| Festa della Repubblica | |
|---|---|
 TheFrecce Tricolori, with the smoke trail representing thenational colours of Italy, above theAltare della Patria during the celebrations of theFesta della Repubblica in 2022 | |
| Official name | Italian:Festa della Repubblica |
| Also called | The Second of June (Italian:Il Due Giugno) |
| Observed by |  Italy |
| Type | National |
| Significance | Italy became a republic after the results of the1946 Italian institutional referendum |
| Celebrations | Official ceremonies, parades, fireworks, concerts, picnics |
| Date | 2 June |
| Next time | 2 June 2026 (2026-06-02) |
| Frequency | annual |
| First time | 2 June 1947 |
| Related to |
|
Festa della Repubblica (Italian:[ˈfɛstadellareˈpubblika]; English:Republic Day) is the ItalianNational Day andRepublic Day, which is celebrated on2 June each year, with the main celebration taking place inRome. TheFesta della Repubblica is one of thenational symbols of Italy.
The day commemorates the1946 Italian institutional referendum held byuniversal suffrage, in which theItalian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government following theSecond World War andthe fall ofFascism.
The ceremony of the event, organized in Rome, includes the deposition of alaurel wreath as a tribute to theItalian Unknown Soldier at theAltare della Patria by thePresident of the Italian Republic and amilitary parade alongVia dei Fori Imperiali in Rome.
In thehistory of Italy there are several so-called "republican" governments that have followed one another over time. Examples are the ancientRoman Republic and the medievalmaritime republics. FromCicero toNiccolò Machiavelli, Italian philosophers have imagined the foundations of political science and republicanism.[a] But it wasGiuseppe Mazzini who revived the republican idea in Italy in the 19th century.[2]
AnItalian nationalist in thehistorical radical tradition and a proponent of a republicanism ofsocial-democratic inspiration, Mazzini helped define the modern European movement forpopular democracy in a republican state.[3] Mazzini's thoughts had a very considerable influence on the Italian and European republican movements, in theConstitution of Italy, aboutEuropeanism and more nuanced on many politicians of a later period, among them American presidentWoodrow Wilson, British prime ministerDavid Lloyd George,Mahatma Gandhi, Israeli prime ministerGolda Meir and Indian prime ministerJawaharlal Nehru.[1] Mazzini formulated a concept known as "thought and action" in which thought and action must be joined together and every thought must be followed by action, therefore rejectingintellectualism and the notion of divorcing theory from practice.[4]
In July 1831, in exile inMarseille, Giuseppe Mazzini founded theYoung Italy movement, which aimed to transform Italy into a unitary democratic republic, according to the principles of freedom, independence and unity, but also to oust the monarchic regimes pre-existing the unification, including theKingdom of Sardinia. The foundation of the Young Italy constitutes a key moment of the ItalianRisorgimento and this republican program precedes in time the proposals for the unification of Italy ofVincenzo Gioberti andCesare Balbo, aimed at reunifying the Italian territory under the presidency of thePope.[5] Subsequently, the philosopherCarlo Cattaneo promoted a secular and republican Italy in the extension of Mazzini's ideas, but organized as afederal republic.[6]
The political projects of Mazzini and Cattaneo were thwarted by the action of the Piedmontese Prime MinisterCamillo Benso, Count of Cavour, andGiuseppe Garibaldi. The latter set aside his republican ideas to favor Italian unity.[9] After having obtained the conquest of the whole ofsouthern Italy during theExpedition of the Thousand, Garibaldi handed over the conquered territories to the king of SardiniaVictor Emmanuel II, which were annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia after a plebiscite. This earned him heavy criticism from numerous republicans who accused him of treason.[10] While a laborious administrative unification began, afirst Italian parliament was elected and, on 17 March 1861, Victor Emmanuel II wasproclaimed king of Italy.[11]
