Coat of arms of Italy
Encyclopedia
The emblem of Italy was adopted by the newly formed Italian Republic on 5 May 1948. Although often referred to as a coat of arms
(or stemma in Italian), it is technically an emblem
as it was not designed to conform to traditional heraldic
rules. The armorial bearings of the House of Savoy
, blazon
ed gules a cross argent, were previously in use by the late Kingdom of Italy
; the supporters
, on either side a lion rampant Or, substituted by fasci littori
(literally bundles of the lictors) during the fascist era
. The emblem is used extensively by the Italian government.
, Trento
and Trieste
, or Italia irredenta, which were united with the rest of Italy in 1866, 1870 and 1918 respectively); this period of Italian history is known as the Risorgimento, or resurgence. During this period, the green, white and red tricolore became the symbol which united all the efforts of the Italian people towards freedom and independence.
The Italian tricolour
, defaced
with the coat of arms of the House of Savoy
, was first adopted as war flag by the Regno di Sardegna-Piemonte (Kingdom of Sardinia
-Piedmont) army in 1848. In his Proclamation to the Lombard-Venetian people, Charles Albert
said "… in order to show more clearly with exterior signs the commitment to Italian unification, We want that Our troops … have the Savoy shield placed on the Italian tricolour flag." As the arms mixed with the white of the flag, it was fimbriated azure, blue being the dynastic colour. On 15 April 1861, when the Regno delle Due Sicilie (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
) was incorporated into the Regno d'Italia, after defeat in the Expedition of the Thousand
led by Giuseppe Garibaldi
, this flag and the arms of Sardinia were declared the symbols of the newly formed kingdom.
On 4 May 1870, nine years later, the Consulta Araldica
issued a decree on the arms, as with the Sardinian arms, two lions rampant in gold supporting the shield, bearing instead only the Savoy cross (as on the flag) now representing all Italy, with a crowned helmet, around which, the collars of the Military Order of Savoy, the Civil Order of Savoy
, the Order of the Crown of Italy
(established 2 February 1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
, and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
(bearing the motto FERT
) were suspended. The lions held lances flying the national flag. From the helmet fell a royal mantle, engulfed by a pavilion under the Stellone d'Italia, purported to protect the nation.
After twenty years, on 1 January 1890, the arms' exterior were slightly modified more in keeping with those of Sardinia. The fur mantling and lances disappeared and the crown was taken from the helmet to the pavilion, now sewn with crosses and roses. The Iron Crown of Lombardy
was placed on the helmet, under the traditional Savoyan crest
(a winged lionhead), which, together with the banner of Savoy from the former Sardinian arms, replaced the star of Italy. These arms remained in official use for 56 years until the birth of the Italian Republic
and continue today as the dynastic arms of the head of the House of Savoy.
On 11 April 1929, the Savoy lions were replaced by Mussolini with fasces
from the National Fascist Party
shield. After his dismissal and arrest on 25 July 1943 however, the earlier version was briefly restored until the emblem of the new Repubblica Italiana was adopted, after the institutional referendum on the form of the state, held on 2 June 1946. This is celebrated in Italy as Festa della Repubblica.
), or Republic of Salò as it was commonly known, was that of the governing Republican Fascist Party
, a silver eagle clutching a banner of the tricolore inverted on a shield charged with fasces. Italian fascism
derived its name from the fasces, which symbolised imperium
, or power and authority, in ancient Rome
. Roman legions had carried the aquila
, or eagle, as signa militaria.
On 25 April 1945, commemorated as Festa della Liberazione
, the government of Benito Mussolini
fell. The separate Italian Social Republic had existed for slightly more than one and a half years.
in October 1946. The design was chosen by public competition, with the requirement that party political emblems were forbidden and the inclusion of the Stellone d'Italia, "inspired by a sense of the earth and municipalities." The five winners were assigned further requirements for the design of the emblem, "a ring that has towered shaped crown," surrounded by a garland of Italian foliage and flora. Below a representation of the sea, and above, the gold star, with the legend Unità e Libertà or Unity and Liberty in the Italian language
. The winner was Paolo Paschetto, Professor of the Institute of Fine Arts in Rome from 1914 to 1948, and the design was presented in February 1947, together with the other finalists, in an exhibition in Via Margutta. This version, however, did not meet with public approval, so a new competition was held, again won by Paolo Paschetto. The new emblem was approved by the Constituent Assembly
in February 1948, and officially adopted by the President of the Italian Republic
, Enrico De Nicola
in May 1948.
