Flag of Italy

Use	National flag and state ensign. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. A national flag is a Flag that symbolises a country The flag is flown by the government but usually can be flown by Citizens of that country as well A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	January 1, 1948
Design	A vertical tricolour of green, white and red. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A tricolour or tricolor (three colours is a Flag or Banner more-or-less equally divided (horizontally vertically or less frequently diagonally Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength
Use	Civil ensign. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. The civil Ensign (also known as merchant flag or merchant ensign) is the National flag flown by civil ships (merchant ships and others to denote An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	2:3
Design	A vertical tricolour of green, white and red, with the seal of the navy on center, but without the crown on the top and with the lion holding a book instead of a sword. A tricolour or tricolor (three colours is a Flag or Banner more-or-less equally divided (horizontally vertically or less frequently diagonally Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength
Use	Naval ensign. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	A vertical tricolour of green, white and red, with the seal of the navy on center. A tricolour or tricolor (three colours is a Flag or Banner more-or-less equally divided (horizontally vertically or less frequently diagonally Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength

See also: List of Italian flags

The flag of Italy (often referred to in Italian as Il Tricolore) is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical bands of green, white and red, with the green at the hoist side. This is a list of flags used in Italy. For more information about the national flag visit the article Flag of Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. A tricolour or tricolor (three colours is a Flag or Banner more-or-less equally divided (horizontally vertically or less frequently diagonally

Italian flag, Piazza Venezia, Rome

The first entity to use the Italian flag was the Cispadane Republic in 1797, after Napoleon's army crossed Italy. The Cispadane Republic ( Repubblica Cispadana) was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy, founded in 1796 with the protection of the Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. During this time, many small republics based on the Jacobian model, were formed and almost all used the French tricolour with different colours. The National flag of France (known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau français,and in military parlance les couleurs The colours chosen by the Cispadane Republic were red and white, the colours of the Flag of Milan, and green which was the colour of the uniform of the Lombard Legion [1]. The Flag of Milan, Italy consists of a red Cross in a white field and is near identical to the Flag of England or the one of Genoa Lombardy (Lombardia Latin: Langobardia, Western Lombard: Lumbardìa, Eastern Lombard: Lombardia) is one of the

Some have tried to attribute some particular values to the colours and a common interpretation is that the green represents the countries plains and the hills; white, the snowy Alps; and red, the blood spilt in the Italian Independence wars. A more religious interpretation is that the green represents hope, the white represents faith and the red represents charity. This interpretation references the three theological virtues. The three Theological Virtues listed in the Bible are Faith ( - steadfastness in belief Hope ( - expectation of and desire

History

Pre-unitarian flags (until 1848)

When, in 1794 the French Army led by Napoleon Bonaparte entered Italy, both the new republic (Repubblica Transpadana, Transpadane Republic) and the military group attached to French army adopted flags similar to the Italian tricolour. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Transpadane Republic ( Repubblica Transpadana) was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1796 to June 29 The French viewed this flag as inspirational and welcoming (Yates). Probably, the colours have been chosen according to Legione Lombarda flag: it summed Milan city colours (red and white) to the green of Milan Civic Guard uniforms. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. The same colours were adopted by the Legione Italiana, formed by soldiers coming from Emilia and Romagna. Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna.

The first official Italian tricolour was adopted on 7 January 1797, in Reggio Emilia, as official flag of the Repubblica Cispadana (Cispadane Republic). Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1797 ( MDCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For the city in the southern Italy See Reggio Calabria. For the basketball club "Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia" see Pallacanestro Reggiana. The Cispadane Republic ( Repubblica Cispadana) was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy, founded in 1796 with the protection of the It was a horizontal tricolour, with red (top), white and green stripes; in the middle, an emblem composed by a quiver, accolade to a war trophy, with four arrows that symbolized the four provinces forming the Po federation; all within a crown of bay. A quiver is a container for arrows, crossbow bolts or darts, such as those shot from a bow, Crossbow or Blowgun.

