Today, on the 222nd anniversary of the first Italian tricoloured flag, National Flag Day is being celebrated in Italy and by the diplomatic and consular network abroad.
Below is the statement released by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
« Today, we are celebrating the 222nd anniversary of the first Italian tricoloured flag, the emblem of our Homeland. Starting from Reggio Emilia, our flag witnessed all the events that characterised the Risorgimento and the achievement of the Unification of Italy, all the way to the creation of the Republic. This path was marked by moments of great enthusiasm and also of terrible suffering, overcome by the tenacity, obstinacy and heroism of a people that never gave up the idea of giving their children a better future. In the tricoloured flag, Italians have always seen the reflection of their common history. The flag is a legacy that is passed down from one generation to the other to reaffirm the values of our identity in an international context that sees us, within our common European homeland, as the staunch supporters of peace and cooperation between peoples.
All Italians, moved by a feeling of honour and loyalty, look at the Tricoloured Flag with respect, identifying themselves as fellow citizens therein and in the Constitution.
Long live the Tricoloured Flag! Long live the Republic! »
