Flag of Italy

Country

Flag of Italy uses vertical tricolour. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption June 19, 1946.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Italy
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Italian Republic
Identifier	IT / ITA
Region	Southern Europe

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	June 19, 1946
First Documented Use	1797
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Green, White, Red
Construction	Vertical tricolour
Common Name	Il Tricolore

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Green	#008C45	0, 140, 69	100, 0, 51, 45
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red	#CD212A	205, 33, 42	0, 84, 80, 20

Design and Symbolism

Green	the countryside and hope.
White	the snow of the Alps and faith.
Red	the blood shed in the wars of unification, and charity.
Origin	Based on the French tricolour, with green from the uniforms of the Milanese civic guard — first raised by the Cispadane Republic in 1797.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Italy

Vertical tricolour The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with vertical tricolour designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Italy is Green (#008C45), White (#FFFFFF) and Red (#CD212A). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Origin: Based on the French tricolour, with green from the uniforms of the Milanese civic guard — first raised by the Cispadane Republic in 1797.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1797. The adoption field for the present record is June 19, 1946.

Additional flag context

The tricolour originates with the Cispadane Republic of 1797, which took the French design and substituted green for blue.

The exact shades were specified by government decree in 2003 and again in 2006, after complaints that manufacturers were producing flags in inconsistent greens.

The Italian and Mexican flags are frequently confused when the Mexican coat of arms is omitted; Italy's proportions are also shorter.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Vertical tricolour, a 2:3 proportion and the visible origin. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Italy — Specialist vexillological reference

Other vertical tricolour flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Italy

Italy is recorded as vertical tricolour.
The reference proportion for the flag of Italy is 2:3.
The stored palette for Italy contains Green, White and Red.
The adoption field for this country flag record is June 19, 1946.
The design record traces first use to 1797.
Its construction is grouped with the vertical tricolour design family in this library.
Origin: Based on the French tricolour, with green from the uniforms of the Milanese civic guard — first raised by the Cispadane Republic in 1797.
The tricolour originates with the Cispadane Republic of 1797, which took the French design and substituted green for blue.
The exact shades were specified by government decree in 2003 and again in 2006, after complaints that manufacturers were producing flags in inconsistent greens.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Italy

What does the flag of Italy look like?

Vertical tricolour, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Italy?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Italy?

The reference palette lists Green #008C45, White #FFFFFF and Red #CD212A.

What do the symbols on the flag of Italy represent?

Origin — Based on the French tricolour, with green from the uniforms of the Milanese civic guard — first raised by the Cispadane Republic in 1797.

When was the present flag record for Italy adopted?

The adoption field in this record is June 19, 1946.

Which design family does the flag of Italy belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with vertical tricolour designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Italy?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.