Flag of the Kingdom of Italy
Locally Regno d'Italia
What the flag looks like
Three equal vertical stripes of green, white and red, with the arms of the House of Savoy, a white cross on a red shield edged in blue, in the center of the white stripe.
What it means
The green, white and red are Italy's national colors; the shield is the arms of the House of Savoy, the dynasty that unified Italy, edged in Savoy blue.
How to remember it
The Kingdom of Italy's
tricolor has the Savoy shield, a white cross on red, in the middle; the Republic dropped it in 1946, and Mexico's
green-white-red carries an eagle instead.
Fun facts
- The Savoy shield was removed after the referendum of 2 June 1946, in which Italians voted to abolish the monarchy.
- The plain shield was the civil flag; state and military versions placed a royal crown above it.
Kingdom of Italy at a glance
- Existed
- 1861–1946
- Flag used
- 1861–1946
- Today
- Italy
- Capital
- Rome
- Region
- 1861–1946
- Languages
- Italian
- Currency
- Italian lira (L)
- Flag adopted
- 1848
Flags often confused with the Kingdom of Italy
- Italy: The Kingdom of Italy and Italy are both vertical green, white and red. The Kingdom's flag has the Savoy shield, a white cross on red edged in blue, on the white stripe; Italy's flag is plain.
- Mexico: The Kingdom of Italy and Mexico are both vertical green, white and red with an emblem in the center. The Kingdom's emblem is a red shield with a white cross; Mexico's is an eagle on a cactus eating a snake.