, with a fine red border, superimposed upon a five-spoked cogwheel, standing between an olive
branch to the dexter side and an oak
branch to the sinister side; the green branches are in turn bound together by a red ribbon bearing the inscription REPVBBLICA ITALIANA in white capital letters. As it was not designed to conform to traditional heraldic rules, it does not have a formal blazon. The dominant element, however, is the five-pointed Stellone d'Italia; an ancient secular symbol of Italy. Iconographic of the Risorgimento, it is usually seen shining radiant over Italia Turrita
, the personification of Italy. The star marked the first award of Republican reconstruction, the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
, and still indicates membership of the Armed Forces
today. The steel cogwheel which surrounds it refers to the Constitution of the Italian Republic:—
At the top, its shape also recalls a mural crown
, as worn by Italia Turrita (meaning with towers), typical of Italian civic heraldry of communal origin. Both oak and olive trees are characteristic of the Italian landscape. While the oak branch is symbolic of the strength and dignity of the Italian people, the olive branch represents the Republic’s desire for peace, both harmony at home and brotherhood abroad, as expressed in the Constitution:—
, since 1947, comprises the national flag defaced with the arms of the Marina Militare
; the Marina Mercantile (and private citizens at sea) use the civil ensign, differenced by the absence of the mural crown
and the lion holding open the gospel, bearing the inscription PAX TIBI MARCE EVANGELISTA MEVS, instead of a sword. The shield is quartered, symbolic of the four repubbliche marinare
, or great thalassocracies
, of Italy: Venice
(represented by the lion passant, top left), Genoa
(top right), Amalfi
(bottom left), and Pisa
(represented by their respective crosses). To acknowledge the Navy's origins in ancient Rome, the rostrata crown, "... emblem of honor and of value that the Roman Senate
conferred on duci of shipping companies, conquerors of lands and cities overseas," was proposed by Admiral Cavagnari
in 1939. An inescutcheon, bearing the Savoy shield flanked by fasces, was removed before the arms were first employed.
The Esercito Italiano, Aeronautica Militare
and Arma dei Carabinieri also have their own distinctive coats of arms as do each of the municipalities, provinces
and regions of Italy
.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
(or stemma in Italian), it is technically an emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
as it was not designed to conform to traditional heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
rules. The armorial bearings of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
ed gules a cross argent, were previously in use by the late Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
; the supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
, on either side a lion rampant Or, substituted by fasci littori
Fasces
Fasces are a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the center, which is an image that traditionally symbolizes summary power and jurisdiction, and/or "strength through unity"...
(literally bundles of the lictors) during the fascist era
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
. The emblem is used extensively by the Italian government.
Kingdom of Italy
Between 1848 and 1861, a sequence of events led to the independence and unification of Italy (except for Venetia, RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
and Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, or Italia irredenta, which were united with the rest of Italy in 1866, 1870 and 1918 respectively); this period of Italian history is known as the Risorgimento, or resurgence. During this period, the green, white and red tricolore became the symbol which united all the efforts of the Italian people towards freedom and independence.
The Italian tricolour
Flag of Italy
The flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side...
, defaced
Defacement (flag)
Defacement is a term used in heraldry and vexillology to refer to the addition of a symbol or charge to another flag. For example, the Australian flag is the British Blue Ensign defaced with the Southern Cross in the fly and the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter, beneath the Union...
with the coat of arms of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, was first adopted as war flag by the Regno di Sardegna-Piemonte (Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
-Piedmont) army in 1848. In his Proclamation to the Lombard-Venetian people, Charles Albert
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
said "… in order to show more clearly with exterior signs the commitment to Italian unification, We want that Our troops … have the Savoy shield placed on the Italian tricolour flag." As the arms mixed with the white of the flag, it was fimbriated azure, blue being the dynastic colour. On 15 April 1861, when the Regno delle Due Sicilie (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
) was incorporated into the Regno d'Italia, after defeat in the Expedition of the Thousand
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand was a military campaign led by the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860. A force of volunteers defeated the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to its dissolution and annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia, an important step in the creation of a newly...
led by Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
, this flag and the arms of Sardinia were declared the symbols of the newly formed kingdom.
On 4 May 1870, nine years later, the Consulta Araldica
Consulta Araldica
The Consulta Araldica was a college instituted by royal decree on 10 October 1869 to advise the Italian government on noble titles, coats of arms and related matters. It was part of the Ministry of the Interior...
issued a decree on the arms, as with the Sardinian arms, two lions rampant in gold supporting the shield, bearing instead only the Savoy cross (as on the flag) now representing all Italy, with a crowned helmet, around which, the collars of the Military Order of Savoy, the Civil Order of Savoy
Civil Order of Savoy
The Civil Order of Savoy was founded as an order of knighthood in 1831 by the King of Sardinia, Charles Albert, Duke of Savoy. The intention was to reward those virtues not belonging to the existing Military Order of Savoy, founded by Vittorio Emanuele I in 1815. The order has one degree, that of...
