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Transpadane Republic (1796) (Italy)

image by Antonio Martins , 23 April 1999

Description of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

French occupied Lombardy in 1796 (Milan: 15 May 1796) and after a short lived Lombard republic the Transpadane Republic was created with the territories of Milan and Mantua. 17 July 1797 was merged with the Cispadana Republic and formed the Cisalpine Republic Transpadana used the italian national colors. Flag with national colors was alrteady in use 9 Octuber 1796 and was confirmed by Napoleon 11 October. A flag of the Lombard legion, orign of the flag, can be seen here.
Jaume Ollé, 5 November 1998

In 1796 the French troops entered Lombardia under the guide of Napoleon. Following the occupation a state was formed: the Repubblica Transpadana. On 19 August 1796 the original Urban Milice, which wore green and white garments since 1782, was transformed in National Guard and its uniforms added red to the original colours. The same were used by the Legione Lombarda (Lombarda Legion) and the three colours, following a common practice at the time, were transposed to the military colors. The ensigns were green, white and red as in the current national flag of the Italian Republic. On 11 October 1796 Napoleon wrote to Paris "..les coulers nationales qu'ils ont adoptees sont le vert, le blanc et le rouge" (the national colours they adopted are green, white and red). The ensigns were delviered to the troops since 6 November 1796 and carried mottoes of different kinds. This republic was short lived, because on 17 July it merged with the Repubblica Cispadana to form the Repubblica Cisalpina.
Sources:
A. Ziggioto, 1797 - 1997: Il Tricolore ha duecento anni, in Vexilla Italica 1, XXIV (1997), pagg. 10, 11.
U. Bellocchi, La storia d'Italia narrata dal Tricolore, Reggio Emilia, 1985-86.
U. Bellocchi, Il Tricolore, duecento anni 1797-1997, Modena, 1996.
Pier Paolo Lugli, 22 November 1999