Who designed the national flag of Italy?
If we told you that the national flag of Italy was actually designed by Napoleon, you would most likely raise an eyebrow. Yes, Napoleon, the French emperor who led the French revolution conquered many Italian states and established an unofficial flag that later became the national flag of Italy. Though the flag went through many different iterations before becoming what it is today, the colours green, white, and red chosen by Napoleon, have been a recurring pattern throughout its history.
Italian flag designed
When Napoleon started conquering Italian states after the French Revolution began in 1789, he destroyed former territories creating new republics. The Napoleonic era lasted from 1796 to 1814. In 1797, the Cispadane Republic, established by Napoleon, got a flag with three colours – green, white and red - in horizontal stripes and a central emblem. This was the first time the flag (Tricolore) was officially adopted as a national flag by a sovereign Italian state.
When the Cispadane Republic merged with nearby regions to create the new Cisalpine Republic, the stripes were rotated counter-clockwise to the vertical stripes they are today, with green on the left, white in the middle, and red on the right. Later, when Napoleon became the emperor of a region known as the Italian Republic, located in the north of Italy, its flag design was also altered a little with a trio of colours and a golden Napoleonic eagle placed in the centre. Similarly, many regions began adopting flags that reflected elements of the Tricolore, adding to a sense of national unity.
In short, from 1797 to 1848, the Tricolore was an unofficial symbol of ununified Italian nationalism.
Italian flag becomes official
In 1848, the flag was used by Italian troops in battle against the Austrian army, making it an official symbol of the Italian confederation. Then In 1861, when Italy was officially united as a monarchy under the rule of the Royal House of Savoy, it became the official flag of Italy and a shield, cross, and crown were added to the centre of the flag’s three stripes. The shield and cross represented the House of Savoy, and the crown symbolised the monarchy.
In 1946, when Italy changed from a monarchy to a republic, the flag returned to the simple, vertical Tricolore. Finally, the flag officially represented all of Italy, geographically, politically, and historically.
What do the three colours signify?
There is no clear answer to what the three colours symbolise. There are all kinds of theories. One says that the colours have idealistic significance: Green for freedom, white for faith and purity, and red for love. Other says that the colours have a religious significance, representing the three theological virtues: green for hope, white for faith, and red for charity. Yet another theory says that the colours represent Italy’s geographical landscape and history - green for the countryside, white for the snowy Alps and red for the blood of the Italian people shed over the course of Italy’s history.