Gli Azzurri: The Italian Sports Color

Ciao amici,

The UEFA Euro Cup is on again, and we are rooting for a consecutive Italian championship! Have you ever wondered why the Italian team is dressed in blue? It’s not a color on their flag. Like everything in Italian history, there are multiple versions for why they use this color. Here are three:

1. In the first few years of the Italian Republic, Turin was the capital and had heavy French influence. Perhaps the blue honors France. Italians would never admit that today.

2. The blue could also simply be for practical reasons. The first national jerseys were white, it’s said that the switch to blue was so the players could be seen better on snowy soccer fields in northern Italy.

3. The most credible reason for Italy’s blue is that it comes from the flag of the former royal family, the Savoia. Blue is the outlined around the family’s shield and the national soccer team formed when Italy was still a monarchy.

If you’re not into European soccer, the Summer Olympics are coming up and Italy’s specialty is Fencing – they have won 49 gold medals!

For more summer learning, pick up one of my Italian classes. Private lessons are a great way to individualize your learning needs and work around your schedule.

Forza Azzurri!

Abbracci,

Lisa