The History of the Repubblica

In June 1948, the first military parade was conducted in via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome. In 1949, after the entry of Italy into the NATO, 10 more parades were conducted in different cities, such as Pordenone, Latina and L'Aquila. In 1950, for the first time, the parade was included in the celebrations for the Republic Day and in 1961, on the hundredth anniversary of the unity, it was also conducted in Turin and Florence, the first capitals of unified Italy. Because of Pope John XXIII’s death in 1963, celebrations were postponed on 4 November.

In 1965 a group of flags which took part in The Great War paraded to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the entry of Italy into the First World War. These flags, kept in The Vittoriano, were placed in command of Colonel Alberto Li Gobbi who was awarded with a gold medal for valour during the Second World War.

The parade was also conducted during the protest of the early 70s. In 1976 it was suspended because of the earthquake in Friuli and it was replaced by a deposition of a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the meantime, groups of flags which had took part in the War of Liberation and Gonfalons of the cities awarded with gold medals for military valour had been introduced to the parade of 1975. These became permanent elements of 1983-89 parades.