The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of National Unity, Constitution, Anthem and Flag Day, celebrated today, March 17, paid tribute to the Unknown Soldier at the Altare della Patria in Rome.
The Head of State, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, received military honors and laid a laurel wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The ceremony was attended by the President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa; the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana; the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni; and the President of the Constitutional Court, Giovanni Amoroso. Also present were civil and military authorities, representatives of the Armed Forces, and veterans’ and service associations.
Established by Law No. 222 of November 23, 2012, National Unity, Constitution, Anthem and Flag Day commemorates the date—March 17, 1861—when the unification of Italy was proclaimed in Turin. On this occasion, the Head of State issued the following statement (courtesy translation):
“March 17 marks the achievement of national unity, the recognition of Italy as a sovereign State, and the fulfillment of the aspirations and civic commitment that characterized the Risorgimento—principles solemnly reaffirmed during the Resistance, which enabled the Nation to regain its freedom through its unity, healing the institutional and political fracture caused by the Nazi‑Fascist occupation and laying the foundations of contemporary Italy.
‘National Unity, Constitution, Anthem and Flag Day’ recalls the founding elements of the Republic’s identity: independence, popular sovereignty, freedom, justice, and peace. These values, shaped through a complex and often painful historical journey, find their highest and most complete expression in the Constitution—an authentic safeguard of the rights and responsibilities that define our national community.
Unity is not merely a political or institutional arrangement; it is a profound and shared ideal that runs through and gives meaning to the entire historical experience of our Country.
The Constitution, the ‘Canto degli Italiani,’ and the Tricolore are symbols of a community built on participation, solidarity, and respect for democratic institutions and for every individual.
This heritage of values is what the recurrence of March 17 invites us to renew and transmit—especially to younger generations—through an open and ongoing dialogue. To them, who are called to face profound transformations and global challenges of unprecedented complexity, institutions must offer guidance, trust, and responsibility, so that they may contribute with full awareness to building the future of the Nation.
In an international context marked by tensions, conflicts, and the reemergence of confrontational dynamics and hegemonic ambitions that threaten global stability, the principles that inspired the birth of the Republic—enshrined in our Constitution and anchored in the Charter of the United Nations—remain a steadfast point of reference.
March 17 is a day that renews the call to civic commitment. It is an invitation to safeguard and uphold, with coherence and foresight, the principles of freedom, justice, and peace on which the Republic is founded, so that they may continue to guide the actions of institutions and society in pursuing a peaceful, supportive, and genuinely democratic coexistence, both in Italy and within the international community.”