, the Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
(established 2 February 1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
, and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in mediæval Italy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946...
(bearing the motto FERT
FERT
FERT, the motto of the Royal House of Italy, the House of Savoy, was adopted by King Vittorio Amedeo II .It appeared for the first time on the collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation or Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata, the primary dynastic order of the kingdom. This...
) were suspended. The lions held lances flying the national flag. From the helmet fell a royal mantle, engulfed by a pavilion under the Stellone d'Italia, purported to protect the nation.
After twenty years, on 1 January 1890, the arms' exterior were slightly modified more in keeping with those of Sardinia. The fur mantling and lances disappeared and the crown was taken from the helmet to the pavilion, now sewn with crosses and roses. The Iron Crown of Lombardy
Iron Crown of Lombardy
The Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. The crown became one of the symbols of the Kingdom of Lombards and later of the medieval Kingdom of Italy...
was placed on the helmet, under the traditional Savoyan crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
(a winged lionhead), which, together with the banner of Savoy from the former Sardinian arms, replaced the star of Italy. These arms remained in official use for 56 years until the birth of the Italian Republic
Birth of the Italian Republic
The Italian constitutional referendum which officially took place on 2 June 1946, is a key event of Italian contemporary history. Until 1946, Italy was a kingdom ruled by the House of Savoy, kings of Italy since the Risorgimento and previously rulers of Savoy...
and continue today as the dynastic arms of the head of the House of Savoy.
Fasces
Fasces are a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the center, which is an image that traditionally symbolizes summary power and jurisdiction, and/or "strength through unity"...
from the National Fascist Party
National Fascist Party
The National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
shield. After his dismissal and arrest on 25 July 1943 however, the earlier version was briefly restored until the emblem of the new Repubblica Italiana was adopted, after the institutional referendum on the form of the state, held on 2 June 1946. This is celebrated in Italy as Festa della Repubblica.
Italian Social Republic
The arms of the short-lived Nazi puppet state in northern Italy, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (Italian Social RepublicItalian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
), or Republic of Salò as it was commonly known, was that of the governing Republican Fascist Party
Republican Fascist Party
The Republican Fascist Party was a political party led by Benito Mussolini during the German occupation of Central and Northern Italy. It was founded as the successor of former National Fascist Party as an anti-monarchist party...
, a silver eagle clutching a banner of the tricolore inverted on a shield charged with fasces. Italian fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
derived its name from the fasces, which symbolised imperium
Imperium
Imperium is a Latin word which, in a broad sense, translates roughly as 'power to command'. In ancient Rome, different kinds of power or authority were distinguished by different terms. Imperium, referred to the sovereignty of the state over the individual...
, or power and authority, in ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. Roman legions had carried the aquila
Aquila (Roman)
The Aquila was the eagle standard of a Roman legion, carried by a special grade legionary known as an Aquilifer. One eagle standard was carried by each legion.-History:...
, or eagle, as signa militaria.
On 25 April 1945, commemorated as Festa della Liberazione
Liberation Day
Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, or the end of an occupation by another state, thereby differing from independence in the meaning of secession from...
, the government of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
fell. The separate Italian Social Republic had existed for slightly more than one and a half years.
Italian Republic
The decision to provide the new Italian Republic with an emblem was taken by the government of Alcide De GasperiAlcide De Gasperi
Alcide De Gasperi was an Italian statesman and politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party. From 1945 to 1953 he was the prime minister of eight successive coalition governments. His eight-year rule remains a landmark of political longevity for a leader in modern Italian politics...
in October 1946. The design was chosen by public competition, with the requirement that party political emblems were forbidden and the inclusion of the Stellone d'Italia, "inspired by a sense of the earth and municipalities." The five winners were assigned further requirements for the design of the emblem, "a ring that has towered shaped crown," surrounded by a garland of Italian foliage and flora. Below a representation of the sea, and above, the gold star, with the legend Unità e Libertà or Unity and Liberty in the Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. The winner was Paolo Paschetto, Professor of the Institute of Fine Arts in Rome from 1914 to 1948, and the design was presented in February 1947, together with the other finalists, in an exhibition in Via Margutta. This version, however, did not meet with public approval, so a new competition was held, again won by Paolo Paschetto. The new emblem was approved by the Constituent Assembly
Constituent Assembly of Italy
The Italian Constituent Assembly was a parliamentary chamber which existed in Italy from 25 June 1946 until 31 January 1948...
in February 1948, and officially adopted by the President of the Italian Republic
President of the Italian Republic
The President of the Italian Republic is the head of state of Italy and, as such, is intended to represent national unity and guarantee that Italian politics comply with the Constitution. The president's term of office lasts for seven years....
