Italy

2011
50 x 50 x 3,6 cm | 28 kg
Fused multilayer glass with inclusion of pigments

After the French conquest during the Italian Campaign (1796), the Italian tricolor was adopted for the first time on January 7, 1797 as the emblem of the Cispadan Republic, the confederation formed by the territories south of the Po supported by Napoleon.
The Italians would have taken inspiration from the French flag to design it based on the colors of the uniforms of the Lombards – and more especially of the civil guard of Milan – who rallied to Napoleon.
These republics did not survive the Austro-Russian counter-offensive of 1799 and ended up gradually merging into the first Italian Republic (1802-1805) which became the Kingdom of Italy (1805-1814).
It was during these years that the flag became a popular symbol of the freedoms won and therefore of the new nation. Banned by the Restoration, it was hoisted by the insurgents of the various movements and uprisings of the Risorgimento.
In 1848, Charles Albert of Savoy added the shield of Savoy to the white band. The fall of the monarchy in 1946 led to the abolition of the coat of arms and the reestablishment of the initial simplified formula, officially adopted on January 1, 1948.