The Tricolore on national days and public holidays

On national days the Tricolore appears on town halls, schools and public offices, but also on many private balconies. Not every public holiday is a flag day, however: D.P.R. no. 121/2000 lists the days on which the flag is flown on all public buildings, and some of them are holidays while others are working days. This guide explains the meaning of the main occasions. The full calendar for 2026 and 2027 is in the guide to flag days.

National holidays with flags

2 June is the national day par excellence. Law no. 260/1949 declares it the national holiday; moved to the first Sunday of June by Law no. 54/1977, it was restored to 2 June by Law no. 336/2000. In Rome the day includes the laying of a wreath at the Altare della Patria and the parade along the Via dei Fori Imperiali.

4 October was a civil solemnity dedicated to Italy's patron saints, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine of Siena. Law no. 151 of 8 October 2025 made it a public holiday again as the national feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, from 2026, the year of the eighth centenary of his death.

Flag days that are not holidays

• 7 January, Tricolour Day: the anniversary of the birth of the first green, white and red flag in Reggio Emilia in 1797.
• 11 February: the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 between the Italian State and the Holy See.
• 17 March: the proclamation of the unification of Italy in Turin in 1861, today the Day of National Unity, the Constitution, the Anthem and the Flag.
• 9 May, Europe Day: the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration of 1950.
• 28 September: the anniversary of the popular uprising in Naples in 1943, the "Four Days".
• 24 October, United Nations Day: the UN flag is flown together with the Tricolore and the European flag.
• 4 November: National Unity Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War for Italy; the day is officially celebrated on the first Sunday of November.

Holidays without a flag rule

New Year's Day, Epiphany, Easter Monday, the Assumption (Ferragosto), All Saints' Day, the Immaculate Conception, Christmas Day and Saint Stephen's Day are public holidays under Law no. 260/1949 and D.P.R. no. 792/1985, but are not among the regulation's flag days. The same applies to the feast of the patron saint, which is a holiday in the individual municipality. On buildings that fly flags every day, such as prefectures and ministries, the Tricolore remains up anyway.

Flags on balconies

On national days and during major sporting events, many people hang the Tricolore from windows and balconies. According to a publication of the State Ceremonial Office, in the days around 17 March 2011, the 150th anniversary of unification, Italians hung about 13 million tricolours from their windows, according to a survey by the Istituto Piepoli. For private individuals, the rules on dignity described in the guide to the flag rules apply.

The flag at night on feast days

On feast days the flag sometimes stays up after sunset. D.P.R. no. 121/2000 permits flying at night only if the place is adequately lit. The subject is covered in the guide to flag lighting, and the meaning of the colours in the guide to flag symbolism.