The Italian tricolor—green, white, and red—was officially adopted as Italy’s national flag on January 7, 1797, by the Cispadane Republic in the city of Reggio Emilia. This choice was influenced by the wave of republics emerging in Italy under the influence of Napoleon’s victorious campaigns. These republics often adopted flags with three vertical bands, mirroring the French tricolor of 1790. The specific colors of the Italian flag came from existing symbols: white and red were prominent in Milan’s ancient municipal coat of arms, while green was associated with the uniforms of Milan’s Civic Guards.

The Italian flag dates back to the early days of the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. Initially, its colors were arranged horizontally with green at the top, but this design was changed to vertical bands the following year. The flag underwent several changes throughout the 19th century, incorporating emblems at the center. However, the country returned to its original design in 1946 with the establishment of the Italian Republic.

Today, Italy’s flag stands as one of the most recognizable in the world.