The Stella d'Italia ("Star of Italy"), popularly known as Stellone d'Italia ("Great Star of Italy"),[1] is a
five-pointed white star, which has symbolized
Italy for many centuries. It is the oldest
national symbol of Italy, since it dates back to
Graeco-Roman mythology[2] when
Venus, associated with the West as an evening star, was adopted to identify the
Italian peninsula. From an allegorical point of view, the Stella d'Italiametaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.[3]
In the early 16th century it began to be frequently associated with Italia turrita, the
national personification 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, all surrounded by an
oak branch and an
olive branch.
Symbolic value
From an
allegorical point of view, the Star of Italy metaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.[3] Its unifying value is equal to that of the
flag of Italy.[2] 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.[4]
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. The oldest
national symbol of Italy,[2] it originated from the combination of
Venus, as an evening star, with the West[7] and therefore with the Italian peninsula, one of which was Esperia, or "land of Hesperus, the star of the Evening consecrated to Venus".[7][8] 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 which described his return to the land of his ancestors (Italy) after the defeat of
Troy, under the leadership of Venus.[2]
The story of Aeneas' journey to the Italian coast from the maternal star of Venus is then resumed in
Roman times by
Pliny the Elder, by
Marcus Terentius Varro and by
Virgil, giving rise to a double tradition: the political tradition of Caesaris Astrum, the star of
Julius Caesar that had originated from the appearance of a comet star shortly after his death and which was also recalled by
Augustus as an auspicious sign and as a prefiguration of the Pax Romana,[9] and the toponymy and literary tradition of Greek origin of
Italy 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 and never considered a province, having a special administrative status, being divided into the Augustan regions.[9]
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.[9]
From the Middle Ages to the unification of Italy
After a period of disuse in the
Middle Ages, the Star of Italy was rediscovered during the
Renaissance.[10] The symbolic meaning of Caesar's star as the precious tricolor star-shaped jewel, studded with green
emeralds, white
pearls and red
rubies, preserved at the
Castelvecchio Museum in
Verona, 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,
lord of Verona in which
Dante Alighieri saw the new Caesar capable of unifying Italy. However, the star may also refer to
Sirius, with the green, white and red colors associated with the three
theological virtues.[11]
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.[10] Ripa's treatise inspired many artists like
Canova,
Bisson,
Maccari,
Balla,
Sironi, until the 1920s.[12]
The allegorical image of the towered and star-topped Italy became popular during the
unification of Italy, spreading through a large iconography of statues, friezes and decorative objects, tourist-guide covers, postcards, prints and magazines' illustrations.[13] 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.[3] 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.[13]
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 participated led the Italians more and more to define it, in an affective way, as the "star" that protects Italy.[2] 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.[14] The Stella d'Italia is also recalled by the coat of arms of the
Kingdom of Italy 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, the Stella d'Italia became one of the distinctive signs of the
Italian Armed Forces, the so-called "stars".[6]
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 aimed at the conquest of
Libya.[15]
The Stella d'Italia was one of the symbols of the journey by train on the
Aquileia-
Rome line towards the capital of Italy of the body of the
Italian Unknown Soldier.[16] The coffin was placed on a
gun carriage and placed on a
goods wagon designed for the occasion by Guido Cirilli.[17] 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.[17] 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, which received the convoy in the final destination and which was known at the time as "Portonaccio station".[16]
The Stella d'Italia ("Star of Italy"), popularly known as Stellone d'Italia ("Great Star of Italy"),[1] is a
five-pointed white star, which has symbolized
Italy for many centuries. It is the oldest
national symbol of Italy, since it dates back to
Graeco-Roman mythology[2] when
Venus, associated with the West as an evening star, was adopted to identify the
Italian peninsula. From an allegorical point of view, the Stella d'Italiametaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.[3]
In the early 16th century it began to be frequently associated with Italia turrita, the
national personification 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, all surrounded by an
oak branch and an
olive branch.
Symbolic value
From an
allegorical point of view, the Star of Italy metaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.[3] Its unifying value is equal to that of the
flag of Italy.[2] 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.[4]
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. The oldest
national symbol of Italy,[2] it originated from the combination of
Venus, as an evening star, with the West[7] and therefore with the Italian peninsula, one of which was Esperia, or "land of Hesperus, the star of the Evening consecrated to Venus".[7][8] 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 which described his return to the land of his ancestors (Italy) after the defeat of
Troy, under the leadership of Venus.[2]
The story of Aeneas' journey to the Italian coast from the maternal star of Venus is then resumed in
Roman times by
Pliny the Elder, by
Marcus Terentius Varro and by
Virgil, giving rise to a double tradition: the political tradition of Caesaris Astrum, the star of
Julius Caesar that had originated from the appearance of a comet star shortly after his death and which was also recalled by
Augustus as an auspicious sign and as a prefiguration of the Pax Romana,[9] and the toponymy and literary tradition of Greek origin of
Italy 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 and never considered a province, having a special administrative status, being divided into the Augustan regions.[9]
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.[9]
From the Middle Ages to the unification of Italy
After a period of disuse in the
Middle Ages, the Star of Italy was rediscovered during the
Renaissance.[10] The symbolic meaning of Caesar's star as the precious tricolor star-shaped jewel, studded with green
emeralds, white
pearls and red
rubies, preserved at the
Castelvecchio Museum in
Verona, 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,
lord of Verona in which
Dante Alighieri saw the new Caesar capable of unifying Italy. However, the star may also refer to
Sirius, with the green, white and red colors associated with the three
theological virtues.[11]
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.[10] Ripa's treatise inspired many artists like
Canova,
Bisson,
Maccari,
Balla,
Sironi, until the 1920s.[12]
The allegorical image of the towered and star-topped Italy became popular during the
unification of Italy, spreading through a large iconography of statues, friezes and decorative objects, tourist-guide covers, postcards, prints and magazines' illustrations.[13] 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.[3] 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.[13]
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 participated led the Italians more and more to define it, in an affective way, as the "star" that protects Italy.[2] 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.[14] The Stella d'Italia is also recalled by the coat of arms of the
Kingdom of Italy 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, the Stella d'Italia became one of the distinctive signs of the
Italian Armed Forces, the so-called "stars".[6]
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 aimed at the conquest of
Libya.[15]
The Stella d'Italia was one of the symbols of the journey by train on the
Aquileia-
Rome line towards the capital of Italy of the body of the
Italian Unknown Soldier.[16] The coffin was placed on a
gun carriage and placed on a
goods wagon designed for the occasion by Guido Cirilli.[17] 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.[17] 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, which received the convoy in the final destination and which was known at the time as "Portonaccio station".[16]