1796 - flag of the "Repubblica Transpadana"	1797 - flag of the "Repubblica Cispadana"	1798 - flag of the "Repubblica Cisalpina"	1802 - flag of the Napoleonic "Repubblica Italiana"
1805 - flag of the Napoleonic "Regno d'Italia"

The eighteenth-century Sala del Tricolore, now site of the Reggio Emilia Town Council. The Transpadane Republic ( Repubblica Transpadana) was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1796 to June 29 The Cispadane Republic ( Repubblica Cispadana) was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy, founded in 1796 with the protection of the The Cisalpine Republic ( Repubblica Cisalpina) was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802. The Italian Republic ( Repubblica Italiana) was a short-lived ( 1802 - 1805) Republic, located in Northern Italy. The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805 – 11 April The Sala del Tricolore (Italian for "Room of the Tricolor" is currently the council chamber of the Reggio Emilia Comune. Here, on 7 January 1797, the first tricolour of the Repubblica Cispadana was adopted. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental

The Repubblica Cispadana and the Repubblica Transpadana merged into the Repubblica Cisalpina (Cisalpine Republic), which adopted the vertical Italian tricolour without emblem in 1798, even if in a square shape. The Cisalpine Republic ( Repubblica Cisalpina) was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The flag was maintained until 1802, after the republic was renamed Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic); in 1802 a new square flag was adopted, with a red field carrying a white rhombus and a green square in the middle of the white rhombus. Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the The Italian Republic ( Repubblica Italiana) was a short-lived ( 1802 - 1805) Republic, located in Northern Italy.

In 1799, the Republic of Lucca came under French influence, and adopted as flag a green-white-red horizontal tricolour, up to 1801. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on the Ligurian Sea Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday

In 1805, after Napoleon had crowned himself French Emperor, the Repubblica Italiana was transformed into the Regno d'Italia (Kingdom of Italy), ruled by Napoleon himself; the flag of the Regno d'Italia was the Repubblica Italiana flag in rectangular shape, with Napoleon's eagle on the central white square. Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805 – 11 April This flag was in use until the abdication of Napoleon in 1814. Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Independence and Kingdom of Italy

1848 - flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia (and from 1861 of the Kingdom of Italy), with Savoyan coat of arms in the centre. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom	1848 - The Bandiera di Stato (State Flag) of the Kingdom of Sardinia (and later Italy).	1848 - flag of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany during the First Italian Independence war. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Granducato di Toscana Magnus Ducatus Tusciae was a state in central Italy that existed from 1569 to 1859 replacing the Duchy of Florence The flag bears the coat of arms of the Habsburg-Lorraine family, decorated with Italian tricolours; note, however, that the coat of arms bears the red-white-red flag of Austria, the opponent of Italian unification.	1848-49 - flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( Regno delle Due Sicilie) commonly known as just the Two Sicilies, was the name of a Kingdom in Europe. It is the traditional flag of the Kingdom, white with Two Sicilies coat of arms, with red and green border.
1848-49 - flag of the Temporary Government of Venice. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica It is an Italian tricolour with a white canton bearing the lion of St. Mark.	1849 - war flag of the "Repubblica Romana". See also Roman Republic, Roman Republic (18th century The Roman Republic was a short-lived (four months state established on February 8 The state flag had no letters.	1860-61 - flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( Regno delle Due Sicilie) commonly known as just the Two Sicilies, was the name of a Kingdom in Europe.

Between the 1848 and 1861, a sequence of events led to the independence and unification of Italy (apart Venetian region, Rome, and Trento and Trieste, which were united to Italy in 1866, 1870 and 1918 respectively); this period is known as Risorgimento. Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Trento (traditional English Trent; Italian: Trento; German: Trient; Latin: Tridentum; Note that many Trieste (Trieste Slovene and Croatian: Trst; German: Triest) is a city and port in northeastern Italy very near to Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian Throughout this period, the tricolore was the symbol which united all the efforts of the Italian people towards freedom and independence.

