The ''Stella d'Italia'' ("Star of Italy"), popularly known as ''Stellone d'Italia'' ("Great Star of Italy"), is a five-pointed white star, which has symbolized

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

for many centuries. It is the oldest national symbol of Italy, since it dates back to

Graeco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...

mythology when

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

, associated with the West as an evening star, was adopted to identify the Italian peninsula. From an allegorical point of view, the ''Stella d'Italia''

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...

ically represents the shining destiny of Italy. In the early 16th century it began to be frequently associated with '' Italia turrita'', the

national personification A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda. Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations ...

of the Italian peninsula. The ''Stella d'Italia'' was adopted as part of the emblem of Italy in 1947, where it is superimposed on a steel

cogwheel A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called ''cogs''), which mesh with another (compatible) toothed part to transmit (convert) torque and speed. The basic pr ...

, all surrounded by an

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

branch and an

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

branch.

Symbolic value

From an allegorical point of view, the Star of Italy metaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy. Its unifying value is equal to that of the

flag of Italy The national flag of Italy ( it, Bandiera d'Italia, ), often referred to in Italian as ''il Tricolore'' ( en, the Tricolour, ) is a tricolour (flag), tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical Pale (heraldry), pales of green, white and red, ...

. In 1947, the ''Stella d'Italia'' was inserted at the center of the emblem of Italy, which was designed by Paolo Paschetto and which is the iconic symbol identifying the Italian State. The Italian Star is also recalled by some honors. The Italian Star is recalled by the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy, decoration of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

which was intended to celebrate the

Italian Empire The Italian colonial empire ( it, Impero coloniale italiano), known as the Italian Empire (''Impero Italiano'') between 1936 and 1943, began in Africa in the 19th century and comprised the colonies, protectorates, concessions and dependencie ...

, as well as by the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, the first decoration established by Republican Italy, which was replaced in 2011 by the Order of the Star of Italy, second civil honorary title in importance of the Italian State. The Star of Italy is also recalled by the stars worn on the collars of Italian military uniforms and appears on the figurehead of the

Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...

. In the civil sphere, the Italian Star is the central symbol of the emblem of the

Club Alpino Italiano The Club Alpino Italiano is the senior Italian alpine club which stages climbing competitions, operates alpine huts, marks and maintains paths, and is active in protecting the Alpine environment. It was founded in Turin in 1863 by the then finan ...

History

From ancient Greece to the Roman era

The symbolism of a star associated with Italy first appeared in the writings of the ancient Greek poet Stesicoro, from whom it passed on to poets such as

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

. The oldest national symbol of Italy, it originated from the combination of

, as an evening star, with the West and therefore with the Italian peninsula, one of which was ''Esperia'', or "land of Hesperus, the star of the Evening consecrated to Venus". This symbolism was already attested in archaic Greek literature, in 6th century BC by the poet Stesichorus, in the poem ''Iliupersis (Fall of Troy)'' that created the legend of

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...

which described his return to the land of his ancestors (Italy) after the defeat of

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

, under the leadership of Venus. The story of Aeneas' journey to the Italian coast from the maternal star of Venus is then resumed in

Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

, by Marcus Terentius Varro and by

, giving rise to a double tradition: the political tradition of ''Caesaris Astrum'', the star of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

that had originated from the appearance of a comet star shortly after his death and which was also recalled by

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

as an auspicious sign and as a prefiguration of the ''

Pax Romana The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is periodization, identified as a period and as a golden age (metaphor), golden age of increased as well as sustained Imperial cult of ancient Rome ...

'', and the toponymy and literary tradition of Greek origin of

called ''Esperia'', the "land on which the evening star sets" that is Venus. The merger of the two traditions associated the star with Italy, the center of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

and never considered a province, having a special administrative status, being divided into the Augustan regions. The first association between the star (the ''Stella Veneris'') and the mural crown (the ''Corona muralis'') of Italia turrita, from which the so-called ''Italia turrita e stellata'', is also from the Roman era and dates back to the time of Augustus.

From the Middle Ages to the unification of Italy

After a period of disuse in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, the Star of Italy was rediscovered during the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

. The symbolic meaning of Caesar's star as the precious tricolor star-shaped jewel, studded with green

emerald Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...

s, white

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

s and red

rubies A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

, preserved at the Castelvecchio Museum in

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

, dates back to the 14th century, is therefore still uncertain. One meaning could be that it was built for the condottiere

Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...

lord of Verona The Lords of Verona ruled the city from 1260 until 19 October 1387 and for ten days in 1404. The lordship was created when Mastino I della Scala was raised to the rank of ''capitano del popolo'' from that of ''podestà''. His descendants, the Scalig ...

in which

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

saw the new Caesar capable of unifying Italy. However, the star may also refer to

Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...

, with the green, white and red colors associated with the three

theological virtues Theological virtues are virtues associated in Christian theology and philosophy with salvation resulting from the grace of God. Virtues are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner. Traditionally they have ...

