Overview
- The Defence Staff issued a December 2 directive instructing all commands to omit the closing 'sì' whenever the anthem is sung at institutional military ceremonies, calling for scrupulous compliance.
- The order cites a March 14 presidential decree, adopted on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s proposal and published May 7, that formalizes execution guidelines for the national anthem.
- The Quirinale’s website uses a Mario Del Monaco performance as the reference version, in which the anthem ends without the shouted affirmation.
- The scope is limited to military contexts, leaving practices at sporting and other public events unchanged by this directive.
- Historical sources diverge on the finale, with Mameli’s 1847 autograph lacking the 'sì' and composer Michele Novaro later adding it, as noted in a 2019 critical edition; early implementation showed mixed compliance at a Palazzo Chigi ceremony.