Those who are studying Italian language and also lovers of Italy are interested in discovering the best curiosities about Italy. In this article we are going to discover some curiosities about Italian flag, especially why it is green, white and red.
Green, white and red: the meaning of the colours of the Italian flag
The Italian flag is green, white and red and it is interesting to know the meaning of these colours. Each stripe of the flag has a different meaning: the green stripe represents hope, the white stripe represents faith and the red stripe represents charity.
Hope, faith and charity can be considered three pillars of Italy and of its citizens. All the stripes have the same size and this means that none of the three elements we have described can be considered more important than the others and more representative of the country.
Remember that the green stripe has always to be near the flag post: we say that this flag is green-white-red, not red-white-green. Sometimes it happens that the flag is not positioned correctly and this is a mistake that must be avoided!
When was the Italian flag adopted?
Another interesting curiosity about Italy and its flag is the date when the flag was adopted. These colours were used for the first time in 1796, when the Lombard Legion chose these colours for its military flag. The following year it was used for the first time as a civil flag. This flag became the national flag only in 1861, thanks to a royal decree from the Kingdom of Italy.
If you want to discover more about the history of Italy and the culture of this country, you can choose to follow Clidante’s culture courses. These are Italian language courses during which students will have the opportunity to learn Italian and to discover Italian culture too.
The attempt to change colours
Italians are very proud of their flag and its colours. When Silvio Berlusconi was the former president of Italy, he tried to change the colours of Italian flag thinking that it could be useful to have a more modern flag.
Italians were not of the same idea and they did not allow Silvio Berlusconi to carry out his plan. Thanks to the tenacity of Italians and thanks to their love for the flag of their country, the colours of the flag remained the same of the tradition.