Ciao a tutti!

Today is Tricolor Day (Festa del Tricolore) or officially National Flag Day (Giornata Nazionale della Bandiera) in Italy!

It’s been celebrated since 1996, and the official celebration of the day is held in Reggio Emilia, the city where the Italian tricolor was first adopted by an Italian sovereign state with Napoleon Bonaparte’s backing, the Cispadane Republic, on 7 January 1797.

Did you know that Italian tricolor design comes from the standard designed by Napoleon during the Italian campaign of 1796? The coloring was influenced by the French Tricolor, at first appearing in horizontal bands. There are many theories on what the colors represent, with some saying that the green represents the country’s plains and the hills, the white represents the Alps covered in snow, and the red represents the blood spilled by many patriots who fought for the Italian independence and unification.

In honor of the Festa del Tricolore, I want to share the Italian national anthem as well! “Il Canto degli Italiani“- “The Song of the Italians” is also know as “Inno di Mameli”  (Mameli’s Hymn) since it was written by Goffredo Mameli  in 1847.

Fratelli d’Italia,
l’Italia s’è desta,
dell’elmo di Scipio
s’è cinta la testa.
Dov’è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,
ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.

Coro:
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l’Italia chiamò.
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l’Italia chiamò’

Noi fummo da secoli
calpesti, derisi,
perché non siam popolo,
perché siam divisi.
Raccolgaci un’unica
bandiera, una speme:
di fonderci insieme
già l’ora suonò.

Coro

Uniamoci, amiamoci,
l’unione e l’amore
rivelano ai popoli
le vie del Signore.
Giuriamo far libero
il suolo natio:
uniti, per Dio,
chi vincer ci può?

Coro

Dall’Alpi a Sicilia
dovunque è Legnano,
ogn’uom di Ferruccio
ha il core, ha la mano,
i bimbi d’Italia
si chiaman Balilla,
il suon d’ogni squilla
i Vespri suonò.

Coro

Son giunchi che piegano
le spade vendute:
già l’Aquila d’Austria
le penne ha perdute.
Il sangue d’Italia,
il sangue Polacco,
bevé, col cosacco,
ma il cor le bruciò.

Coro

Evviva l’Italia,
dal sonno s’è desta,
dell’elmo di Scipio
s’è cinta la testa.
Dov’è la vittoria?!
Le porga la chioma,
ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.

________________________________________________________

Brothers of Italy,
Italy has woken,
bound Scipio’s helmet
Upon her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
Because as a slave of Rome
God created her.

Chorus:
Let us join in a cohort,
we are ready for death.
We are ready for death,
Italy has called.
Let us join in a cohort,
We are ready for death.
We are ready for death,
Italy has called!

We were for centuries
downtrodden, derided,
because we are not one people,
because we are divided.
Let one flag, one hope
gather us all.
The hour has struck
for us to unite.

Chorus

Let us unite, let us love one another,
Union and love
Reveal to the peoples
The ways of the Lord.
Let us swear to set free
The land of our birth:
United, by God,
Who can overcome us?

Chorus

From the Alps to Sicily,
Legnano is everywhere;
Every man hath the heart
and hand of Ferruccio
The children of Italy
Are all called Balilla;
Every trumpet blast
soundeth the Vespers.

Chorus

The mercenary swords
Are feeble reeds.
Already the Eagle of Austria
Hath lost its plumes.
The blood of Italy,
the Polish blood
It drank, along with the Cossack,
But it burned its heart.

Chorus

Long live Italy,
She has awoken from slumber,
bound Scipio’s helmet
Upon her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
Because as a slave of Rome
God created her.