From 1861 to 1946, Italy was a constitutional monarchy founded on theAlbertine Statute, named after the king who promulgated it in 1848,Charles Albert of Sardinia. The parliament included aSenate, whose members were appointed by the king, and aChamber of Deputies, elected by census vote. In 1861 only 2% of Italians had the right to vote.[11] In the political panorama of the time there was a republican political movement which had its martyrs, such as the soldierPietro Barsanti.[7] Barsanti was a supporter of republican ideas, and was a soldier in theRoyal Italian Army with the rank of corporal. He was sentenced to death and shot in 1870 for having favored an insurrectional attempt against theSavoy monarchy and is therefore considered the first martyr of the modernItalian Republic[7][8] and a symbol ofrepublican ideals in Italy.[12]
The balance of power between the Chamber and Senate initially shifted in favor of the Senate, composed mainly of nobles and industrial figures. Little by little, the Chamber of Deputies took on more and more importance with the evolution of the bourgeoisie and the large landowners, concerned with economic progress, but supporters of order and a certainsocial conservatism.[13]
The Republicans took part in the elections to the Italian Parliament, and in 1853 they formed theAction Party aroundGiuseppe Mazzini. Although in exile, Mazzini was elected in 1866, but refused to take his seat in parliament.Carlo Cattaneo was elected deputy in 1860 and 1867, but refused so as not to have to swear loyalty to theHouse of Savoy. The problem of the oath of loyalty to the monarchy, necessary to be elected, was the subject of controversy within the republican forces. In 1873Felice Cavallotti, one of the most committed Italian politicians against the monarchy, preceded his oath with a declaration in which he reaffirmed his republican beliefs.[14] In 1882, a new electoral law lowered the census limit for voting rights, increasing the number of voters to over two million, equal to 7% of the population.[15] In the same year the Italian Workers' Party was created, which in 1895 became theItalian Socialist Party.[13] In 1895 the intransigent republicans agreed to participate in the political life of the Kingdom, establishing theItalian Republican Party. Two years later, the far left reached its historical maximum level in Parliament with 81 deputies, for the three radical-democratic, socialist components and Republican. With the death of Felice Cavallotti in 1898, the radical left gave up on posing the institutional problem.[16]
In Italian politics, the socialist party progressively divided into two tendencies: a maximalist one, led among others byArturo Labriola andEnrico Ferri, and supporting the use of strikes; the other, reformist and pro-government, was led byFilippo Turati. A nationalist movement emerged, led in particular byEnrico Corradini, as well as a Catholic social and democratic movement, the National Democratic League, led byRomolo Murri. In 1904,Pope Pius X authorized Catholics to participate individually in political life,[17] but in 1909 he condemned the National Democratic League created by Romolo Murri, who was excommunicated.[18] Finally, a law of 3 June 1912 marked Italy's evolution towards a certain political liberalism by establishing universal male suffrage. In 1914, at the outbreak ofWorld War I, Italy began to be counted among the world's liberal democracies.[17]
After World War I, Italian political life was animated by four great movements. Two of these movements were in favor of democratic development within the framework of existing monarchical institutions: the reformist socialists and theItalian People's Party. Two other movements challenged these institutions: the Republican Party on the one hand, and the maximalist socialists. In the 1919 elections, the parties most imbued with republican ideology (the maximalist socialists and the Republican Party) won, obtaining 165 out of 508 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.[19] In the 1921 elections, after the foundation of the Italian Communist Party, the three parties republican, maximalist socialist and communist obtained 145 deputies out of 535. Overall, at the beginning of the interwar period, less than 30% of those elected were in favor of the establishment of a republican regime.[20] In this context, the rise ofBenito Mussolini's fascist movement was based on the bitterness generated by the "mutilated victory", the fear of social unrest and the rejection of revolutionary, republican and Marxist ideology. The liberal political system and part of the aristocracy chose to erect fascism as a bulwark against, in their way of seeing, these dangers.[21]
In October 1922, the nomination of Benito Mussolini as prime minister by KingVictor Emmanuel III, following themarch on Rome, paved the way for the establishment of the dictatorship. TheAlbertine Statute was progressively emptied of its content. Parliament was subject to the will of the new government.[b] The legal opposition disintegrated. On 27 June 1924, 127 deputies left Parliament andretreated to the Aventine Hill, a clumsy maneuver which, in effect, left the field open to the fascists. They then had the fate of Italy in their hands for two decades.[21]
