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Italian Republic (1802-1805) (Italy)

Repubblica Italiana

Last modified: 2021-08-24 by rob raeside
Keywords: italy | italian republic 1802 | kingdom of italy 1805 |
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image by Pier Paolo Lugli, 17 October 2000
Ratio: 1:1



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Overview

A red field with a white rhombus and a small green square in the middle of the rhombus (20 August 1802). In 1805 the Italian Republic became Kingdom of Italy and a golden eagle was added to the flag.
Alessandro Martinelli, 29 January 1996

Cispadana and Transpadana were merged (and also the province of Novara was merged) and the Cisalpina republic was created on 30 June 1797. Cisalpina adopted flag 11 May 1798. It was Occupited by Austria (1799) and was restored (1800) after Marengo. On january 1802 took the name of Italian Republic (later, 1805. kingdom of Italy).
Jaume Ollé, 13 October 1998

The Repubblica Italiana (26 January 1802 - 15 March 1805) was created at Lyon and later transformed into a Kingdom at Paris. This state was the consequence of the treaty of Lune'ville (9 February 1801) and the agreement of 15 July 1801 between France and the pope Pius VII (through the document Ecclesia Christi), which allowed Napoleon to take direct control of the former Cisalpina republic. Napoleon became the president in a straordinary meeting at Lyon and the government comitee reported the "good news" to the citizens on 30 January 1802 at Milan. On 14 February 1802 - year I , citizen Gioacchino Murat, French, chief in chief of the Army of Italy, performed the first official speech. Concerning flags we have to wait until 20 August 1802 - year I, when the old vertical tricolour of the Cisalpina was substituted by a new flag. Here follows the original text:
"(N. 92.) Warning of the War Minister about the change of the Italian flag. 20 August 1802. Year I.
The government, from my proposal, approved the change of the flag of the Republic for land and for sea use. Hence, its shape for the fortresses is a square with red background, bearing a white rhombus, containing a further green square. For the ships the colour pattern is the same: just the shape is rectangular. The symbol for the war ships shall be the streamer in the aforementioned colours. The mezze brigate (half brigades) of infantry, and the cavalry regiments shall bear on their flags the same colours, in the same pattern.
The Ministry of War
Trivulzi" [Trivulzi was the name of the minister]

Some months later, Bonaparte himself specified more:
"Newsletter of the laws of the Italian Republic (N. 31. ) Edition of the Rules for the Navy and the navigation of the Italian Republic. 28 April 1803. Year II. Extract from the records of the decisions of the President of the Italian Republic. S. Cloud, 25 December 1802. Year I. Rules for the Navy, and the Navigation of the Italian Republic.
Bonaparte First Consul of the French Republic, and President of the Italian Republic decrees as follows:
Art. 1. Only the National ships can, and must sail under the Flag of the Italian Republic. It is not permitted to any other (foreigner) to fly it.
Art. 2. No ship can be considered National, if it does not utterly belong to persons registered within the Territory of the Republic."

The flag of the state was NOT change during the following short (1805 - 1814) kingdom of Italy. On the other hand, the war ensign was charged with the royal arms, as were most of the military flags on the reverse, which, in general, supported mottos and personal symbols on the obverse
Pier Paolo Lugli, 17 October 2000


Naval Ensign

image by Pier Paolo Lugli, 17 October 2000
Ratio: 1:2.7


Pennant


image by Pier Paolo Lugli, 17 October 2000
Ratio: 1:20


Reported Flag

image by Ivan Sache, 18 March 2001

Znamierowski [zna00] shows on p.118 the flag used by the Italian Republic between 1802 and 1805. Above , we have a detailed illustrated account of the flags used by the Italian Republic. Pier Paolo Lugli reports the national flag (square), the naval ensign (elongated, 10:27) and the pennant, with original text quotations.
The flag shown by Znamierowski has the same design (a red field with a white rhombus and a green rectangle in the middle of the rhombus), but the flag proportion is 2:3.
Ivan Sache, 18 March 2001