Historical information

The flag of Sardinia was adopted as the official flag of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The flag incorporates the armorial bearings of the Royal House of Savoy, the family who ruled Italy until it voted to become a republic in 1948. Civil flag of the Kingdom of Italy featuring three vertical panels of green (hoist) white and red cotton, sewn together. Sewn into each side of the centre (white) panel is a representation of the coat of arms of the House of Savoy - a blue-bordered red square, quartered by a white cross. This flag would later become the flag of the Kingdom of Italy, and the tricolor without the Savoyard escutcheon remains the flag of Italy. The exact date of the creation of this flag is uncertain, however as it was in use in Italy until the formal establishment of the Italian Republic, it may have been made between 1848 and 1946. This particular flag was brought back at the conclusion of WWII and donated to the Terang RSL Sub-branch.

Physical description

The Civil flag of the Kingdom of Italy is comprised of a red, white and green vertical cotton panels, which have been stitched together by cotton. Each panel is approximately 915 cm wide by 1.610 metres high. The centre panel has an appliquéd Savoy shield, with a centred white cross on red background, surrounded by a blue shield shaped border.