. In 1603, in the second edition of his treatise ''Iconologia'', Cesare Ripa associated the symbol with the Italia turrita, and created a modern version of Italy's allegorical personification: a woman with a star on top of a towered crown, therefore supplied with the ''Corona muralis'' and the ''Stella Veneris''. Ripa's treatise inspired many artists like Canova,

Bisson Bisson is a surname, and may refer to: *Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912), French playwright and novelist * Auguste-Rosalie Bisson (1826–1900), French photographer, brother of Louis-Auguste Bisson *Baptiste Pierre Bisson (1767–1811), French gener ...

Maccari Maccari is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Agostino Maccari, Italian astronomer *Cesare Maccari, Italian painter of the nineteenth century * Filippo Maccari (1705–1800), Italian painter and scenic designer * Giacomo ...

, Balla,

Sironi Sironi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Andrea Sironi (born 1964), Italian academic *Luca Sironi (born 1974), Italian cyclist * Maria Bianca Cita Sironi (born 1924), Italian geologist and paleontologist *Mario Sironi Mario ...

, until the 1920s. The allegorical image of the towered and star-topped Italy became popular during the

unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century Political movement, political and social movement that resulted in the Merger (politics), consolidation of List of historic stat ...

, spreading through a large iconography of statues, friezes and decorative objects, tourist-guide covers, postcards, prints and magazines' illustrations. During the unification of Italy, evoking Aeneas' journey toward the Italian coasts, patriot Giuseppe Mazzini mentioned again the national star's myth that afterwards was recovered by Cavour and the new Savoyard kings of Italy. The reigning house even tried to get possession of it, suggesting that it was the ''Stella Sabauda'' ("Savoys' star"), a family heraldic pattern that is not mentioned in any historical document preceding the unification of Italy.

From the unification of Italy to republican Italy

After the unification of Italy, the presence of enormous symbolic stars on the honor stage of the official ceremonies in which King

Victor Emmanuel II of Italy en, Victor Emmanuel Maria Albert Eugene Ferdinand Thomas , house = Savoy , father = Charles Albert of Sardinia , mother = Maria Theresa of Austria , religion = Roman Catholicism , image_size = 252px , succession1 ...

participated led the Italians more and more to define it, in an affective way, as the "star" that protects Italy. On the Italian metallic coinage the ''Stella d'Italia'' is present on all copper emissions already from 1861 until 1907, as well as on all the coins of King

Umberto I of Italy Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...

. The ''Stella d'Italia'' is also recalled by the coat of arms of the

used from 1870 to 1890. In 1871, due to the royal decree n. 571 of December 13, 1871 signed by the minister

Cesare Ricotti-Magnani Cesare Francesco Ricotti Magnani (June 30, 1822 - August 4, 1917) was an Italian general who served as Minister of War of the Kingdom of Italy. Biography He was born at Borgolavezzaro, near Novara. As artillery lieutenant, he distinguished himsel ...

, the ''Stella d'Italia'' became one of the distinctive signs of the

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...

, the so-called "stars". The ''Stella d'Italia'' is also mentioned in the patriotic music piece ''Tripoli bel suol d'amore'', which was written in 1911 just before the start of the Italo-Turkish War, a military campaign forming part of the Italian colonial wars to propagate the imminent war of the Kingdom of Italy against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

aimed at the conquest of

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

. The ''Stella d'Italia'' was one of the symbols of the journey by train on the

Aquileia Aquileia / / / / ;Bilingual name of ''Aquileja – Oglej'' in: vec, Aquiłeja / ; Slovenian: ''Oglej''), group=pron is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river N ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

line towards the capital of Italy of the body of the Italian Unknown Soldier. The coffin was placed on a

gun carriage A gun carriage is a frame and mount that supports the gun barrel of an artillery piece, allowing it to be maneuvered and fired. These platforms often had wheels so that the artillery pieces could be moved more easily. Gun carriages are also used ...

and placed on a goods wagon designed for the occasion by Guido Cirilli. The ceremony had its epilogue in Rome with the solemn burial at the Altare della Patria on 4 November 1921 on the occasion of

National Unity and Armed Forces Day National Unity and Armed Forces Day is an Italian national day since 1919 which commemorates the victory in World War I, a war event considered the completion of the process of unification of Italy. It is celebrated every 4 November, which is the ...

. A bronze ''Stella d'Italia'' was placed on one of the two locomotives that pulled the railway hearse, while a second one was represented on the main building of the

Roma Tiburtina railway station Roma Tiburtina is the second largest railway station in Rome, after Roma Termini station, Roma Termini. Located in the north-eastern part of the city, it was originally constructed during the 1860s as a Train station#Terminus, terminal station. I ...

, which received the convoy in the final destination and which was known at the time as "Portonaccio station". The protective or providential meaning of the star was then adopted by Italian Fascism and the

Italian resistance movement The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social ...

, which placed it on the flag of the National Liberation Committee, as well as by the republicans and the monarchists on the occasion of the institutional referendum of 2 June 1946, which took place according to the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1947, the ''Stella d'Italia'' was included in the center of the official Emblem of Italy, drawn by the designer

Paolo Paschetto Paolo is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Paul. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Paolo Art *Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter *Paolo Abbate (1884–1973), Italian-American ...

. From an allegorical point of view, the ''Stella d'Italia'' metaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.

Gallery

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stella d'Italia National symbols of Italy Heraldic charges Star symbols