On March 28, 2023 marks the centenary of the establishment of the Air Force. The 1st Air Region Command of Milan, on the same day, undertook a rich program of celebratory events at the historic headquarters in Piazza Ermete Novelli, and attended by the Commanding General of the 1st Air Region and Commander of the Military Garrison of Milan, Squad General Francesco Dress Air.
From 13.00 to 18.00 on 28 March the Centenary Open Day was opened, which allowed the institutions and the community to explore the history, the founding values ??and the work carried out daily by the women and men of the Air Force in favor of the country and the community under the banner of a clear message:
“With the people, for the people, projected into the future, attentive to the present”, aware of being at the service of the nation: as our goal and our task”.
Specifically, all citizens were given the opportunity to visit the Sala della Vittoria, which houses the statue of the Victory of the Air or Atlantic Victory, created by the sculptor Arturo Martini to celebrate the flight across North America and the exhibition ” The Knights of Heaven”. Furthermore, an area has been set up with model aircraft, memorabilia, photographs and documents of historical interest and an area devoted to the projection of historical and current videos.
An opportunity to spread the aeronautical culture in the area and bring citizens closer to the Armed Forces, making it better known about the characterizing elements, its purposes, its ability to territoriality, to the Italian spirit and to the emotional part of the country.
The exhibition will remain open to citizens until 6 April, from 13.00 to 18.00. The paintings of “The Knights of the Sky” are pages of aeronautical history that have their celebration in art.
The events and activities of the centenary are carried out in the name of solidarity, and in fact “A gift from heaven for AIRC” (Italian Association for Cancer Research) is the title of the charity project linked to the centenary celebrations, which throughout the 2023 provides for a fundraising promoted by the AIRC, in collaboration with the Associazione Arma Aeronautica (personal donations, private donations, part of the proceeds from calendar sales).
Logo and official motto of the Centenary of the Italian Air Force
The Centenary of the Air Force is represented and accompanied by a logo and the motto that always accompanies it (claim): “Flying towards the future”. The elements that compose it expressly contain the concept of the centenary represented by the number “100” and by the reference to the two dates (1923-2023).
The two zeros, which represent the shock waves caused by an aircraft exceeding the speed of sound, refer to the futurist style. The semicircle at the bottom right ideally represents the sense of continuity of the history of the Air Force.
The two airplanes, one attributable to the era of the establishment of the Armed Forces and the other contemporary, the completion of an ideal historical journey that yesterday as today sees the Air Force always aiming for new and higher horizons for good and service exclusive to Italy.