[custom_adv] Italy became a nation on 17 March 1861, when most of the states of the region and the two Sicilies were united under King Victor Emmanuel II, hitherto king of Sardinia. The father of Italian unification was Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel. [custom_adv] On Republic Day, Italy's president lays a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Altare della Patria in Rome. This is followed by a large military parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali. [custom_adv] A highlight of the day is the flyover by the Frecce Tricolori when nine Italian Air Force aircraft soar overhead the parade sending streaks of green, white, and red smoke into the sky. [custom_adv] Italy may have only been a united country since 1870, but Italy as a region has shaped the cultural and social development of the whole Mediterranean area since prehistoric times. [custom_adv] Important cultures and civilisations have existed there, and archaeological sites of note can be found in many regions. After Magna Graecia, the Etruscan civilization and notably the Roman Empire that dominated this part of the world for many centuries, Italy was central to European philosophy, science and art during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. [custom_adv] The Festa della Repubblica Italiana (Festival of the Italian Republic) is celebrated every June 2 to commemorate the birth of the Italian Republic. On June 2-3, 1946, following the fall of fascism and the end of World War II, an institutional referendum was held in which Italians were asked to vote on what form of government they preferred, either a monarchy or republic. [custom_adv] The majority of Italians favored a republic, so the monarchs of the House of Savoy were exiled. On May 27, 1949, lawmakers passed Article 260, cited June 2 as data di fondazione della Repubblica (date of the founding of the Republic) and declared it a national holiday. [custom_adv] The ceremonies continue in the afternoon with the opening of the public gardens at the Palazzo del Quirinale, the seat of the Presidency of the Italian Republic, with musical performances by a variety of martial bands including those of the Italian army, navy, air force, carabinieri, and Guardia di Finanza.
