The coat of arms of Italy. What does it mean?

The Italian Republic is a unique country, being simultaneously one of the most ancient powers and a fairly young state. The fragmented duchies of Italy were finally united in the 19th century. Today it is one of the major powers, the country is a member of the Group of Eight (G8). The flag and coat of arms of Italy are integral elements of state symbols. Each of them has its own history and meaning.

Italian tricolor: two versions of the birth

The history of the flag of the country is quite interesting. The colors of the state symbol of Italy was established in due time by Napoleon. But at first the location of the bands was horizontal, not vertical, as now. The flag acquired its usual form only in 1798, and in 1805, when the country acquired the status of a kingdom, a green strip adorned the image of the golden Napoleonic eagle. Only after the Second World War, in 1946, he disappeared from the state cloth. The coat of arms of Italy also underwent changes and got rid of the image of the bird that was present on it.

According to one version, the colors of the flag are taken from the colors of the uniform of the Milan police. At first it was white and green, and since 1976, after the police were renamed the National Guard of Italy, the red uniform was added to the tones of the uniform.

There is another unofficial, but rather unusual, story of the appearance of the Italian flag. Once, in times of revolutionary unrest, the demonstrators needed a symbol of the nation. In the presence of such was not, and it was necessary to solve this problem urgently. Then one of the participants of the rallies ran home, found three different colored rags and hastily sewed them together. The resulting canvas and later became the Italian flag.

Flag of Italy today

The modern attribute of state symbols has three vertical bands. The official version of the interpretation of this color combination is the following: green stands for faith, white is a symbol of hope, the red band represents love. In the same colors, and today's national coat of arms of Italy.

In 2005, the Italian parliament passed a law that punishes the corruption of the national flag and its abuse in the form of a fine, ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 euros. Today, in case of abuse of the state symbol in public places, the violator will be forced to pay 10,000 euros.

History of the arms: how the Roman professor entered himself in history

The coat of arms of Italy in the form in which it exists now was approved by an official decree two years later than the Italian flag in 1948.

This event was preceded by a very strict competitive selection, lasting for two years. On the court of a specially created commission, about a thousand works in black and white were presented. An obligatory condition for considering the sketch of the emblem was the image of a five-pointed star, which symbolized the land and municipalities that make up Italy.

He won the competition Paolo Pasporto, who at that time was a professor at the Institute of High Arts in Rome. He was paid a premium and given the exclusive right to create a final version of the coat of arms.

By coincidence, not everyone liked the sketch-winner, which was the reason for holding an additional competitive stage. However, fortune was clearly on the side of a successful and talented professor, because he managed to win and the second time. The work done by him has undergone a slight adjustment and has acquired color. In this form, the coat of arms of Italy exists to the present day.

What's in the symbol, Italy, yours?

As already mentioned above, the colors of the Italian coat of arms are in line with those used in the national flag. It is a combination of white, green and red. Each coat of arms has a hidden meaning. Each country has its own. The Italian coat of arms is not an exception to this rule. What does each of its elements mean and what hidden message does it carry?

The star from time immemorial was a symbol of the country and was present on the coat of arms of the Italian kingdom. It is believed that it illuminates the entire state and its lands with its radiance and leads all suffering to its shores, so that travelers do not stray.

The gear represented on the coat of arms represents the diligence of the Italian people. According to another version, this wheel with denticles symbolizes crenellated walls and towers of Ancient Rome.

The olive branch, located to the left of the star, means the Italians' friendliness and their desire for peace with other nations. Interestingly, the olive tree is a very common tree in the country, one of the longest living and almost the main source of food for many Italians. Of the fruits make the world's best olive oil, olives are present in many national dishes and are constantly present on the table of almost every Italian.

The branch of another tree, the oak, framing the star on the right, is a symbol of the dignity and strength of the Italian nation.

When an ordinary person reads a description of the coat of arms of Italy without any explanation, it seems to him a little strange. Nevertheless, each element has its meaning, and all of them are related to the distant past of this country.