Italy celebrates Republic Day

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 2 - Italy celebrated its Republic Day national holiday on Friday with a military parade in Rome featuring a stunning flypast by the Air Force's Frecce Tricolori demonstration team taking centre stage of festivities President Sergio Mattarella stressed the role of the Constitution in his message to Defence Chief of Staff Cavo Dragone for Republic Day.
    "The values of the choice of June 2, 1946, transfused in the Constitutional Charter whose 75th anniversary we mark (this year), continue to guide us," Mattarella wrote, referring to the post-World War II referendum in which the Italian people voted to dump the monarchy and become a republic.
    "Freedom, equality, solidarity, respect for the rights of individuals and communities are fundamental pillars of our Constitutional Charter".
    Premier Giorgia Meloni stressed that the holiday "is not just a museum-like celebration.
    "It is the symbol of the fact that we understand that, regardless of whether there are difficulties or things go well, we only come through together," she said.
    "Understanding that we are all connected is the element of culture needed (for us) to understand that we must all pull in the same direction".
    Mattarella and Meloni were among the officials taking part in the military parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali, with the Colosseum as a backdrop, along with thousands of ordinary citizens.
    The parade was opened by 300 mayors wearing the tricolour sash.
    (ANSA).