Italy
Il Canto degli Italiani
The Song of the Italians
1847
1946
Goffredo Mameli
Michele Novaro
🤝 Unity ⚔ Battle / War 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage |
Context
Written in 1847 by Goffredo Mameli, a young patriot, with music by Michele Novaro. The anthem became a rallying cry during the Italian unification (Risorgimento). It was adopted provisionally in 1946 when Italy became a republic and made official only in 2017.
Lyrics
Fratelli d'Italia,
l'Italia s'è desta,
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,
ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte,
siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò.
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte,
siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò! Sì!
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • Goffredo Mameli wrote the lyrics at age 20 and died at 21 fighting for the Roman Republic in 1849
- • The anthem references Scipio Africanus, the Roman general who defeated Hannibal, as a symbol of Italian valor
- • It was only officially designated as the national anthem in 2017, after being used provisionally for over 70 years