, Claudio Abbado, Elena Cattaneo, Renzo Piano and Carlo Rubbia. The former President of the Republic currently sitting in the Senate is Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.