1848-1849

In 1848, many states in Italy changed their flags to reflect the commitment of all Italians to the independence of their motherland. Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap

The Italian tricolour was adopted as war flag of Kingdom of Sardinia army: it contained Savoy royal house's coat of arms in the white stripe. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the The House of Savoy (Casa Savoia was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region In his Proclamation to Lombard-Venetian people, Charles Albert of Savoy said that … in order to show more clearly with exterior signs the commitment to Italian unification, We [Charles Albert] want that our troops … have the Savoy shield superimposed on the Italian tricolour flag. The Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia (Regno Lombardo-Veneto Lombardo-Venezianisches Königreich was a kingdom in northern Italy, and part of the Austrian Empire. Biography He was born in Turin in 1798 to Charles Emmanuel of Savoy 6th Prince of Carignano and Albertina Maria Cristina of Saxony. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian Since the Savoy coat of arms had a white cross that mixed with the white stripe of the Italian tricolour, a border was added to the shield, blue as the colour of the dynasty.

In the same year, the Granducato di Toscana (Grand Duchy of Tuscany) became constitutional, and dropped the Austrian flag with Austria-Lorraine great coat of arms, in favour of the Italian tricolour with a simplified coat of arms. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Granducato di Toscana Magnus Ducatus Tusciae was a state in central Italy that existed from 1569 to 1859 replacing the Duchy of Florence The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal bands of red (top white and red

The flag of the Regno delle Due Sicilie (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies), which was white with the Borbonic seal in the middle, was modified through the addition of a red and green border. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( Regno delle Due Sicilie) commonly known as just the Two Sicilies, was the name of a Kingdom in Europe. This flag lasted from April 3 1848 to May 19, 1849. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

In the same year, Venetian people revolted against Austrian government, declaring the birth of the Venice Republic. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. The flag adopted marked the link to Italian independence and unification efforts; it was the Italian tricolour with, in the upper green canton, a white rectangle bordered with green/white/red colours and charged with the golden St. Mark's lion.

In 1849, Repubblica Romana (Roman Republic) adopted the Italian tricolour with (on the war flag) a double black 'R' on the white stripe. Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common See also Roman Republic, Roman Republic (18th century The Roman Republic was a short-lived (four months state established on February 8

The flag of the Kingdom of Italy. On the state flag the shield was crowned.

Kingdom of Italy 1861-1946

In 1860, a new version of the flag of the Regno delle Due Sicilie was adopted: the Italian tricolour with Borbonic seal on the white stripe. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Adopted on June 21 1860, dismissed in March 1861, with the kingdom being incorporated into Regno d'Italia (Kingdom of Italy).

The war flag of the Italian Social Republic.

On 15 April 1861, Kingdom of Sardinia/Piedmont flag (the Italian tricolour with Savoy's coat of arms) is declared national flag of the newly-formed Regno d'Italia (Kingdom of Italy). Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The Italian tricolour bearing the armorial bearings of the former Royal House of Savoy was the national flag for 85 years until the birth of the Italian Republic. The House of Savoy (Casa Savoia was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region The birth of the Italian Republic (officially on June 2, 1946) is a key event of Italian contemporary history.

Italian Social Republic 1943-1945

The state flag of the World War II Nazi puppet state in Northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic, or Republic of Salò, was identical to the modern flag of the Italian Republic. The Italian Social Republic ( Italian: Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI) was a Puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the The state flag was actually quite uncommon, while the war flag, which had a dark-grey eagle clutching fasces in the centre, was very common in propaganda. Fasces (ˈfæsiːz a Plurale tantum, from the Latin word fascis, meaning "bundle" symbolize summary power and Jurisdiction

Italian Republic

Standard of the President of the Italian Republic

In its current form, the Italian flag was adopted on 1 January 1948, with the introduction of the republican constitution, and the end of the rule of the House of Savoy over Italy. The President of the Italian Republic (Presidente della Repubblica Italiana is the Head of State of Italy, and as such is intended to represent national unity New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Italian Constitution states (art. 12) that "The flag of the Republic is the Italian tricolour: green, white and red, in three vertical bands having equal dimensions". The universally adopted ratio is 2:3, while the war flags are squared.

