Today is Italian Republic Day, la ‘Festa della Repubblica’, a national holiday that commemorates the institutional referendum of 1946 when Italians were called to take a vote and decide the form of their government after World War II. With a flood of votes, they chose to be a republic with a constituent assembly and sent the kingdom to exile. A celebration takes place in the city of Rome to celebrate the creation of the Italian Republic, with official ceremonies, speeches, concerts and parades across Italy. A major highlight is when the Frecce Tricolori, a special team of the Italian Air Force, perform air acrobatics in the sky, streaking the skies in green, white and read smoke!