About Italy's Flag

The Italian flag, Bandiera italiana in Italian, is also known as Il Tricolore and is possibly derived from the French tricolour flag. Italy's flag is very similar to the flags of many countries, including Ireland (a vertical tri-color green, white and orange), Mexico (a vertical tri-color green, white and red, with a coat of arms), Cote d'Ivoire (a vertical tri-color orange, white and green) and Hungary (a horizontal tri-color red, white and green)

History

The current Italian flag was adopted for use June 19, 1946, after the end of World War II, and was officially adopted January 1, 1948.

Size

The flag of Italy is made up of three equal-sized bands: green, white and red. The size ratio, height to width, is 2 to 3.

Features

Italy's flag is hoisted with the green band closest to the flag pole.

Theories/Speculation

There is some speculation about the meaning of the colors of the Italian flag. Commonly, the colors are interpreted to mean: green for the plains and hills of Italy, white for the snowy Alps and red for the blood lost in the Wars of Italian Independence. A religious interpretation of the colors is green for hope, white for faith and red for charity.

Expert Insight

After more than 200 years in service, the shades of the colors of the Italian flag were officially decided to be fern green, white and flame scarlet.