Over her head a five-pointed star is usually seen shining radiant; an ancient secular symbol of Italy purported to protect the nation, known as Stella d'Italia or Star of Italy. Iconographic of the Risorgimento, it was used as the crest of the armorial bearings of the Kingdom of Italy from 1870 to 1890 and is the dominant element in the modern day coat of arms adopted at the birth of the Italian Republic in 1948.
In fact the allegorical figure of towered Italy goes back to the Roman period. In modern times, exactly in 1603, it is associated with the Stella d’Italia (the Star of Italy), the most ancient identity symbol of the Italian land, giving rise to towering and starred feminine figure.
Read more about this topic: Italia Turrita