About Italy Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica)
Festa della Repubblica, Italy's Republic Day, is the country's national day, celebrated every June 2. It commemorates the institutional referendum of June 2–3, 1946, when Italians voted by universal suffrage — including women for the first time in a national vote — to abolish the monarchy and make Italy a republic, in the aftermath of the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. Around 12.7 million voted for the republic against 10.7 million for the monarchy.
The result ended the reign of the House of Savoy: King Umberto II left the country, and Italy turned the page on the monarchy that had governed since unification. June 2 has been the national holiday since 1949, joining a small group of dates that define modern Italian identity, alongside Liberation Day in April.
The day's centrepiece is a grand military parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome, attended by the President of the Republic, who first lays a laurel wreath at the Altare della Patria in honour of the Unknown Soldier. The Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team streaks the sky with the green, white and red of the flag. Republic Day falls on June 2 every year — the live countdown above always tracks the next one.
Upcoming dates
| 2027 | Wednesday, June 2, 2027next |
| 2028 | Friday, June 2, 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday, June 2, 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, June 2, 2030 |
| 2031 | Monday, June 2, 2031 |
FAQ
When is Italy Republic Day?
Festa della Repubblica is celebrated every year on June 2, Italy's national day.
Why is Republic Day important in Italy?
It marks the June 1946 referendum in which Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and become a republic after the Second World War and the fall of Fascism.
How is Italy Republic Day celebrated?
With a military parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome, a presidential wreath-laying at the Altare della Patria, and a flypast by the Frecce Tricolori.
What happened in the 1946 referendum?
On June 2–3, 1946, Italians voted by universal suffrage for a republic over the monarchy, ending the reign of the House of Savoy; King Umberto II went into exile.