With the implementation of fascist laws (Royal Decree of 6 November 1926), all political parties operating on Italian territory were dissolved, with the exception of theNational Fascist Party. Some of these parties expatriated and reconstituted themselves abroad, especially in France. Thus ananti-fascist coalition was formed on 29 March 1927 in Paris, the "Concentrazione Antifascista Italiana", which brought together theItalian Republican Party, theItalian Socialist Party, theSocialist Unitary Party of Italian Workers, the Italian League for Human Rights and the foreign representation of theItalian General Confederation of Labour. Some movements remained outside, including theItalian Communist Party, the popular Catholic movement and other liberal movements.[22] This coalition dissolved on 5 May 1934 and, in August of the same year, the pact of unity of action was signed between the Italian Socialist Party and the Italian Communist Party.[23]
In the meantime, in Italy, clandestine anti-fascist nuclei were formed, in particular in Milan withFerruccio Parri and in Florence withRiccardo Bauer.[23] Under the impetus of these groups, theAction Party, Mazzini's former republican party, was re-established.[23][c] Between the end of 1942 and the beginning of 1943,Alcide De Gasperi wroteThe reconstructive ideas of Christian Democracy, which laid the foundations of the new Catholic-inspired party, theChristian Democracy. It brought together the veterans ofLuigi Sturzo'sItalian People's Party and the young people of Catholic associations, in particular of the University Federation.[24]
Not only did Victor Emmanuel III appeal to Mussolini to form the government in 1922 and allow him to proceed with the domestication of Parliament, but he did not even draw the consequences of the assassination ofGiacomo Matteotti in 1924. He accepted the title of emperor in 1936 at the end ofSecond Italo-Ethiopian War, then the alliance withNazi Germany and Italy's entry into World War II on 10 June 1940.[25]
Hostilities ended on 29 April 1945,when the German forces in Italy surrendered.Nearly half a million Italians (including civilians) died in World War II,[26] society was divided and the Italian economy had been all but destroyed; per capita income in 1944 was at its lowest point since the beginning of the 20th century.[27]
On 2 and 3 June 1946, aninstitutional referendum was held with which the Italians were called to the polls to decide which form of state –monarchy orrepublic – to give to the country.[28] The referendum was announced at the end ofWorld War II, a few years after thefall of the Fascist regime in Italy, the dictatorial regime that had been supported by the Italian royal family, theHouse of Savoy, for more than 20 years.[28]
The1946 Italian general election to elect theConstituent Assembly of Italy was held on the same days.[29] As with the simultaneous Constituent Assembly elections, the referendum was not held in theJulian March, in theprovince of Zara or theprovince of Bolzano, which were still under occupation byAllied forces pending a final settlement of the status of the territories. The Constituent Assembly was formed by representatives of theanti-fascist forces that contributed to the defeat of Nazi and Fascist forces during theliberation of Italy, in World War II.[30]
The supporters of the republic chose the symbol of theItalia turrita, thenational personification of Italy, to be used in the electoral campaign and on the referendum card on the institutional form of the State, in contrast to the Savoy coat of arms which represented the monarchy.[31][32] This triggered various controversies, given that the iconography of the allegorical personification of Italy had, and still has, a universal and unifying meaning that should have been common to all Italians and not only to a part of them: this was the last appearance in the institutional context ofItalia turrita.[33]
This institutional referendum was the first vote byuniversal suffrage in Italy.[28] The result of the popular consultation, 12,717,923 votes for the republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy (with a percentage, respectively, of 54.3% and 45.7%), was communicated on 10 June 1946, when theCourt of Cassation declared, after 85 years of theKingdom of Italy, thebirth of the Italian Republic,[28] being definitively sanctioned on 18 June.
