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Flag of Italy

Italy: flag, capital, currency and history

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Europe. Its capital is Rome. The currency is the Euro. Languages spoken include Italian.

Quick facts about Italy

Official name
Italian Republic
Capital
Rome
Region
Europe, Southern Europe
Currency
Euro (EUR, €)
Languages
Italian
Calling code
+39
Internet domain
.it
Area
301,336 km² (116,346 sq mi)
Land borders
Austria, France, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland, Vatican City
Demonym
Italian
National day
Republic Day, June 2

Flag of Italy

Download the flag of Italy as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇮🇹.

Flag of Italy
SVG (vector)

History of Italy

The Italian peninsula was home to Etruscans, Greek colonists and Italic peoples before Rome grew from a city into a Mediterranean empire. The Western Roman Empire ended in 476, after which Ostrogoths, Lombards and Byzantines held parts of the peninsula. In the Middle Ages, city-states and papal lands flourished, and the Renaissance began in Italy. Political unification in the 1860s, led by the Kingdom of Sardinia, created the Kingdom of Italy. Fascist rule followed in the 1920s, and after the Second World War a referendum in 1946 abolished the monarchy. Italy is a parliamentary republic and a founding member of the European Economic Community.

Key dates

  1. c. 753 BCTraditional date for the founding of Rome.
  2. 476The last Western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, is deposed.
  3. 1861The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed under Victor Emmanuel II.
  4. 1871Rome becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
  5. 1922Benito Mussolini becomes prime minister, beginning the Fascist period.
  6. 1946A referendum on 2 June abolishes the monarchy and establishes a republic.
  7. 1957Italy is a founding signatory of the Treaty of Rome.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.

Currency of Italy

Italy uses the Euro (EUR, €). Use our free currency converter to check exchange rates.

EUR: Euro

Festivals and greetings in Italy

Celebrations observed in Italy, with free greeting images and wishes you can personalise.

Merry Christmas greeting image in golden glow style with the wish “Merry Christmas to you and yours” and the greeting in SpanishChristmasHappy Easter greeting image in golden glow style with the wish “Wishing you a joyful Easter” and the greeting in SpanishEasterHappy Carnival greeting image in golden glow style with the wish “Happy Carnival to you” and the greeting in PortugueseCarnivalHappy Women’s Day greeting image in golden glow style with the wish “Happy Women’s Day to you”International Women’s Day

All greeting images for Italy · Festival calendar

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Italy?

The capital of Italy is Rome.

What currency does Italy use?

Italy uses the Euro (EUR, symbol €).

What languages are spoken in Italy?

Languages used in Italy include Italian.

What is the calling code of Italy?

The international calling code of Italy is +39. Its internet domain is .it.

Which countries border Italy?

Italy shares land borders with Austria, France, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland and Vatican City.

On which continent is Italy?

Italy is in Europe, in the region of Southern Europe.

What is the national day of Italy?

Italy marks Republic Day on June 2.

Neighbours of Italy

Flag of AustriaAustriaViennaFlag of FranceFranceParisFlag of San MarinoSan MarinoCity of San MarinoFlag of SloveniaSloveniaLjubljanaFlag of SwitzerlandSwitzerlandBernFlag of Vatican CityVatican CityVatican City

More countries in Southern Europe

Flag of AndorraAndorraAndorra la VellaFlag of CyprusCyprusNicosiaFlag of GreeceGreeceAthensFlag of MaltaMaltaVallettaFlag of PortugalPortugalLisbonFlag of San MarinoSan MarinoCity of San MarinoFlag of SpainSpainMadridFlag of Vatican CityVatican CityVatican City

Country data from the open mledoze/countries dataset (ODbL), with corrections. Flags from flag-icons (MIT).