The Anthem: A Great Unknown

Italians don’t really know their national anthem, which is often dismissed as a little march and perceived as a light, musically and poetically trivial tune. In reality, ours is one of the most interesting anthems on the international stage—but it has a serious flaw: it's played poorly. Very poorly, in fact. Current performances, overly militaristic and rigid, are a far cry from the original version composed by Michele Novaro in the autumn of 1847, which had a powerful and dynamic rhythm. It was a fresco of a subjugated people who finally become aware of themselves and discover they are ready to fight for their freedom.