Italy Flag

Flags of Neighboring Countries
Monaco Flag	France Flag	Switzerland Flag	Austria Flag
Liechtenstein Flag	Slovenia Flag	Croatia Flag	Bosnia Flag

Flag Description:
The tricolor of Italy features three equal and vertical bands. The hoist side has a green band; white forms the center band; and to the end is a red band. According to V Fiorini, the red and white of the flag were borrowed from the official colors of the Milanese flag and the green was added to represent the Civic Guards of Milan. When hung vertically, the flag is to be rotated 90 degrees. The green is said to represent hope and joy, the white, peace and honesty, and the red is believed to represent strength and valor.

Evolution:
The tricolor of Italy is believed to have been designed based on the French flag. Napoleon's troops brought the flag to Italy in 1797. On January 7, 1797, the XIV parliament of the Cispadana Republic officially adopted the flag. With the integration of the Cispadana Republic and the Transpadana Republic the tricolor became representative of the larger state. Though the Italian Republic constituted in 1802 adopted a new flag, the tricolor survived as the official flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia and later in 1861 as the flag of the Kingdom of Italy. In these flags, however, the Savoia crown and shield were placed at the center of the tricolor. With the end of World War II, the Italian Republic officially adopted the plain tricolor flag on June 19, 1946. Since November 1947, the Naval Jack is added to the civil and the naval ensigns to differentiate it from Mexico's flag.

Standard Specifications:
The aspect ratio of the Italian flag is 2:3. In 2003 the opposition leaders of Italy accused Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of introducing changes to the colors of the flag. After much debate, the colors of the flag were defined and standardized with reference to the Pantone Matching System (PMS). The green used is 'Fern Green' (Number 17-6153 TC), the white is 'Bright White' (Number 11-0601 TC), and the red is 'Flame Scarlet' (Number 18-1662 TC). These standards apply to flags produced on polyester bunting fabric.


Resemblance:
The flag of Italy bears a close resemblance to the flag of Mexico. The flag of Italy uses paler shades of red and green while those on the Mexican flag are deeper. The major difference between the two flags is their aspect ratios. While the Italian flag has a ratio of 2:3, the flag of Mexico has an aspect ratio of 4:7 and hence is a longer rectangle. The coats of arms on the two naval flags are different to ensure easy recognition. Besides the flag of Mexico, the Italian flag bears a close resemblance to the flag of Ireland. The flag of Ireland is also a tricolor featuring green, white, and a deep orange. The flag aspect ratio of the Irish flag is 1:2.

Flag Day:
Italy celebrates its Flag Day on January 7 every year.

March 09, 2012