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[[File:Flag of the President of Italy.svg|thumb|Fourth presidential standard (mod. 2000), in use since 14 October 2000]]

The '''presidential standard of Italy''' ({{langx|it|Stendardo presidenziale italiano}}) is the distinctive standard of the presence of the [[President of Italy|president of the Italian Republic]].

Therefore, it flies above the [[Quirinal Palace]], when the president is in residence.<ref name="quirinale">{{cite web|url=http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/simboli/stendardo/stendardo.html |title=Lo Stendardo presidenziale |language=Italian |access-date=22 September 2010}}</ref> The standard is flown from the vehicle transporting the president, from [[prefect]]ures when the president is visiting a city and inside the halls when he acts in an official capacity.<ref name="quirinale"/> The presidential standard is one of the [[National symbols of Italy]].

The standard recalls the colors of the [[flag of Italy]], with particular reference to the standard of the historic [[Italian Republic (Napoleonic)|Italian Republic of 1802–1805]]; the square shape and the [[savoy blue]] border, whose use was maintained even in the Republican era, symbolize the four [[Italian Armed Forces]], which are commanded by the president.<ref name="quirinale"/> Blue in [[heraldry]] also metaphorically symbolizes command.<ref name="heraldry">{{cite web|url=https://www.aserramanna.it/2012/07/azzurri-origine-del-colore-della-nazionale/|title=Azzurri – origine del colore della nazionale|access-date=13 January 2025|language=it}}</ref>

==Description==
The [[President of Italy|president of the Italian Republic]] has an official standard. The current version is based on the square flag of the [[Italian Republic (Napoleonic)|Napoleonic Italian Republic]], on a field of blue, charged with the [[emblem of Italy]] in gold.<ref>''Stendardo del presidente della Repubblica'' [http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/do/gazzetta/downloadPdf?dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=20001014&numeroGazzetta=241&tipoSerie=SG&tipoSupplemento=GU&numeroSupplemento=0&estensione=pdf&edizione=0 Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica del 9 ottobre 2000] (GU 241 del 14 ottobre 2000)</ref><ref>[http://gazzette.comune.jesi.an.it/2000/241/1.htm Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica del 9 ottobre 2000] gazzette.comune.jesi.an.it</ref><ref>''Foggia ed uso dell'emblema dello Stato'' [http://www.infoleges.it/service1/scheda.aspx?id=99049&service=1 Decreto legislativo n. 535 del 5 maggio 1948] (GU 122 del 28 maggio 1948 suppl. ord.)</ref> The square shape with a [[Savoy blue]] border symbolize the four [[Italian Armed Forces]], namely the [[Italian Air Force]], the [[Carabinieri]], the [[Italian Army]] and the [[Italian Navy]], of which the president is the commander.<ref name="quirinale"/> The standard is kept in the custody of the Commander of the Reggimento [[Corazzieri]] of the Arma dei [[Carabinieri]], along with the war flag (assigned to Regiment in 1878).<ref>[http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Curiosita/I+Corazzieri/Lo+Stendardo+Presidenziale/ Lo Stendardo Presidenziale] I Corazzieri, Arma dei Carabinieri (retrieved 5 October 2008)</ref> Blue in [[heraldry]] also metaphorically symbolizes command.<ref name="heraldry"/>

==History==
[[File:Mexico Italy flag differences.gif|thumb|left|Comparison of similarities of the Italian and Mexican flags]]
[[File:Flag of the President of Italy (1965-1990).svg|thumb|First presidential standard (mod. 1965), in use from 22 September 1965 to 21 March 1990]]
[[File:Flag of the Italian Republic (1802).svg|thumb|Flag of the Italian Republic of 1802-1805]]

The first presidential standard used provisionally since the official [[1946 Italian institutional referendum|proclamation of the Italian Republic]] (June 18, 1946<ref name="nascita-repubblica">The [[1946 Italian institutional referendum]] took place on June 2, but the official proclamation of the Republic took place on June 18.</ref>) was the national flag; later, on 22 September 1965, it was decided to establish a specific presidential standard. The initial idea of creating, as a standard, the overlapping of the emblem of the Republic with the national flag was immediately discarded because of the similarity of this hypothetical composition with the [[Flag of Mexico|Mexican flag]].<ref name="quirinale"/>

