La Festa della Repubblica is celebrated in Italy on the second of June each year.
The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. With 12,717,923 votes for a republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy, the male descendants of the House of Savoy were sent into exile.
To commemorate it, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided by the President of the Republic,
Giorgio Napolitano, in the role of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister,
Silvio Berlusconi, and other authorities attend too. Prior to the foundation of the Republic, the Italian national day was the first Sunday in June, anniversary of the granting of the Statuto Albertino.
In 1997, on the bicentenary of the adoption of the first Italian tricolour, 7 January was declared
Festa del Tricolore; it is intended as a celebration, though not a public holiday.
Chamber Members Alfio and Emanuele bring you another Italian Dance Party – this time to celebrate La Festa della Repubblica, Italy’s national day.