On September 20, 2019, you'll find Italy honoring the 149th anniversary of the Breach of Porta Pia, the defining moment that completed the unification of Rome and cemented the nation's modern identity. Italian forces breached the city's walls on this date in 1870, ending Papal control and finishing the Risorgimento. Civic ceremonies at the Altare della Patria and street names like Via XX Settembre keep this legacy alive — and there's much more to uncover about how Italy remembers this pivotal day.
Key Takeaways
- September 20, 2019 marked the 149th anniversary of the breach at Porta Pia, completing Italian unification in 1870.
- Civic ceremonies at the Altare della Patria honored Vittorio Emanuele II and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
- The Altare della Patria serves as Italy's central site for official commemorative and national identity celebrations.
- Street names like Via XX Settembre keep the historical significance of September 20 present in daily Italian life.
- While March 17 is the primary national day, September 20 remains culturally and historically commemorated across Italy.
What Happened on September 20, 1870 in Rome?
On September 20, 1870, Italian forces breached the walls of Rome at Porta Pia, seizing the city from papal control and completing the long-fought process of Italian unification known as the Risorgimento.
This moment ended over a millennium of the Papal States' territorial authority, transferring political power to the Kingdom of Italy. You can understand the September significance when you consider that Rome's annexation wasn't just a military victory — it was the final piece of a fragmented nation finally coming together.
Following a plebiscite, Rome officially became Italy's capital in 1871. The breach of Porta Pia symbolized the collapse of Papal control over civic and political life, reshaping the entire Italian peninsula under a single, unified government for the first time in modern history.
How the Breach of Porta Pia Completed Italian Unification
When Italian forces broke through the walls at Porta Pia, they didn't just win a military engagement — they closed the final chapter of the Risorgimento. The breach significance extended far beyond a single battle. It ended over a millennium of Papal authority over Rome and transferred political power to the Kingdom of Italy.
Before that moment, unification remained incomplete. Italy had a king, a parliament, and a growing national identity — but Rome, the natural capital, still answered to the Pope. Once Italian troops crossed through Porta Pia, that changed permanently.
A plebiscite confirmed Rome's annexation, and by 1871, the city officially became Italy's capital.
You can still see this history embedded in street names like Via XX Settembre across Italian towns today.
September 20 vs. March 17: Which Date Unifies Italy?
Italy actually has two dates worth knowing: September 20, 1870, and March 17, 1861. Both carry real historical significance, but they mean different things for national memory.
Here's what sets them apart:
- March 17, 1861 — Italy officially proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy, making it the modern national day celebrated on Via XX Settembre and at the Altare della Patria.
- September 20, 1870 — Italian forces breached Porta Pia, ended Papal control, and completed unification by bringing Rome into the fold.
- Today's official observance falls on March 17, honoring the constitution, anthem, and flag alongside unification.
You can't fully understand Italian national memory without recognizing both dates. Together, they tell the complete unification story.
Why the Altare Della Patria Anchors Unification Ceremonies
Few structures in Rome carry the ceremonial weight of the Altare della Patria. When you visit during unification commemorations, you immediately understand why officials choose this site above all others. Its Altare symbolism runs deep — it honors Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy, and shelters the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath its marble expanse.
Standing there, you're not just observing architecture. You're witnessing a deliberate statement about national identity. The state uses this monument to connect citizens to the Risorgimento's legacy through wreath-laying, military honors, and official ceremonies.
Every gesture performed here reinforces Italy's unified political narrative. Whether the occasion marks March 17 or references September 20, the Altare della Patria remains the fixed ceremonial anchor for the nation's memory.
How Italy Commemorates September 20 and the Risorgimento Today
Although September 20 no longer serves as Italy's official national day, the country hasn't forgotten what the date represents. Italy shifted its main commemorative events to March 17, honoring the 1861 proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy.
Still, the historical significance of September 20, 1870, stays alive in public memory and culture.
Here's how Italy keeps the Risorgimento relevant today:
- Street names like Via XX Settembre appear across Italian cities, embedding the date into daily life.
- Civic ceremonies at the Altare della Patria connect modern Italians to unification milestones.
- Educational and cultural references consistently cite the breach of Porta Pia as the defining final step of Italian unification.
You can see history woven into Italy's identity everywhere you look.
How the Risorgimento Shaped Modern Italian National Identity
The Risorgimento didn't just unify a peninsula—it forged the political and cultural DNA of a modern nation.
When you walk down a Via XX Settembre or visit the Altare della Patria, you're moving through spaces that Risorgimento narratives actively shaped. These weren't accidental choices—they were deliberate acts of nation-building, embedding unification into everyday Italian life.
National identity in Italy still draws from that 19th-century struggle. The ideals of sovereignty, civic pride, and territorial unity that drove figures like Garibaldi and Cavour continue influencing how Italians understand their country today.
The March 17 national celebrations don't erase September 20—they build on it. Together, both dates remind you that modern Italy wasn't inherited; it was fought for, breach by breach, city by city. Much like Wilberforce's abolition movement, which required coalition-building and political deals to achieve landmark legislation, the Risorgimento depended on strategic alliances and persistent advocacy to transform a fractured peninsula into a unified state.
How Via XX Settembre Keeps September 20 Alive Across Italy?
Scattered across nearly every Italian city and town, streets named Via XX Settembre quietly carry one of the country's most charged historical dates into daily life.
When you walk these streets, you're moving through living memory of the 1870 breach of Porta Pia and the end of papal territorial power.
The historical significance of this naming tradition runs deeper than tourism or nostalgia.
Consider what these streets actually preserve:
- A daily reminder that September 20 completed Italian unification
- A civic anchor connecting local communities to the national Risorgimento story
- A geographical record of how seriously Italy once treated this anniversary as a defining moment
You don't need a museum to encounter this history — you just need to read the street sign.