Vatican City National Anthem
Inno e Marcia Pontificale
Pontifical Anthem and March
1869
1949
Antonio Allegra (Italian text, 1949); Latin text by Raffaello Lavagna (1991)
Charles Gounod
✝ God / Faith 🌅 Hope ☮ Peace ❤ Love of homeland |
Key Facts
- 1. The Holy See's own history of the anthem says that it 'cannot be called a national anthem': its words speak to everyone in the world who sees Rome as the see of Peter.
- 2. Pius XII chose Gounod's march on 16 October 1949. It was first played as the official anthem on Christmas Eve of that year, together with the march it replaced: the one by the Austrian bandmaster Vittorino Hallmayr, the official pontifical anthem since 1857.
- 3. A Latin text by Raffaello Lavagna was added in 1991, so the anthem is sung in Italian and in Latin, while the score itself remains Gounod's.
Vatican City National Anthem Lyrics
Roma immortale di Martiri e di Santi,
Roma immortale accogli i nostri canti:
Gloria nei cieli a Dio nostro Signore,
Pace ai Fedeli, di Cristo nell'amore.
A Te veniamo, Angelico Pastore,
In Te vediamo il mite Redentore,
Erede Santo di vera e santa Fede;
Conforto e vanto a chi combatte e crede,
Non prevarranno la forza ed il terrore,
Ma regneranno la Verità, l'Amore.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialThe music was composed by Charles Gounod in 1869 for the priestly jubilee of Pope Pius IX. Pius XII decided on 16 October 1949 to make it the anthem of Vatican City, and it was first played in that role on 24 December 1949, on the eve of the Holy Year of 1950; for this revival Antonio Allegra wrote the Italian text that is commonly sung today. A Latin text by Raffaello Lavagna was added in 1991, so the anthem now exists in both an Italian and a Latin version.
Learn More
Sources & References
- Inno Pontificio: testo italiano . Segreteria di Stato, Santa Sede (vatican.va)
Source & Review
- Source status
- Official source verified
- Translation
- AI-assisted working translation
- Rights status
- Third-party rights may apply
- Last reviewed
- Editorial review
- Pending
- Editorial owner
- Nationalia
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