Savoy blue or savoy azure, its use continued even after the birth of the Italian Republic with the name "Italian blue". An Italian-blue border is in fact inserted on the edge of the Presidential Standard of Italy, and the use of the blue scarf for the Italian Armed Forces' officers, for the presidents of the Italian provinces during the official ceremonies, and of the blue jersey for Italian national sports teams it was also maintained in the Republican era.
Historical origin
The origin of the color seems to date back to June 20, 1366 when Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy, before leaving for a crusade commissioned by Pope Urban V and organized to help the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos, cousin of a maternal part of the Savoy Count, wanted that on the flagship of the fleet of 17 ships and 2000 men, a galley of Republic of Venice, waved, next to the red-crusading silver banner of the Savoys, a blue flag: The color therefore has a Marian implication, bearing in mind that there is also the possibility that the use of a blue banner by the Savoys started earlier. In any case the oldest documented Savoy flags, dating back to 1589, have the colors red, white and blue. The latter color acquired over time prevalence until it became the Italian national color.
Use
Referring to the Marian cult, the ribbons of the Order of the Annunciation, were blue; blues, also in the Republican era, are also the ribbons of the decorations of military valor. Later, even for the officers, a blue scarf was provided in the outfit, dressed as a neck-band passing over the right shoulder and knotted on the left side. In 1572 this use was made obligatory for all the officers by Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy. Through various transformations, the savoy blue scarf is still the main rank of the Italian armed forces' officers, who dress it both in ceremonial services and, sometimes, on guard. Other uses in the Republican era of color are the border of the Italian presidential banner as well as on the institutional flags of some primary public offices, as well as on the distinctive range of the presidents of the Italian provinces, on the Italian blue cockade and on the aircraft used by the Frecce Tricolori. In the sporting field, the blue of Savoy distinguishes almost all of the athletes who represent Italy internationally in any discipline: the origin of the use of this color dates back to 6 January 1911, when the Italy national football team faced Milan, Hungary national football team. The term blue shirt by now represents for metonymythe international appearance for Italy, and the athletes who represent the country are called Azzurri. There is no univocal color coding of the blue links, so that the shade of blue is historically varied over time both within the same national team and, for example, in the same historical era between national teams of different disciplines.
