Italy has a very long and rich history, an enormous amount of cultural heritage, but it’s a relatively very young country, it is only 150 years old (more or less 60 years older than me in all cases!)

On the 17th March, 1861 – after the wars against the Austrians and once Garibaldi’s expedition to Sicily was concluded – National Unity was proclaimed in Torino and the city became Italy’s first capital ( later the capital was moved to Florence and finally to Rome)

Since I live in Torino, where the unity of Italy was proclaimed in the national Parliament for the first time, I feel involved in this commemoration, even though I feel distant from the present political life of the country.

So I took out my Italian flag from a drawer, I ironed it carefully and then I hung it on my balcony.

It seems there are flags on nearly every balcony and windows in town, but I have not many opportunities to go downtown now, so I simply look at the centre of Torino from my balcony and I add my flag to the others.