Italia Turrita
Encyclopedia
Italia Turrita is the national personification
or allegory
of Italy
, characterised by a mural crown
(hence turrita or '"with towers" in Italian
) typical of Italian civic heraldry
of communal
origin.. In broader terms, the crown symbolizes its mostly urban history.
Italia Turrita is a woman with typical Mediterranean attributes. She often holds in her hands a bunch of corn ears (a symbol of fertility and reference to the agrarian economy); during the fascist era
she held a bundle of the lictors.
of the armorial bearings of the Kingdom of Italy
from 1870 to 1890 and is the dominant element in the modern day coat of arms
adopted at the birth of the Italian Republic in 1948.
In fact the allegorical figure of towered Italy goes back to the Roman period. In modern times, exactly in 1603, it is associated with the Stella d’Italia
(the Star of Italy), the most ancient identity symbol of the Italian land, giving rise to towering and starred feminine figure.
National personification
A national personification is an anthropomorphization of a nation or its people; it can appear in both editorial cartoons and propaganda.Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations of the majestic wisdom and war goddess Minerva/Athena, and often took the...
or allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, characterised by a mural crown
Mural crown
-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
(hence turrita or '"with towers" in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) typical of Italian civic heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of communal
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
origin.. In broader terms, the crown symbolizes its mostly urban history.
Italia Turrita is a woman with typical Mediterranean attributes. She often holds in her hands a bunch of corn ears (a symbol of fertility and reference to the agrarian economy); during the fascist era
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
she held a bundle of the lictors.
Stella d'Italia
Over her head a five-pointed star is usually seen shining radiant; an ancient secular symbol of Italy purported to protect the nation, known as Stella d'Italia or Star of Italy. Iconographic of the Risorgimento, it was used as the crestCrest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
of the armorial bearings of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
from 1870 to 1890 and is the dominant element in the modern day coat of arms
Coat of arms of Italy
The emblem of Italy was adopted by the newly formed Italian Republic on 5 May 1948. Although often referred to as a coat of arms , it is technically an emblem as it was not designed to conform to traditional heraldic rules...
adopted at the birth of the Italian Republic in 1948.
In fact the allegorical figure of towered Italy goes back to the Roman period. In modern times, exactly in 1603, it is associated with the Stella d’Italia
The Stella d’Italia
The Stella d’Italia is the most ancient identity symbol of the Italian land. In modern times it has been associated with the Italia Turrita , the ancient allegorical representation of the Italian peninsula....
(the Star of Italy), the most ancient identity symbol of the Italian land, giving rise to towering and starred feminine figure.
See also
- Emblem of Italy
- National personificationNational personificationA national personification is an anthropomorphization of a nation or its people; it can appear in both editorial cartoons and propaganda.Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations of the majestic wisdom and war goddess Minerva/Athena, and often took the...
- Mural crownMural crown-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
- Stella d'Italia
External links
- The front page of La Domenica del Corriere on 25 May 1958 depicted Italia Turrita voting in that day’s general electionItalian general election, 1958The Italian elections of 1958 were held on May 25, and selected the third Parliament of the Italian Republic. The number of MPs to be elected was calculated upon the population's size for the last time.-Electoral system:...