Italians invited to tune in and play it loud on Friday morning.

All Italian radio stations will broadcast Italy's national anthem along with three iconic songs at 11.00 on Friday 20 March in an unprecedented initiative in the history of Italian broadcasting, reports Turin-based newspaper La Stampa.

Almost 100 years after the broadcast of the first radio programme, all national and local Italian radio stations will play the country's anthem simultaneously in a show of solidarity and national unity at a time of crisis.

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In addition to the anthem, the stations will play three songs - whose titles have not been released - that have left their mark on the history of Italian music, as part of the Radio per l'Italia initiative.

Listeners are invited to tune into their favourite radio station at 11.00, to turn up the volume and throw open the windows or step out onto the balcony, to wave the tricolour and sing together in a moment of reflection and hope.