They have passed 161 years from that 17 March 1861, day on which the Savoy Parliament di Torino, With the 17 law March 1861, n. 4671 of the Kingdom of Sardinia, officially proclaimed the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. It is a very important event for the history of our country, celebrated every year in many cities. His official institution it happened in 1911On the occasion of 50th anniversary of the Unification. In 2012 the Italian Parliament then changed its name to "National Unity, Constitution, Anthem and Flag Day"(law 23/11/2012, n. 222). This special day serves as a reminder of our history and the value ofUnification of Italy, which unfortunately someone over the years has forgotten or underestimated. Fortunately, however, times have changed and the unitary identity is becoming stronger and stronger, from the North to the South of the boot.
Historical notes
The history of the Unification of Italy was very troubled, made above all of blood and patriotism. Even if March 17, 1861 is indicated as a symbolic date, to arrive at a true "united Italy" it was necessary to wait for the end of the World War I. THE two Italian wars of independence (1848- 1849 and 1859), fought against the Habsburg kingdom, and the expedition of the Thousand di Garibaldi (1860) which overthrew the Bourbon government in Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, were the crucial events of the Risorgimento which led to the unification of Italy in 1861. However, the newborn Kingdom of Italy did not yet control the Veneto, Lazio il Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige. These regions were then annexed respectively in 1866, in 1870 (with the Breccia of Porta Pia) and, finally, in 1918. With the annexation of Friuli and Trentino, the final act of unification of the country was therefore reached.
Celebrations of the anniversary of the Unification of Italy
Unlike other anniversaries, theanniversary of the Unification of Italy it is not a public holiday, but a working day. In our country, this anniversary is celebrated on a national basis every fifty years. To date, in fact, only the celebrations of 1911 (official birth year of the anniversary), del 1961, in which the then President of the Republic, Giovanni Gronchi, welcomed the French general Charles De Gaulle to celebrate the second Italian war of independence (fought together with France against Austria), and in 2011, year of 150th anniversary of the Unification. However, every year this anniversary is celebrated above all at the local level. For example, today a Torino (first capital) reopens the doors of Subalpine parliament, in which the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy took place, with Vittorio Emanuele II re. THE Roma instead, theANCRI (National Association of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) organized an event dedicated to "symbols of the Republic", Also promoting theMameli's anthem and Tricolor.
The Day of National Unity, the Constitution, the anthem and the flag is an important anniversary that should make us reflect on the meaning of the word "unity". There struggle between North and South is now completely extinct, as well as the useless "winds of independence”(Especially the Po Valley and Veneto) of past years. Today, more than ever, Italians seem to be a united people. It must have been the tragic period of the pandemic since Covid 19 (which has moved the clashes to other fronts) or the possibility of one war at the gates of Europe, but historical issues between North and South seem to have been definitively put aside. Will it really be like this?
