Flying the flag at half-mast in Italy

A flag at half-mast is the most visible sign of mourning on Italian public buildings. D.P.R. no. 121 of 7 April 2000 devotes only a few lines to mourning, supplemented by the guidance of the State Ceremonial Office. This guide summarises what they provide, who decides on half-mast and what differs between the outside and the inside of buildings. Decisions on national mourning are described in the guide to national mourning.

What the regulation provides

The hoist is the side of the flag fixed to the staff. In its answers to frequently asked questions, the State Ceremonial Office describes the strips as two strips of black velvet or silk tied "like a necktie".

Who orders half-mast

According to the State Ceremonial Office, public mourning is declared by bodies or institutions according to its importance:

• National mourning: decided by the Government, with the instructions on half-mast issued by the State Ceremonial Office to all central administrations and to the prefectures for their local offices.
• Local mourning: decided by the local authorities, and the instructions concern only the authorities' own banners. To drape the other flags as well, the authority asks the other institutions whether they wish to join the mourning.

For State funerals, the flags on public buildings are lowered to half-mast according to the instructions of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, without prejudice to the rules for military flags. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructs the Italian missions abroad.

All flags at half-mast?

In its instructions for national mourning, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers usually specifies half-mast for the national and European flags on public buildings. When the flags are flown together, they are commonly all at the same height, since article 2 of the regulation provides that the Tricolore and the European flag are flown on staffs at the same height. A local authority's banner follows the authority's own decisions.

How the flag is brought to half-mast

The regulation does not describe the manoeuvre and does not set the exact height of half-mast. In many countries it is common practice to raise the flag to the top of the staff first and then lower it to half-mast, and to raise it to the top again before lowering it, so that it is clear the flag is not simply hoisted. On a short pole, a very large flag can come close to the ground or to obstacles. The relationship between flag size and pole is covered in the guide to flagpole heights.

Flags on balcony staffs

Many Italian flags are flown on angled staffs fixed to the façade, where half-mast is not possible. In these cases the two strips of black crêpe provided for in the regulation are often used. Inside offices too, according to the State Ceremonial Office, flags in mourning are draped with two black strips tied like a necktie, because indoor staffs do not allow half-mast.

Half-mast and the flags of other countries

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can ask foreign diplomatic and consular representatives accredited in Italy to fly their flags at half-mast. The rules on the order of flags are in the guide to flag protocol, and the halyard manoeuvre in the guide to flagpole mechanics.