The colors of the Italian flag are green, white, and red. As a nation, Italy appeared rather late in the modern world. In 1870, the country was united into one nation. In 1871, parliament and government offices were moved from Florence to Rome, and an attempt was begun to turn Rome into a modern capital. In the following decades, many old picturesqe areas were torn down to make room for newer (and not always tasteful) construction.
Many of the government's offices are located on the Quirinal (one of the seven hills of ancient Rome). Interestingly, there is still a movement from time to time for the northern and southern parts of the country to separate.
