Festa della Repubblica

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Frecce Tricolori demonstration for Festa della Republica in 2005
Frecce Tricolori demonstration for Festa della Republica in 2005

Festa della Repubblica is celebrated in Italy on the second of June each year.

The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage on 02 and 03 June 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government β€” monarchy or republic β€” following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. After 85 years of reign, with 12,717,923 votes against 10,719,284, Italy became a republic and the male descendants of the House of Savoy were exiled.

To commemorate it, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided by the President of the Republic in the role of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister and other authorities attend too. Prior to the foundation of the Republic, the Italian national day was the first Sunday in June, anniversary of the granting of the Statuto Albertino.

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