Goffredo Mameli, author of the text of the Italian national anthem

Michele Novaro, composer of the music

Il Canto degli Italiani (The Song of the Italians) is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as L'inno di Mameli (Mameli's Hymn) and sometimes referred to as Fratelli d'Italia, from its incipit. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x671, 58 KB) subject: Goffredo Mameli source: http://web. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x671, 58 KB) subject: Goffredo Mameli source: http://web. ... Goffredo Mameli (Genoa, September 5, 1827 - Rome, July 7, 1849) was an Italian patriot, poet and writer, and a notable figure in the Italian Risorgimento. ... Image File history File links Michele_novaro. ... Image File history File links Michele_novaro. ... Michele Novaro (1822 - 1885) was a Italian songwriter. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is its first few words. ...

The words were written in the autumn of 1847 in Genoa, by the then 20-year-old student and patriot Goffredo Mameli, in a climate of popular struggle for unification and independence of Italy which foreshadowed the war against Austria. 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Country Italy Region Liguria Province Genoa (GE) Mayor Giuseppe Pericu (since 2005-05-30) Elevation 20 m Area 243 km² Population  - Total (as of 2006) 620,316  - Density 2,553/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Genovesi Dialing code 010 Postal code 16100 Frazioni Acquasanta, Vesima Patron St. ... Goffredo Mameli (Genoa, September 5, 1827 - Rome, July 7, 1849) was an Italian patriot, poet and writer, and a notable figure in the Italian Risorgimento. ... During the evolution of the process that would finally have brought to the Italian Unification (Risorgimento), the Italian Independence wars were three wars fought against Austria between 1848 and 1866 and ended with the conquest of the whole Italian territory. ...

Two months later, they were set to music in Turin by another Genoese, Michele Novaro. The hymn enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the period of the Risorgimento and in the following decades. Country Italy Region Piedmont Province Turin (TO) Mayor Sergio Chiamparino (The Union) Elevation 240 m Area 130 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 902,255  - Density 6928/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Torinesi Dialing code 011 Postal code 10100 Patron St. ... Alternate uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... Michele Novaro (1822 - 1885) was a Italian songwriter. ... Italian unification, also known as Risorgimento (resurrection), was a historical process by which the Kingdom of Sardinia (ruled by the Savoy dynasty with Turin as its capital) gradually conquered the Italian peninsula, including the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Duchy of Modena, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy...

After unification (1861) the adopted national anthem was the Marcia Reale (or Fanfara Reale), official hymn of the royal house of Savoy composed in 1831 to order of Carlo Alberto di Savoia. The Marcia Reale remained the Italian national anthem until the birth of the republic. 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The Marcia Reale or Fanfara Reale (Royal March / Royal Fanfare) was the official national anthem of Italy between 1861 and 1946. ... The House of Savoy or in Italian, La Casa di Savoia, or simply Casa Savoia, (or Savoie, French) is a dynasty of nobles who traditionally had their domain in Savoy, a region that includes present-day Piemonte, other parts of Northern Italy, and a smaller region in France. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Charles Albert of Sardinia Charles Albert (October 2, 1798 – July 28, 1849) was the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont, Aosta and King of Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. ... The birth of the Italian Republic (officially on June 2, 1946) is a key event of Italian contemporary history. ...

It was not by chance, however, that Giuseppe Verdi, in his Inno delle Nazioni (Hymn of the Nations), composed for the London Internation Exhibition of 1862, chose Il Canto degli Italiani – and not the Marcia Reale – to represent Italy, putting it beside God Save the Queen and the Marseillaise. Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome). ... The International Exhibition of 1862, or Great London Exposition was a worlds fair. ... God Save the King/Queen is a patriotic hymn, and the national anthem of the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the anthem La Marseillaise. A sculpture popularly called La Marseillaise is part of the sculptural programme of the Arc de Triomphe. ...

From 1922 to 1943, the fascist period, each public performance of the Marcia Reale was followed by the hymn of the Partito Nazionale Fascista, entitled Giovinezza. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista; PNF) was an Italian party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Fascism (previously represented by groups known as Fasci). ... Giovinezza was the fascist hymn of Benito Mussolinis Blackshirts, and was the unofficial anthem of Fascist Italy. ...

