Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) is the Italian National Day and Republic Day, which is celebrated on 2nd June each year. The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism.
To commemorate the referendum, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic in his role as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Formations march along via dei Fori Imperiali and columns are seen go past the Presidential grandstand and honours are paid to the President of Italy.
Company-sized formations of Italian Armed Forces units, military bands and members of the Red Cross, Polizia di Stato, the Penitentiary Police Corps, State Firefighters Corps and the State Forestry Corps, as well as government employees and the National Civil Defense Service take part in the parade which ends with a flyby of the Frecce Tricolori aerobactic team in the colours of the Flag of Italy.
This year about 4000 service persons, 159 colours and standards, 14 military bands, 51 horses, 22 military working dogs and 79 vehicles are expected to parade. Andrea Bocelli, Italian classical crossover tenor, will start to sing the national anthem.
See the parade live on RAI1 at 09:15, or via streaming on most RAI social platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope).