The Italian Republic is a unique country, being at the same time one of the most ancient powers and a fairly young state. The fragmented duchies of Italy finally united in the 19th century. Today it is one of the major powers, the country is a member of the G8 (G8). The flag and coat of arms of Italy are integral elements of state symbols. Each of them has its own history and significance.
Italian tricolor: two versions of birth
The history of the flag of the country is quite interesting. The colors of the state symbol of Italy were once established by Napoleon. But first, the arrangement of the stripes was horizontal, not vertical, as it is now. The flag acquired its usual appearance only in 1798, and in 1805, when the country acquired the status of a kingdom, the image of the golden Napoleonic eagle adorned the green stripe. Only after the Second World War, in 1946, he disappeared from the state banner. The coat of arms of Italy also underwent changes and got rid of the image of the bird that was present on it.
According to one version, the colors of the flag are taken from the colors of the uniform of the Milan police. At first it was white and green, and since 1976, after the police were renamed the National Guard of Italy, red was added to the uniform tones.
There is another unofficial, but rather unusual story of the appearance of the Italian flag. Once, in times of revolutionary unrest, protesters needed a symbol of the nation. This was not available, and it was urgent to solve this problem. Then one of the participants in the rallies ran home, found three multi-colored rags and quickly sewed them together. The resulting cloth and subsequently became the Italian flag.
Italy flag today
The modern attribute of state symbols has three vertical stripes. The official version of the interpretation of this particular color combination is as follows: green represents faith, white is a symbol of hope, a red bar represents love. The current national emblem of Italy is made in the same colors.
In 2005, the Italian parliament passed a law that punishes the damage to the national flag and abuse of it in the form of a fine, the size of which varies from 1,000 to 1,500 euros. Today, in case of abuse of the state symbol in public places, the violator will be forced to pay 10,000 euros.
Coat of arms history: how a Roman professor inscribed himself in history
The coat of arms of Italy, in the form in which it exists now, was approved by an official decree two years later than the Italian flag in 1948.
This event was preceded by a very strict competitive selection, which lasted for two years. About a thousand works in black and white were submitted to the court of the specially created commission. A prerequisite for considering the sketch of the coat of arms was the image of a five-pointed star, which symbolized the land and the municipalities that make up Italy.
Paolo Paschetto, who at that time was a professor at the Institute of Fine Arts in Rome, won the competition. He was paid a bonus and given the exclusive right to create the final version of the coat of arms.
By coincidence, not everyone liked the sketch-winner, which was the reason for the additional competitive stage. However, fortune was clearly on the side of the successful and talented professor, because he managed to win the second time. The work done by him was slightly corrected and acquired color. In this form, the coat of arms of Italy exists to date.
What is in the symbol, Italy, of yours?
As already mentioned above, the colors of the Italian coat of arms resonate with those used in the national flag. This is a combination of white, green and red. Each coat of arms has a hidden meaning. Each country has its own. The coat of arms of Italy is no exception to this rule. What does each of its elements mean and what hidden message does it carry?
From time immemorial, the star was a symbol of the country and was still present on the coat of arms of the Italian kingdom. It is believed that it illuminates the whole state and its lands with its radiance and leads all the afflicted to their shores, so that travelers do not go astray.
The gear depicted on the coat of arms represents the industriousness of the Italian people. According to another version, this cog wheel symbolizes the battlements and towers of Ancient Rome.
The olive branch, located to the left of the star, means the friendliness of Italians and their desire for peace with other nations. Interestingly, olive is a very common tree in the country, one of the most long-lived and perhaps the main source of food for many Italians. The best olive oil in the world is made from fruits, olives are present in many national dishes and are constantly present on the table of almost every resident of Italy.
The branch of another tree, oak, framing the star on the right, is a symbol of the dignity and strength of the Italian nation.
When an ordinary person reads the description of the coat of arms of Italy without any explanation, it seems to him a little strange. Nevertheless, every element makes sense, and they are all connected with the distant past of this country.