Flag of ItalyRepubblica Italiana

What the flag looks like

The Italian flag consists of three equal vertical bands of green (hoist), white (center) and red (fly). The proportion is 2:3. It was adopted on 1 January 1948 with the constitution of the Italian Republic, though the design dates back to 1797 when it was first used by the Cispadane Republic.

Colors and meaning

Green represents the Italian landscape and hope, white represents the snow of the Alps and peace, and red represents the blood shed for Italian independence. The colors originate from the uniforms of the Milanese Civic Guard and the French Tricolore, adapted during the Napoleonic era.

Green

Represents the Italian countryside, hope and the Lombard Legion's green uniforms.

White

Represents the snow of the Alps, peace and, in some interpretations, the Catholic faith.

Red

Represents the blood shed in the wars of Italian independence and unification.

Origin (1796)

The colors first appeared on the tricolor of the Lombard Legion, then on the flag of the Cispadane Republic in 1797 — modeled after the French Tricolore but with green replacing blue.

History and adoption

The Italian tricolor was first adopted by the Cispadane Republic on 7 January 1797, in Reggio Emilia, based on the French Tricolore with green replacing blue. It was used by various Italian states during the Napoleonic era and became a symbol of the Risorgimento — the movement for Italian unification. The Kingdom of Italy adopted it in 1861 with the royal Savoy coat of arms in the center. When Italy became a republic in 1946, the coat of arms was removed, and the plain tricolor was formally adopted on 1 January 1948.

Key facts

Adopted

1 January 1948

Proportion

2:3

Designer

Giuseppe Compagnoni (Cispadane Republic)

Capital

Rome

Country code

IT

Similar flags

Mexico, Ireland

Historical and related flags

Italy has used several versions of the tricolor before the current plain design was adopted.

• Cispadane Republic (1797): First green-white-red tricolor.
• Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946): Tricolor with the Savoy coat of arms in the center.
• Italian Social Republic (1943–1945): Tricolor with a fasces emblem.
• Italian Republic (1948–present): Plain green-white-red tricolor.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Italy look like?

The flag of Italy is a vertical tricolor of green, white and red in three equal bands.

When was the flag of Italy adopted?

The current flag of Italy was officially adopted on 1 January 1948.

What do the colors mean?

Green represents the Italian landscape and hope, white represents the snow of the Alps and peace, and red represents the blood shed for Italian independence. The colors originate from the uniforms of the Milanese Civic Guard and the French Tricolore, adapted during the Napoleonic era.

Which flags look similar to the Italy flag?

Mexico uses a vertical green-white-red tricolor with a coat of arms in the center. Ireland uses green-white-orange. Italy's plain green-white-red is unique among national flags.