by InTrieste
Italy on Tuesday, March 17, marks the anniversary of its unification with the Giornata dell’Unità Nazionale, della Costituzione, dell’Inno e della Bandiera, an annual observance that celebrates the country’s identity, history and symbols, though it is not a public holiday.
Established in 1911 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of unification, the day commemorates the birth of Italy as a modern nation-state. It honors not only national unity but also the Constitution, the national anthem and the tricolor flag. While largely symbolic, the occasion was marked with a nationwide day off in 2011 for the 150th anniversary.
The date recalls March 17, 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in Turin under Victor Emmanuel II, then king of Sardinia-Piedmont, who became the first king of a unified Italy. The unification process, however, unfolded over decades, with territories including Veneto and Mantua annexed in 1866, followed by Lazio in 1870 after the capture of Rome, and the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and the Julian March after World War I.
In Rome, President Sergio Mattarella is expected to mark the occasion by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Altare della Patria in Piazza Venezia. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend the ceremony, which is set to include a reduced flypast by the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic team.
In Trieste, the Municipality building overlooking Piazza Unità d’Italia will be illuminated in the colors of the Italian flag through a special lighting display, marking the occasion at the local level.
