Italy said today that it would challenge a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in favour of an Italian woman who opposed the display of a Catholic crucifix at a state school attended by her two children.

Soile Lautsi, from Abano Terme, near Padua, had taken the issue to Strasbourg on the grounds that displaying crucifixes in classrooms contradicted the separation of Church and state in Italy. She was awarded €5,000 (£4,473) in damages. The court said that the school had violated religious and educational freedoms guaranteed under the European Rights Convention.

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The ruling could encourage a review of the use of religious symbols in state schools throughout Europe. The court did not, however, order the Italian authorities to remove the crucifixes, and the Italian Government said that it would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights' Grand Chamber. The Vatican said that it would study the ruling before making a comment.

Mariastella Gelmini, the Minister for Education, said that the ruling was "an offence against our traditions. The presence of a crucifix in the classroom does not signify adherence to Roman Cathoilcism, it is a a traditional symbol. In our country nobody wants to impose the Catholic religion, let alone with a crucifix. But no-one can cancel out our identity."

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The Italian Bishops Conference said that the verdict was "one sided and ideological". Roberto Calderoli, a minister from the anti-immigrant Northern League, said that the ruling was "a blow to our rights, our culture, our history and our values". Gianni Alemanno, the right wing Mayor of Rome, said that the decision was "madness".