Museo del Tricolore e Sala del Tricolore

The Museo del Tricolore and the adjoining Sala del Tricolore connect Reggio Emilia's civic history with the origins of Italy's national flag. The historic hall within the town hall was the setting for the Cispadane Republic's adoption of the tricolour on 7 January 1797.

Why it matters

Delegates from Reggio, Modena, Bologna and Ferrara adopted the green, white and red banner on Giuseppe Compagnoni's proposal. The colours subsequently became a symbol of the Risorgimento. The tricolour used by the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1848 continued as the flag of the Kingdom of Italy proclaimed in 1861, with the Savoy shield.

What to notice

The museum's historical material follows political change from the Napoleonic period through the Restoration and Unification. Its contemporary collection includes works from Novanta artisti per una bandiera, a project initiated by Deanna Veroni. The tall ceremonial hall provides the architectural counterpart to the documents and images that explain its significance.

Context and history

Ludovico Bolognini designed the hall as an archive in 1772; it was completed in 1787 and adapted for the congress of 1796–1797. Museum displays were arranged in adjoining rooms in 2004–2006, and a contemporary section was inaugurated in 2017, the flag's 220th anniversary.