L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 www.italoam ericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 T hursday, the 2nd o f J u n e i s t h e anniversary of the historical referen- dum with which, in 1946, Italians abolished the monarchy and chose, also with the vote of women, the Repub- lic. A collective celebration of unity for all the people of Italy that this year, finally, we can e n j o y t o g e t h e r , n e a r o n e another. After two years of Covid-19 restrictions, our Cap- ital honors again the Day of the Republic with the classic parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali, just as tradition wants. It's just another sign of our return to normality, just like the freedom we feel while walking in the street without face masks, even if they are still necessary indoors, as a precau- tion. Let us take a step back in time, though. On the referendum ballots used on the 2nd and the 3rd of June 1946, we find two symbols: on the left, the allegorical representation of our country as a republic, the Italia Symbols and history of the 2nd of June. But this year, we celebrate our return to normality From the Editor Turrita. That's the future. On the right, the Savoias' coat of arms, the monarchy. That's the past. People are called to make a choice. With 12,717, 923 votes against 10,719,284, the women and men of Italy chose the Republic against the monarchy: 54.3% against 45,7%. After 85 years as a kingdom, on the 18th of June 1946 the Supreme Court officially proclaimed the birth of the Italian State. By then, King Umberto II of Savoia had already left the country for Portugal in self-exile, to avoid the rapidly growing tensions in his own country. Starting on the 1st of January 1948, the day our new Constitution took effect, every male descendant of Umberto II was prohibited entry into the country, a rule abrogated only in 2002. I t a l i a n s h a d t o c r o s s o n e o f t w o s y m b o l s . O n o n e side, Italia Turrita, a young woman with her head surround- ed by a mural crown with towers, representation of the cities and towns of Italy. A classical image, widely used in fine art, politics, and literature, which originates from the primordial myth of the Great Mediterranean Mother. The image was a symbol of the nobility or Italian cities, of the bountiful har- vests of the peninsula (the woman usually also held a cornu- copia), and of the bright future of Italy, symbolized by the Star of Italy. On the other side, is the symbol of the Kingdom of Italy. It was used for the first time on the 4th of May 1870. After then, it was modified twice: in 1890, when two golden rampant lions were added at the coat of arms' sides, along with a crowned helmet, a variety of heraldic symbols, and a beam- ing, upside-down Star of Italy; and in 1929. It remained the symbol of the Motherland until 1948, when that of the Italian Republic took its place, even if Benito Mussolini modified it further before then, once in 1926, when he added the fascio littorio among our state symbols, then in 1927 and 1929, when the Savoia's lions were also replaced by two fasci. The first celebration of the Italian Republic took place on the 2nd of June 1947, while the first military parade at the Fori Imperiali happened in 1948. The 2nd of June was declared a national holiday in 1949. On this occasion, the President of the Italian Republic reviewed the armed forces to honor the Republic. The event, which is still part of celebra- tions today, took place in Piazza Venezia, just in front of the Vittoriano, in the very same streets and square made famous by Mussolini's dramatic speeches. As historical images remind us, it's from that notorious balcony on Piazza Venezia that il Duce, galvanized by huge, hand-clapping crowds, declared war against France and Great Britain, and Italy's alliance with Germany. It was the 10th of June 1940. Today, we turn our eyes to the skies to enjoy the Frecce Tricolori, our national acrobatic unit that leaves a white, green, and red trail in the air while performing. We no longer pay attention to symbols and old rituals, we tend to forget the historical events that made us what we are today. We tend to forget, for instance, that in 1949, when Italy joined NATO, there were 10 different celebrations held around the country, or that in 1961 the main events of the day of the Republic took place in Turin, the first capital of unified Italy, and not in Rome. We forget that, in the 1970s, amid the economic crisis, the Festa della Repubblica was moved to the first Sunday of June, so that the 2nd could keep being a work- ing day. Or that in 2020 our President, Sergio Mattarella, gave his speech from Codogno, the town where the first Covid-19 cluster in Italy was recorded. This year, we mostly need to enjoy the day "the usual way," where "usual" doesn't mean ordinary, but a welcome, safe, hopeful, joyous return to our lost normality. Simone Schiavinato, Editor Simone Schiavinato NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italiana all'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano 610 West Foothill Blvd. Unit D, Monrovia, CA 91016 - Tel.: (626) 359-7715 PLEASE SEND CORRESPONDENCE TO P.O. BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), www.italoameri- cano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian newspaper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which represents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. 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PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Giudici SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTORS Catherine Accardi Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Paula Reynolds, Nicoletta Curradi, GenerosoD'Agnese, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Alfonso Guer- riero Jr., Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio © 2020 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano PO Box 6528 Altadena, CA 91003 P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003

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