TheKing of Italy,Umberto II of Savoy, decided to leave Italy on 13 June to avoid the clashes between monarchists and Republicans, already manifested in bloody events in various Italian cities, for fear they could extend throughout the country. He went into exile inPortugal.[34] From 1 January 1948, with the entry into force of theConstitution of the Italian Republic, the male descendants of Umberto II of Savoy were banned from entering Italy; the provision being repealed in 2002.[35] 11 June 1946, the first day of republican Italy, was declared apublic holiday.[36]
On 2 June the birth of the modern nation is celebrated in a similar way to the French 14 July (anniversary of thestorming of the Bastille) and to 4 July in the United States (anniversary of thedeclaration of independence from Great Britain). Theunity of Italy and the birth of the modern Italian stateis celebrated on 17 March, in honour of 17 March 1861, the date of theproclamation of the Kingdom of Italy.[37] Before the birth of the republic, the national celebratory day of the Kingdom of Italy was the feast of theStatuto Albertino, which was held on the first Sunday of June.[38]
The first celebration of theFesta della Repubblica took place on 2 June 1947,[39] while in 1948 there was the first parade inVia dei Fori Imperiali in Rome;[40][41] 2 June was definitively declared a national holiday in 1949.[42] On this occasion the ceremonial included the past review of the armed forces in honor of the republic by thePresident of the Italian Republic; the demonstration took place inPiazza Venezia, opposite theAltare della Patria.[40] After the deposition of the laurel crown to theItalian Unknown Soldier by the President of the Italian RepublicLuigi Einaudi, the banners of the armed forces abandoned the formation, they walked the stairway of the monument and paid homage to the president with a bow.[40]
In 1949, with the entry of Italy intoNATO, ten celebrations took place simultaneously throughout the country: on the occasion, to highlight the bond of the newly formed republic with Mazzinianism, current of theRisorgimento which was headed byGiuseppe Mazzini, fervent Republican, a celebratory monument was inaugurated in the current PiazzaleUgo La Malfa in Rome, in memory of the Genoese patriot, in front of which the main event of theFesta della Repubblica took place.[40]
In 1961 the main celebration of theFesta della Repubblica did not take place in Rome but inTurin, the first capital of a united Italy. Turin was the capital of Italy from 1861 to 1865, followed byFlorence (1865–1871) and finally byRome, which is its capital since 1871. In 1961, in fact, was also celebrated thecentenary of the unification of Italy (1861–1961).[40] In 1963 the demonstration was not carried out on 2 June for the health conditions of Pope John XXIII, now dying, and was postponed to 4 November, simultaneously withNational Unity and Armed Forces Day.[40]
In 1965 the banners of the suppressed military units that took part in theWorld War I also participated in the main celebration of Rome; in that year the 50th anniversary of Italy's entry into the First World War was also commemorated. Specifically, Italy officially began military operations in World War I on 24 May 1915, with the first cannon shot fired by Fort Verena, on theAsiago plateau, towards theAustrian fortresses located on the Vezzena Plain: to the first infantry of theRoyal Italian Army that crossed the border is dedicated the first stanza ofLa Leggenda del Piave.[40]
Due to the severe economic crisis that gripped Italy in the 1970s, to contain state and social costs, theFesta della Repubblica, with Law n. 54 of 5 March 1977, was moved to the first Sunday of June, with the consequent suppression of 2 June as a publicholiday connected to it.[43] In 2001, on the impulse of the then President of the Republic,Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who was the protagonist, at the beginning of the 21st century, of a more general action to promotenational symbols of Italy, theFesta della Repubblica has abandoned the status of amoveable feast, summarizing its traditional location of 2 June, which has now returned to being a holiday in all respects.[28][44][45]
The photo, which later became a "symbol" of the celebrations for the outcome of the referendum, portrays the face of a young woman emerging from a copy ofIl Corriere della Sera of 6 June 1946 with the title «È nata la Repubblica Italiana» ("The Italian Republic is born").