On October 12, 1946, Italy became a republic, and Il Canto degli Italiani was, provisionally, chosen as the country's new national anthem. This choice was officialized in law only on November 17, 2005, almost 60 years later. October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... In a broad definition, a republic is a state or country that is led by people whose political power is based on principles that are not beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

The first manuscript of the poem [1], preserved at the Istituto Mazziniano in Genoa, appears in a personal copybook of the poet, where he collected notes, thoughts and other writings. Of uncertain dating, the manuscript reveals anxiety and inspiration at the same time. The poet begins with E' sorta dal feretro (It's risen from the bier) then seems to change his mind: leaves some room, begins a new paragraph and writes "Evviva l'Italia, l'Italia s'è desta" (Hurray Italy, Italy has awakened). Handwriting appears nervy and frenetic, with the numerous typos, among which "Ilia" for "Italia" and "Ballilla" for "Balilla".

The last strophe is deleted by the author, to the point of being barely readable. It was dedicated to Italian women:

The second manuscript is the copy that Mameli sent to Novaro for setting it to music. It shows a much steadier handwriting, fixes misspellings and has a significant modification: the incipit is "Fratelli d'Italia". This copy is in Museo del Risorgimento in Turin.

The hymn was also printed on leaflets in Genoa, by the printing office Casamara. The Istituto Mazziniano has a copy of these, with hand annotations by Mameli himself. This sheet, subsequent to the two manuscripts, lacks the last strophe ("Son giunchi che piegano...") for fear of censorship. These leaflets were to be distributed on the December 10 demonstration, in Genoa.

December 10, 1847 was a historical day for Italy: the demonstration was officially dedicated to the 101st anniversary of the popular rebellion which led to the expulsion of the Austrian powers from the city; in fact it was an excuse to protest against foreign occupations in Italy and induce Carlo Alberto to embrace the Italian cause of liberty. In this occasion the tricolor flag was shown and the Mameli's hymn was publicly sung for the first time.

After December 10 the hymn spread all over the Italian peninsula, brought by the same patriots that participated to the Genoa demonstration.

Lyrics

This is the complete text of the original poem written by Goffredo Mameli; however the Italian anthem, as performed in every official occasion, is composed by the first part and the chorus, repeated twice, then ends with a loud "Sì!" ("Yes!"). The rest of the poem refers to relevant episodes of the Italian struggle for unification and independence. The music of Italy is somewhat of a microcosm of Western music in general. ... // Art Music Art music is a somewhat broader term than classical music and may be defined for the purposes of this article as establishment music (either religious or secular) that is composed for pubic or private performance. ... Italian opera can be divided into three periods, the Baroque, the Romantic and the modern. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Italy is a European country, and has had a long relationship with rock and roll, a style of music which spread to the country by the early 1960s from the United States. ... There was a dynamic Italian hardcore punk scene in the 1980s . ... Italian hip hop started in the early 1990s. ... Italian folk music has a deep and complex history. ... Italian jazz. ... The modern state of Italy did not come into being until 1861, though the roots of music on the Italian peninsula can be traced back to the music of Ancient Rome. ... Time line for Music of Italy Dates for musical periods such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc. ... Italian music awards There are a great number of music competitions that offer prizes for performance and composition in both classical and popular music. ... FIMI Federazione dellindustria musicale italiana (Federation of the Italian music industry) is an umbella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italian. ... Italian music festivals Below is a list of major music festivals in Italy with links to the appropriate external websites: Arena di Verona Outdoor opera during the summer months in the Roman amphitheater in Verona. ... Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia The Umbria Jazz Festival is one of the most important venues for Jazz in Europe and has been held annually since 1973, usually in July, in the city of Perugia, Italy. ... The Festival della canzone italiana (in Italian: Festival of the Italian song) is a popular Italian song contest running since 1951 and held annually in the city of Sanremo. ... The annual Festival of Ravello is a popular music venue in Italy. ... Cathedral of Santa Maria dellAssunta in Spoleto The Festival dei due Mondi (Festival of Two Worlds) is an annual summer festival in the city of Spoleto, Italy. ... Music media in Italy There is an abundance of print, on-line and broadcast media in Italy that cover all kinds of music. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... The development of music in the Aosta Valley region of Italy, similar to nearby Piedmont, has much to do with the presence of medieval monasteries that preserved important musical manuscripts from the Middle Ages and also served as conduits of information and influence from areas to the north. ... At first glance, the Music of Abruzzo seems less defined than other regional music in Italy. ... The music of Basilicata is sparse at the moment. ... The Music of Calabria Like other regions in southern Italy, Calabria for many centuries was an integral part of the kingdom of Naples, and, as with other regions, the musical life tended to be overshadowed by the important activities in the capital city to the north--the conservatories there, the... Music of Campania The capital city of the Campania region of Italy is Naples; there is a separate article dealing with the Music of Naples. ... The Music of Emilia-Romagna has the reputation of being one of the richest in Europe; there are six music conservatories alone in the region, and the sheer number of other musical venues and activities is astounding. ... While Florence, itself, needs no introduction as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, the music of Florence may, in fact, need such an introduction. ... The musical fortunes of Friuli-Venezia Giulia are closely tied to its political fortunes over the course of centuries, all having to do with proximity to the great maritime Republic of Venice as well as to the Austro-Hungarian empire and the vicissitudes of being a heavily contested area during... (For music outside of the city and province of Genoa in the Liguria region of Italy, see Music of Liguria. ... (Latium (Lazio) is a region in central Italy that includes the city and province of Rome. ... The Music of Liguria flourished in the 19th century for a number of reasons. ... (This article is about the Music of Lombardy outside of the city and province of Milan. ... The music of the Marche has been shaped by the fact that the entire region is a collection of small centers of population. ... (This article is about music in and of the city and province of Milan. ... While it is one of the smalles regions of Italy, the Music of Molise is active. ... Ciao, Raggazi Music of Naples is very cool ... The Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) has played an important role in the development of music, in general, in Italy, due to the presence of medieval monasteries in that area, institutions that were great preservers of mansucripts in the Middle Ages as well as being geographically well located to connect to... The Music of Puglia has had some glorious history as well as some very hard times. ... The Music of Rome is intensely active. ... Probably the most culturally distinct of all the regions in Italy, Sardinia is an islated island known for the tenores polyphonic chant, sacred songs called gozos and launeddas, a type of bagpipes. ... Sicily is home to a great variety of Christian music, including a cappella devotional songs from Montedoro and many brass bands like Banda Ionica, who play songs from a diverse repertoire. ... The Music of Trentino-South Tyrol reflects the multilingual and multiethnic make-up of the region. ... (This article is about the Music of Tuscany outside of the city and province of Florence. ... If there were a way to measure music per capita the Music of Umbria would rank very high. ... The music of Veneto has much to offer. ... (This article is about music in and of the city of Venice. ... Below is a list of major Italian opera houses with appropriate external links to their websites: Bologna Teatro Comunale Catania Teatro Bellini Florence Teatro la Pergola Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Florence La Scala Naples Teatro San Carlo Parma Teatro Regio di Parma Palermo Teatro Massimo Rome Teatro dellOpera Torino... Below is an alphabetical list, by city, of those music conservatories in Italy that maintain webpages. ... There is also an article on Italian musical terms used in English. ...

