The red, green and white bands of colour of the Italian flag, Il Tricolore (the tricolour), are seen everywhere in Italy. Flags fly outside homes, hotels and town halls, are waved enthusiastically at soccer matches, and the colours are even emulated in an insalata Caprese (Capri style salad). However, nowhere is more devoted to the Italian flag and its history than the Museo del Tricolore (Tricolour Museum) in the town of Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna.
Reggio Emilia is where the Tricolore was invented on 7 January, 1797, long before Italian Unification in 1871. Designed by an engineer, Ludovico Bolognini, the Tricolore was adopted by the northern cities of Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Ferrara, which formed the Cispadane Republic with the help of the French led by Napoleon Bonaparte. The original flag had an emblem in the middle of it and there is one on show at the museum. Later, the Italian freedom fighters of the Risorgimento embraced the Tricolore as a symbol of unity.
The Museo del Tricolore is divided into two sections, charting the evolution of both the flag and the country from the Napoleonic era to the present day. It catalogues incarnations of the Tricolore as it adjusted over the years to reach its current form, presenting the story alongside documents, sculptures, portraits, costumes and other ephemera. Lovingly cared for, this small museum is a must for patriots and anyone interested in Italian history.
The museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays all year round. Entrance is free.
Where: Piazza Prampolini 1, Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna
Website: www.tricolore.it