The symbolic photo of the birth of the Republic was taken by Federico Patellani for the weeklyTempo (n. 22, 15-22 June 1946) as part of a photo shoot celebrating the Republic and the new role of women; it was also featured on the front page of theIl Corriere della Sera itself and was later reused in many campaigns and posters.[46]
Only in 2016 was the woman identified as Anna Iberti (1922–1997).[47]
The official ceremony of the Rome celebration includes the solemn flag-raising ceremony at the Altare della Patria and the tribute to theItalian Unknown Soldier with the deposition of alaurel wreath by thePresident of the Italian Republic in the presence of themost important officers of the State, or of thePresident of the Senate, thePresident of the Chamber of Deputies, thePresident of the Council of Ministers, thePresident of the Constitutional Court, theMinister of Defense and theChief of Defense.[40][41][48] After the playing of the National AnthemIl Canto degli Italiani, theFrecce Tricolori cross the skies of Rome.[41]
.jpg)
Following the ceremony the President is then driven to Via di San Gregorio with the presidentialLancia Flaminia escorted by a patrol group ofCorazzieri on a motorcycle where, together with the military commander of the capital garrison, usually a Major General, he reviews the parade formations presenting arms as the bands play their service or inspection marches.[41][48] The Head of State then processes to the presidential tribune which is located inVia dei Fori Imperiali, gets down the vehicle, and processes there to meet other dignitaries and as he arrives in his spot in the dais the Corazzieri's mounted troopers, which had provided the rear escort during the review phrase, salute the President as the anthem is played.[40] It is tradition, for the members of theItalian government and for the presidents of the two chambers of parliament, to have pinned on the jacket, during the whole ceremony, anItalian tricolor cockade.[49] Following the anthem, the parade begins, which the ground columns of military personnel saluting the President with eyes left or right with their colours dipped as they march past the dais. Mobile column crew contingent colour guards perform the salute in a like manner.
The ceremony concludes in the afternoon with the opening to the public of the gardens of theQuirinal Palace, seat of the Presidency of the Italian Republic, and with musical performances by the bands of theItalian Army, theItalian Navy, and theItalian Air Force, of theCarabinieri, of thePolizia di Stato, of theGuardia di Finanza, of thePolizia Penitenziaria and of theState Forestry Corps.
On the feast day, at the Palazzo del Quirinale, the Changing of the Guard with the Corazzieri Regiment and the Fanfare of theCarabinieri Cavalry Regiment in high uniform is carried out in solemn form.[50] This solemn rite is only performed on two other occasions, during the celebrations of theTricolour Day (7 January) and theNational Unity and Armed Forces Day (4 November).[50]
Official ceremonies are held throughout the national territory. Among them are the traditional receptions organized by eachprefecture for the local authorities, which are preceded by solemn public demonstrations with reduced military parades that have been reviewed by theprefect in his capacity as the highest governmental authority in the province. Similar ceremonies are also organized by theRegions andMunicipalities.[51]
All over the world, Italian embassies organize ceremonies to which the Heads of State of the host country are invited. Greetings from the other Heads of State reach the President of the Italian Republic from all over the world.[52]
TheItalian Armed Forces, all thepolice forces of the Republic, theVigili del Fuoco, theProtezione Civile and theItalian Red Cross take part in the military parade. The military parade was included for the first time in the protocol of official celebrations in 1950.[40]
In 1976 the military parade was not organized following the disastrousearthquake of Friuli, while the following year, in 1977, in full austerity, it was decided not to resume the traditional military parade to avoid burdening further expenses on the state budget.[40] This decision was also reiterated in the following years. Instead of the military parade, a demonstration was organized inPiazza Venezia, which was attended by representatives of the Italian armed forces.[40]
The military parade was reinserted in the official ceremony of the main celebration of Rome in 1983;[40] in that year theFesta della Repubblica was organized on the first Sunday of June, which was the 5th, between theAventine andPorta San Paolo to commemorate theResistance to the German occupation of the city of Rome during theWorld War II.[40] The following year, in 1984, the parade returned toVia dei Fori Imperiali, while in 1985 it took place between Via dei Cerchi and theBaths of Caracalla.[40] In 1989 the military parade was eliminated again; in its place, a historical exhibition was organized in Piazza di Siena in Rome.[40] Until 1999, the celebration of theFesta della Repubblica was limited exclusively to the ceremony at theAltare della Patria.[40]
The parade returned permanently to the ceremony in 2000 on the initiative of the then President of the RepublicCarlo Azeglio Ciampi.[40] In 2004, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi granted a special privilege to themunicipal police corps of Rome, representing all thelocal Italian police, and theProtezione Civile personnel to take part in the parade in honour of their services to the country and their communities.[53]
The military parade also includes some military delegations from theUnited Nations,NATO, theEuropean Union and representatives of multinational departments with an Italian component.[54] One of the most awaited parts of the celebrations, the parade is saluted by the President in his or her capacity as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
As earlier stated the parade begins with the playing of the National Anthem as troopers of the Corazzieri salute the President. After the troopers march off the grandstand, the parade begins as the Central National Band of the Carabinieri marches past the dais, the first band of the parade, to herald the official arrival of the parade commander, usually a Major General of the Army, who drives past the grandstand with his motorized escort, followed by a motorized colour guard. Veterans contingents in vehicles from the Armed Forces, all police forces and theVigili del Fuoco follow the command contingent.