The Italian Naval ensign is composed by the flag of Italy with a rostred crown and the Marina Militare emblem on the white third; the Merchant Navy (Marina Mercantile), use another version without the crown, and with the lion holding a book instead of a sword. An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office The Rostra or Rostra Vetera was the platform located within the Comitium of the Roman Forum beside the Curia from which Orators Marina Militare (the Italian Navy) is one of the four branches of the military forces of Italy. The shield is divided into four squares representing the four great maritime republics of Italy: Venice (represented by the lion, top left), Genoa (top right), Amalfi (bottom left), and Pisa (represented by their respective crosses). The term thalassocracy (from the θάλασσα meaning sea and κρατείν meaning "to rule" giving θαλασσοκρατία "rule of the sea"

Also the President of the Italian Republic has an official standard. The President of the Italian Republic (Presidente della Repubblica Italiana is the Head of State of Italy, and as such is intended to represent national unity The current version is a squared blue flag, with in the middle the flag of the Italian Republic (Napoleonic), with the golden coat of arms of Italy on the green square. The Italian Republic ( Repubblica Italiana) was a short-lived ( 1802 - 1805) Republic, located in Northern Italy. The Coat of Arms of the Italian Republic ( Italian, trans Stemma della Repubblica Italiana) depicted here has been the symbol of the Italian Republic

Flag day

In 1997, on the second centenary of the tricolore, January 7 was declared "National Flag Day" (Law no. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar An anniversary (from the Latin anniversarius, from the words for year and to turn meaning (returning yearly known in English since c. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental 671, December 31, 1996). It is a celebratory day, though not a paid holiday.

Colour specification

The shades chosen in 2003^[1]

In March 2003, after 207 years in service, the colours of the Italian flag were officially specified, but later changed, after hot debates on the chosen shades. As of 2006, the official Pantone textile colours are [2]:

17-6153 TC    (fern green)

11-0601 TC    (bright white)

18-1662 TC    (flame scarlet)

Similarities to other flags

Italian and Mexican flags. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Pantone Inc is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA

Given the superficial similarities between the two flags, it may be surmised that the Italian flag formed the basis for the flag of Mexico and that the Mexican coat of arms positioned over the white portion is the only difference between the two. The Flag of the United Mexican States or Mexico is a vertical tricolor of Green, White, and Red with The Coat of Arms of Mexico has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries However, the Italian flag actually uses lighter shades of green and red. More important is that the two have different aspect ratios: The Italian flag's aspect ratio is 2:3, while the Mexican flag's aspect ration of 4:7 results in a more elongated rectangular shape.

Given its possible derivation from the flag of France, the Italian tricolore is similar to many flags of putatively similar origins. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Italian flag is also similar to the Flag of Ireland, which is green, white and orange (a tone very similar to the red used in the flag of Italy) but with different proportions (1:2 against 2:3), as well as to the Côte d'Ivoire flag, which is, rather, orange, white and green. The Flag of Côte d'Ivoire features three equal vertical bands of orange ( hoist side white and green Confusion also exists between the Italian flag and the current Flag of Hungary, the latter which has the same colours except that they are positioned horizontally with red on top, white in the middle and green on the bottom. The Flag of Hungary is a horizontal Tricolour of Red, White and Green.

See also

• List of Italian flags
• Flags of regions of Italy
• Flags of Napoleonic Italy

References

• Italy at Flags of the World
• Law no. 671, December 31, 1996 (Italian)

External links

• Il Tricolore at the Italian Republic Presidency website
• Centro Italiano Studi Vessillologici (Italian)
• Commemorative stamp for the 200th anniversary of the Italian tricolour