Italy’s national anthem goes by many names – ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’, ‘Inno di Mameli’, or ‘Fratelli d'Italia’ from the song’s opening line. The lyrics were written in 1847 by 20-year-old student Goffredo Mameli. Two months later they were set to music by Michele Novaro.

The song became popular during the time of the Risorgimento in Italy, but after Italy’s Unification in 1861, the national anthem was changed to ‘Marcia Reale’ (Royal March). After the Second World War Italy became a republic, and ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’ once again became Italy’s adopted national anthem.