With the Order No. 76 dated 22 September 1965 the president [[Giuseppe Saragat]], on the impulse of the [[Ministry of Defence (Italy)|defense ministry of Italy]], chose the first standard "model 1965", which included a [[savoy blue]], whose use was maintained even in the Republican era, square field defaced with the emblem of the Republic, 3 / 5 of the side of the cloth, in gold.<ref name="quirinale"/><ref name="libero">{{cite web|url=https://digilander.libero.it/breschirob/italiastend.html|title=Italia – Bandiere di Capo di Stato|language=Italian |access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref> The colors, according to the Italian military tradition, symbolize, respectively, the command and the value.<ref name="quirinale"/>

In 1986 a standard was established for the deputy president of the Republic. This standard, which is similar to the first standard of the president, instead of blue, is white with a blue border; moreover, the emblem of the Republic is silver instead of gold.<ref name="libero"/>

Later, by decree of the president of the Republic of 22 March 1990, the president [[Francesco Cossiga]] adopted the second standard "1990 model", which included a tricolor square with a blue border, 1/8 (some sources report 1/6) wide, and introduced a regulation of use that established its use and exposure in ceremonies and public buildings. This model lasted only two years.<ref name="quirinale"/><ref name="libero"/>

By decree of the president of the Republic of June 29, 1992, the president [[Oscar Luigi Scalfaro]] restored the standard "model 1965", with the emblem of the Republic reduced in height to 1/3 of the proportions of the flag: this version is known as a third standard "model 1992".<ref name="quirinale"/><ref name="libero"/>

Finally, by decree of the president of the Republic of 9 October 2000, published in the ''[[Gazzetta Ufficiale]]'' n. 241 of 14 October 2000, the president [[Carlo Azeglio Ciampi]] introduced the fourth standard "2000 model", the standard currently in use, which recalls the flag of the historic [[Italian Republic (Napoleonic)|Italian Republic of 1802-1805]].<ref name="quirinale"/> This link with the aforementioned historical standard aims to recall the ''[[Risorgimento]]'' and the struggle for [[Italian unification|national unity]].<ref name="quirinale"/>

The standard currently in use was taken into orbit on board the [[International Space Station]] by astronaut [[Umberto Guidoni]] and shown during the video conference with President Ciampi on 25 April 2001.<ref name="presidenti">{{cite web|url=http://presidenti.quirinale.it/Ciampi/dinamico/ContinuaCiampi.aspx?tipo=foto&key=14965|title=Palazzo del Quirinale, 28 May 2001|language=Italian |access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref>

By decree of the president of the Republic of May 17, 2001, published in the ''Gazzetta Ufficiale'' No. 11 of May 22, 2001, the distinctive standard was created for the presidents emeritus of the Republic.<ref name="libero"/>

==Historical evolution of the standard==
<gallery>
File:Flag of Italy (1946–2003).svg|Provisional standard of the president of the Italian Republic<br />(1 January 1948 – 21 September 1965)
File:Flag of the President of Italy (1965–1990).svg|First presidential standard (mod. 1965)<br />(22 September 1965 – 21 March 1990)
File:Flag of the President of Italy (1990–1992).svg|Second presidential standard (mod. 1990)<br />(22 March 1990 – 28 June 1992)
File:Flag of the President of Italy (1992–2000).svg|Third presidential standard (mod. 1992)<br />(29 June 1992 – 13 October 2000)
File:Flag of the President of Italy (2000–2003).svg|Fourth presidential standard (mod. 2000)<br />(14 October 2000 – 17 January 2003)
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Emblem of Italy]]
*[[Flag of Italy]]
*[[List of Italian flags]]
*[[List of presidents of Italy]]
*[[National symbols of Italy]]
*[[President of Italy]]
*{{lang|sc|[[S'hymnu sardu nationale]]|italic=no}}

== Citations ==
{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Presidential flags of Italy}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/statico/simboli/stendardo/stendardo.htm|title=Lo stendardo presidenziale italiano sul sito del Quirinale|language=Italian}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.rbvex.it/italiastend.html|title=Sito "Bandiere: passato e presente" di Roberto Breschi|language=Italian}}

{{Italian Presidents}}
{{Italian flags}}
{{National symbols of Italy}}
{{Flags, Banners and Standards of Heads of State and Government}}

[[Category:Personal flags|Italy]]
[[Category:National symbols of Italy]]
[[Category:Presidents of Italy|*]]