Flag of Italy
il Tricolore ("the tricolour")
Three equal vertical stripes of green, white and red, with green next to the flagpole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- 1946the plain tricolour became the flag of the new republic in June 1946 and is described in the 1948 constitution; the tricolour was first adopted on 7 January 1797
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Rome
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- green
- white
- red
What it means
- Green, white and red: there is no official meaning; the colours were already used by Milan's civic guard
- Green: Italian revolutionaries in the 1790s linked it to nature and natural rights
- Other ideas: other unproven guesses link the colours to Napoleon or to Italy's green countryside; none is official
Where it came from
The flag was inspired by the French tricolour, which Napoleon's armies brought to Italy in the 1790s. In 1796 the Lombard Legion in Milan received a green, white and red war flag, using colours already worn on the cockades of Milan's civic guard.
On 7 January 1797 the Cispadane Republic, meeting in Reggio Emilia, adopted the tricolour. Giuseppe Compagnoni, who proposed it, is called the "father of the Italian flag".
History
Under Napoleon, versions of the flag carried a golden eagle. In 1848 King Charles Albert of Sardinia put the shield of the House of Savoy on the white stripe, and from 1861 the Kingdom of Italy used the tricolour with the Savoy shield and a crown.
When Italy became a republic in 1946, the royal shield was removed. Article 12 of the constitution says the flag is the tricolour of green, white and red in three vertical bands of equal size. The exact shades were set by the government in 2006.
Fun facts
- Italy celebrates Tricolour Day every year on 7 January.
- Italian navy ships add a coat of arms to the flag at sea so they are not mistaken for Mexican ships.
- The strawberry tree is Italy's national tree; its green leaves, white flowers and red berries match the flag.
- In 2003 the government first named official shades such as "milky white" and "tomato red"; they were changed again in 2006.
Easy to mix up with
Mexico
Ireland
HungaryQuestions
What does the flag of Italy look like?
Three equal vertical stripes of green, white and red, with green next to the flagpole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Italy mean?
Green, white and red: there is no official meaning; the colours were already used by Milan's civic guard; Green: Italian revolutionaries in the 1790s linked it to nature and natural rights; Other ideas: other unproven guesses link the colours to Napoleon or to Italy's green countryside; none is official.
When was the flag of Italy adopted?
The current flag of Italy was adopted on 1946. (the plain tricolour became the flag of the new republic in June 1946 and is described in the 1948 constitution; the tricolour was first adopted on 7 January 1797)
What colours are on the flag of Italy?
The flag of Italy uses green, white and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Italy?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Mexico. Mexico has the same colours but a coat of arms with an eagle in the middle and a longer shape
Famous landmarks in Italy
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)