Italy

Italian Republic
Adopted	June 18, 1946
Designed by	(unknown, based on original design by Napoleon)
Proportions	2:3
Emoji	🇮🇹

The flag of Italy is an equal vertical tricolor of green, white, and red. It was originally the flag of the Cisalpine Republic, a "sister" republic to France which was located in Northern Italy.

The flag was officially adopted on June 18, 1946, and designed by an unknown author.

Symbolism

The Italian tricolor originates from the French flag, from the revolution, with the blue stripe on the hoist replaced with a green stripe. Some rumors mention Napoleon’s favorite color was green, but actually represented natural human rights, like equality and freedom.

A more religious and philosophical interpretation is that green represents hope, white represents faith, and red represents charity (as in love), in reference to the three theological virtues.

History

The original version of the Italian flag had been the flag of the Cisalpine Republic, which had been the current variant with 1:1 proportions. The tricolor had been given by Napoleon, and had been unofficially adopted in 1797, and officially readopted in 1946.

Italian Republic

Main article: Italian Republic (1802-1805)

The flag of the Italian Republic was a red background, with a white diamond that covers the entire flag, with a green rectangle in the center of the flag. The colors were taken from the original flag of the Cisalpine Republic, and had stayed until 1805, and unofficially 1814.

Kingdom of Italy

Main article: Kingdom of Italy

The flag of the Kingdom of Italy was a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red, with the kingdom's coat of arms in the center of the flag. The colors had still been taken from the two predecessing nations.

Protocol

Flag folding

1. Lay the flag out flat.
2. Fold the red stripe over the white stripe. This is done vertically.
3. Fold the red stripe under the green one.
4. Fold the green stripe horizontally into a square.

Legal protection

Article 292 of the Italian Penal Code ("Insult or damage to the flag or other emblem of the State") protects the Italian flag by providing for the crime of insulting it, or other banners bearing the national colors, thus providing:

Anyone who vilifies the national flag or another emblem of the State with insulting expressions is punished with a fine ranging from €1,000 to €5,000. The penalty is increased from €5,000 to €10,000 if the same act is committed in occasion of a public occasion or an official ceremony.

Anyone who publicly and intentionally destroys, disperses, deteriorates, renders useless or smears the national flag or another emblem of the state is punished with imprisonment for up to two years.

For the purposes of criminal law, the national flag means the official flag of the state and any other flag bearing the national colours.

— Art. 292 of the Italian penal code

Nicknames

• Green, white, and red
  • Verde, bianco e rosso
• The Tricolour