Flag of Italy

The flag of Italy goes back to the period around 1800. In the form used today with precisely defined colors it is in use as of July 28, 2006. The flag is one of the state symbols of the Italian Republic.

Appearance and meaning

The national flag is a tricolor flag with three vertical stripes in green, white and red

After a reform under the Berlusconi government, the colors were 2003 first defined precisely by law. Instead of the rich tints to date usually used the green flag was now more lime green (18 - 5642TC ), the white now slightly off-white (11- 4201TC ) and the red somewhat paler (18 - 1660TC ). Based on this definition, there was a fierce flag dispute between the right-wing government and the leftist opposition. On 28 July 2006, the colors were therefore specified according to the following new Pantone color codes again:

The green stands for la pianura ( German: level), meaning the nature and the countryside. The white stands for the color of the glacier in the Alps. The red stands mainly for the blood that was spilled in the Italian Independence wars.

History

The Italian states

Since the Middle Ages, many states had in today's Italy flags in use, some of which are still regarded as regional flags in use. Well-known examples are the flag of Genoa with the red St. George's Cross on a white ground and the Lion Flag of Venice.

Predecessor and origin of the national flag

Already in 1797 appeared in Italy the first green -white-red tricolor on the French model. The Transpadane Republic, a French subsidiary Republic of Napoleon Bonaparte grace, accepted the flag which was also used by the successor State, the Cisalpine Republic. 1802 the tricolor disappeared, but was revived in 1848 by the Kingdom of Sardinia, this time with the coat of arms of the House of Savoy in the center. 1861 was the national flag of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. On June 19, 1946 the coat of arms was removed from the flag because they feared but at sea confusion with the flag of Mexico, each a coat of arms were inserted into the battle flag and the merchant flag to sea again on 9 November 1947.

Other flags

Standard of the President