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major (Latin: P·CORNELIVS·P·F·L·N·SCIPIO·AFRICANVS¹) (235–183 BC) was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic. ... Victoria on the reverse of this coin by Constantine II. In Roman mythology, Victoria was the goddess of victory. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 8th century BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ... A cohort (from the Latin cohors, plural cohortes) is a fairly large military unit, generally consisting of one type of soldier. ... The Congress of Vienna by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, 1819. ... National flag and state ensign. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian, Σικελία in Greek) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 km² and 5 million inhabitants. ... The Battle of Legnano, fought in 1176, marked the culmination of the futile attempts of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa to dominate the Italian city states of Lombardia. ... Francesco Ferruccio (or Ferrucci) (1489 – 1530) was a Florentine captain who fought in the Italian Wars. ... Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) was a Italian Fascist youth organization functioning, as an addition to school education, between 1926 and 1937 (the year it was fused into the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio, GIL, a youth section of the National Fascist Party). ... Sicilian Vespers (1846), by Francesco Hayez The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to a rebellion in Sicily in 1282 against the rule of the Angevin king Charles I, who had taken control of the island with Papal support in 1266. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy The Crown of the Austrian Emperor For the history of these states before 1804, see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. ... The Partitions of Poland (Polish: Rozbiór Polski or Rozbiory Polski; Lithuanian: Padalijimas, Belarusian: Падзелы Рэчы Паспалітай) took place in the 18th century and ended the existence of the sovereign Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start...

Controversy

Some people have discussed replacing Fratelli d'Italia with a different anthem. The music of is viewed by some (both laymen and experts) as poor, especially when compared with the renowned Italian classical music tradition (for example, Giuseppe Verdi or Giacomo Puccini). And the lyrics, far from being universal, refer to some very specific episodes in Italian history that may have less meaning to some in the present age.^{[citation needed]} Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome). ... Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the history of the genre. ...

Nevertheless, Fratelli d'Italia is well known worldwide and immediately recognizable to all Italians, and it is difficult to believe that Italians would allow it to be replaced without a fierce debate.

Audio

Listen to the audio file (~2 Megs download):

Listen to the Italian national anthem Image File history File links Inno_di_Mameli_instrumental. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Il Canto degli Italiani

• From Quirinale, residence of the Head of State, lyrics and various performances
  (in Italian - to listen music click on "ascolta l'inno", just before the lyrics)
• Alternative sound file (mp3)