Flag sizes in Italy – the flag and the pole

No Italian law sets the size of the Tricolore according to the pole. What is set are the proportions and the colours, and the State Ceremonial Office gives some ordinary sizes and a general guideline for the ratio between flag and staff. This guide summarises proportions, colours and common sizes. The flag size calculator shows the size for a given pole height.

Proportions

Article 8 of legislative decree no. 1 of 19 June 1946 describes the national flag as a rectangular cloth divided vertically into three equal sections, green, white and red, two thirds as high as it is long, with the green against the hoist, the side next to the staff. Article 12 of the Constitution confirms the three vertical bands of equal size.

Colours

The D.P.C.M. of 14 April 2006 defined the colours with textile Pantone codes, on polyester bunting:

According to the State Ceremonial Office, other fabrics are expected to give the same colour result. The Italian Navy notes that for a long time the colours were described only in general terms, and that the colour definition came with circulars of the Presidency of the Council in 2002, 2003 and 2004, later confirmed by the 2006 decree.

Ordinary sizes of the State Ceremonial Office

The State Ceremonial Office gives these ordinary sizes as a guide:

In its answers to frequently asked questions, the Office adds that sizes are not fixed and vary with the place of display: as a rule the flag is longer than half the staff or pole and shorter than its full length. When the Tricolore is flown with the European flag, the two flags are of equal size and material.

Standard sizes

In the trade, flags come in a series of standard sizes, usually given as height × length. An Italian flag maker gives these sizes for ground-mounted poles:

The same maker lists the eight military flag sizes, from the first at 5.50 × 8.25 metres to the eighth at 0.30 × 0.45 metres; the fourth and fifth, 1.50 × 2.25 and 1.00 × 1.50 metres, are close to the sizes most common on flagpoles.

Flag, pole and wind

The right size also depends on the site. A large flag on a pole exposed to the wind loads the structure more and wears faster. The pole's manufacturer usually states the largest flag the pole is designed for. On balcony staffs, angled from the façade, the size also depends on the clear space between the façade, the windows and the street. The subject is covered in the guides to flagpole heights and flagpole safety.

Regional and European flags

Many regional laws give the regional flag the same proportions as the Tricolore, with the height two thirds of the length; the flag of Piedmont measures 150 × 100 cm under regional law no. 15/2004. The European flag has 2:3 proportions. The types of flags are described in the guide to flag types, and the factors that affect the price in the guide to buying a flag.