Today, Italy celebrates National Flag Day. The nation is celebrating the Tricolour, which was first created in Reggio Emilia in 1797 and has accompanied and inspired the Italian people on their journey over the last 226 years. Enshrined in the Constitution, the Italian flag symbolises national unity, represents our nation’s founding values of freedom, solidarity and equality and embodies Italy’s extraordinary and universally recognised historical and cultural heritage and identity.
Around the world, the Italian Tricolour represents the spirit of sacrifice of our military personnel engaged in peacekeeping missions and their ability to devote themselves to others, it is the flag that our diplomats fly high as they defend the national interest and its colours are what our compatriots abroad carry in their hearts and put into everything they do.
In a famous painting dated 1920, Cafiero Filippelli depicted a woman mending an Italian Tricolour; an extraordinary image and a metaphor for our daily commitment. Sewing up tears, retying the threads of our togetherness, rediscovering community: this is the path we intend to follow in order to unleash the nation’s best energies and give Italy even more of a leading role in Europe and in the world.
[Courtesy translation]