"Bandiera Rossa" (italian for red flag), often also called Avanti Popolo for its first lines, is one of the most famous songs of the Italian labour movement. It glorifies the red flag, symbol of the socialist and later communist movement. The text was written by Carlo Tuzzi in 1908; the melody is taken from two Lombardian folk songs.
Apart from the first Italian text, there are several variants which are identified with certain socialist or communist parties. The last two lines "Evviva il comunismo e la libertà" were put in the text after the rise of Benito Mussolini; at the same time the original beginning "Compagni avanti alla riscossa" was changed to "Avanti o popolo, alla riscossa". In particular, the word "comunismo" at the end of the chorus is often replaced with "socialismo".
The song should not be confused with the British socialist song The Red Flag.
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Literal Translation
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