The DAMA/NaI experiment ( \simeq 100 kg highly radiopure NaI ( Tl ) ) was proposed , designed and realised to effectively investigate in a model independent way the presence of a Dark Matter particle component in the galactic halo by exploiting the annual modulation signature .
With a total exposure of 107731 kg \cdot day , collected over seven annual cycles deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. , it has pointed out – at 6.3 \sigma C.L .
– an effect which satisfies all the peculiarities of the signature and neither systematic effects nor side reactions able to mimic the signature were found .
Moreover , several ( but still few with respect to the possibilities ) corollary model dependent quests for the candidate particle have been carried out .
In this paper the obtained results are summarized and some perspectives are discussed at some extent .