, Enrico De Nicola
Enrico De Nicola
Enrico Roberto De Nicola was an Italian jurist, journalist, politician, and the first provisional Head of State of the newborn republic of Italy from 1946 to 1948.-Biography:...
in May 1948.
Description
The emblem comprises a white five-pointed starPentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
, with a fine red border, superimposed upon a five-spoked cogwheel, standing between an olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
branch to the dexter side and an oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
branch to the sinister side; the green branches are in turn bound together by a red ribbon bearing the inscription REPVBBLICA ITALIANA in white capital letters. As it was not designed to conform to traditional heraldic rules, it does not have a formal blazon. The dominant element, however, is the five-pointed Stellone d'Italia; an ancient secular symbol of Italy. Iconographic of the Risorgimento, it is usually seen shining radiant over Italia Turrita
Italia Turrita
Italia Turrita is the national personification or allegory of Italy, characterised by a mural crown typical of Italian civic heraldry of communal origin.. In broader terms, the crown symbolizes its mostly urban history.Italia Turrita is a woman with typical Mediterranean attributes...
, the personification of Italy. The star marked the first award of Republican reconstruction, the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
The Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity was founded as national order by the first President of the Italian Republic, Enrico De Nicola, in 1947, to recognise civilian and military expatriates or foreigners who made an outstanding contribution to the reconstruction of Italy after World War...
, and still indicates membership of the Armed Forces
Military of Italy
The Italian armed forces are the military of Italy, they are under the command of the Italian Supreme Council of Defence, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic. The total number of active military personnel is 293,202...
today. The steel cogwheel which surrounds it refers to the Constitution of the Italian Republic:—
At the top, its shape also recalls a mural crown
Mural crown
-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
, as worn by Italia Turrita (meaning with towers), typical of Italian civic heraldry of communal origin. Both oak and olive trees are characteristic of the Italian landscape. While the oak branch is symbolic of the strength and dignity of the Italian people, the olive branch represents the Republic’s desire for peace, both harmony at home and brotherhood abroad, as expressed in the Constitution:—
Armed forces
The Italian naval ensignEnsign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
, since 1947, comprises the national flag defaced with the arms of the Marina Militare
Marina Militare
The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft...
; the Marina Mercantile (and private citizens at sea) use the civil ensign, differenced by the absence of the mural crown
Mural crown
-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
and the lion holding open the gospel, bearing the inscription PAX TIBI MARCE EVANGELISTA MEVS, instead of a sword. The shield is quartered, symbolic of the four repubbliche marinare
Repubbliche Marinare
The maritime republics were a number of city-states which flourished in Italy in the Middle Ages. The best known are the Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice. These states competed with each other both militarily and commercially...
, or great thalassocracies
Thalassocracy
The term thalassocracy refers to a state with primarily maritime realms—an empire at sea, such as Athens or the Phoenician network of merchant cities...
, of Italy: Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
(represented by the lion passant, top left), Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
(top right), Amalfi
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
(bottom left), and Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
(represented by their respective crosses). To acknowledge the Navy's origins in ancient Rome, the rostrata crown, "... emblem of honor and of value that the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
conferred on duci of shipping companies, conquerors of lands and cities overseas," was proposed by Admiral Cavagnari
Domenico Cavagnari
Domenico Cavagnari was an Italian admiral and the chief of staff of the Italian Royal Navy until 1940. He was succeeded by Admiral Arturo Riccardi....
in 1939. An inescutcheon, bearing the Savoy shield flanked by fasces, was removed before the arms were first employed.
The Esercito Italiano, Aeronautica Militare
Aeronautica Militare
The Italian Air Force is the air force of the Italian Republic. It has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history...
and Arma dei Carabinieri also have their own distinctive coats of arms as do each of the municipalities, provinces
Provinces of Italy
In Italy, a province is an administrative division of intermediate level between a municipality and a region .-Overview:...
and regions of Italy
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
.
See also
- Coat of arms of Napoleonic ItalyCoat of arms of Napoleonic ItalyThe coat of arms of the Kingdom of Italy was used as coat of arms for the Kingdom of Italy .The coat of arms depicted a Napoleonic eagle wielding a thunderbolt, with superimposed the heraldic shield of the kingdom with the Légion d'honneur, and, over the eagle, the Iron Crown of Lombardy.The...
- Flag of ItalyFlag of ItalyThe flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side...
- Il Canto degli ItalianiIl Canto degli ItalianiIl Canto degli Italiani is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as Inno di Mameli , after the author of the lyrics, or Fratelli d'Italia , from its opening line...
External links
- Un simbolo per la Repubblica Presidenza della Repubblica, Palazzo del Quirinale
- Italian Civic Heraldry International Civic Heraldry, Ralf Hartemink