The personnel are followed by the ground contingent, made up of personnel of the Armed Forces, all police forces, Civil Protection and civil service personnel. They march past the dais in a strict order of precedence with the military contingents marching past first followed by the police and civil contingents.
Since2003, in some years, the military parade has had a specific theme:
| Year | Themes | Anniversary | President | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | English | ||||
| 2003 | Le forze armate nel sistema di sicurezza internazionale per il progresso pacifico e democratico dei popoli | The armed forces in the international security system for the peaceful and democratic progress of peoples | 57th anniversary | Carlo Azeglio Ciampi | |
| 2004 | Le forze armate per la Patria | The Armed Forces for theFatherland | 58th anniversary | ||
| 2005 | - | - | 59th anniversary | Last military parade of Carlo Azeglio Ciampi before his resignation on 15 May 2006 | |
| 2006 | - | - | 60th anniversary | Giorgio Napolitano | First military parade of Giorgio Napolitano settled on 15 May 2006 |
| 2007 | - | - | 61st anniversary | ||
| 2008 | La Repubblica e le Sue Forze Armate | The Republic and its Armed Forces | 62nd anniversary | ||
| 2009 | 63th anniversary | the parade was dedicated to theL'Aquila earthquake victims | |||
| 2010 | La Repubblica e le sue forze armate impegnate in missioni di pace | The Republic and its armed forces engaged inpeacekeeping | 64th anniversary | ||
| 2011 | 150º anniversario dell'Unità d'Italia | 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy | 65th anniversary | At the parade, beyond the historic flags of Italy, the Tricolore di Oliosi also paraded. The historic flag, which paraded on a cannon carriage, dates back to the third Italian war of independence (1866) and was heroically saved in Oliosi, now a hamlet of the municipality ofCastelnuovo del Garda, from capture by Austrian troops during the battle of Custoza. | |
| 2012 | Le Forze Armate al servizio del Paese | The Armed Forces at the service of the country | 66th anniversary | the parade was dedicated to theearthquake victims of Emilia | |
| 2013 | - | - | 67th anniversary | the parade was dedicated to the "social question" of families and businesses in difficulty | |
| 2014 | - | - | 68th anniversary | the parade was dedicated at the start of the semester of the Italian Presidency of theEuropean Council. Last military parade of Giorgio Napolitano before his resignation on 14 January 2015 | |
| 2015 | Forze Armate: garanzia di sicurezza e difesa | Armed Forces: guarantee of security and defense | 69th anniversary | Sergio Mattarella | the parade was dedicated on the centenary of the Italian victory in theGreat War. The first military parade of Sergio Mattarella was held on 3 February 2015 |
| 2016 | 70 anni di Repubblica! L'Italia guarda al futuro | 70 years of the Republic! Italy looks to the future | 70th anniversary | the parade was dedicated to the seventieth anniversary of thebirth of the Italian Republic | |
| 2017 | - | - | 71st anniversary | ||
| 2018 | - | - | 72nd anniversary | ||
| 2019 | Inclusione | Inclusion | 73th anniversary | ||
| 2020 | No themes | 74th anniversary | Public event cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the celebration and speech by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella were held inCodogno, a municipality where the first confirmed outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy had been recorded just over three months earlier | ||
| 2021 | 75th anniversary | Public event cancelled due to thecoronavirus outbreak Sergio Mattarella laid a laurel wreath onthe Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at theAltar of the Fatherland | |||
| 2022 | Insieme per la difesa della pace | Together for the defense of peace | 76th anniversary | ||
| 2023 | Italiani: un patrimonio di valori per la Repubblica | Italians: a heritage of values for the Republic | 77th anniversary | ||
| 2024 | Al servizio del Paese | At the service of thecountry | 78th anniversary | Showered by heavy rain | |
| 2025 | A difesa della Repubblica, al servizio del Paese | In defence of the Republic, at the service of the country | 79th anniversary | ||
| 2026 | - | - | 80th anniversary | ||
|  | |
