The term 'Former Capital of Italy' can be solved by the crossword solutions LIRE (4 letters), LIRA (4 letters), and LIRAS (5 letters). LIRE was the currency of Italy from 1866 to 2002, when it was replaced by the Euro. LIRA was the name of the Italian currency from 1861 to 1866, and LIRAS was the plural form of LIRA. The former capital of Italy is Rome, which has been the capital since 1871.