It was a tight race, with France finishing just 0.14 seconds behind the Italian champions.
The gold was Italy’s first Olympic medal in women’s rowing (the country has won 40 medals in men’s rowing).
“It’s a great feeling,” Cesarini said on winning the gold medal.
“It’s difficult to describe, but we wanted it, we searched for it and finally we have it.”
It was Italy’s second gold medal in Tokyo, following the victory of Vito dell’Aquila in the -58 kg taekwondo on Saturday.
In the men’s competition of the lightweight double sculls rowing, Stefano Oppo and Pietro Willy Ruta also took home a medal for Italy – bronze.
Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri bounced back against the odds to win a silver medal in the 800m freestyle after missing a month’s worth of training to recover from a bout of mononucleosis.
In the women’s team foil competition, Italy smashed the US 45-23 with the trio of Arianna Errigo, Martina Batini and Alice Volpi taking home bronze.
Meanwhile San Marino, the tiny landlocked sovereign state within northern Italy, won its first medal in Olympics history, with Alessandra Perilli taking bronze in the women’s trap shooting.
Italy also won silver in the men’s 100m freestyle swimming relay, thanks to the combined efforts of Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Lorenzo Zazzeri and Manuel Frigo.
Earlier in the week, shooter Diana Bacosi took silver in the women’s skeet as did Daniele Garozzo in the individual foil fencing, while Nicolò Martinenghi won bronze in the 100m breaststroke final.
Italy’s medal tally now stands at 19: two gold, seven silver and 10 bronze.
