Rose Island Info

To legitimize its claim as a state, Rose Island adopted several formal national attributes:

: A piece from Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman was selected as the national anthem. Conflict and Demolition

: Esperanto was chosen to emphasize its international, utopian identity. Rose Island

: It featured a restaurant, bar, nightclub, souvenir shop, and a post office.

The project began in 1958 as a "scream for freedom" and a technical challenge. Rosa designed a unique system of nine hollow steel pylons that were floated into place and then anchored into the seabed. : The structure was finalized in 1967. To legitimize its claim as a state, Rose

: Rosa declared himself President and proclaimed independence on May 1, 1968 . National Identity and Symbols

: The "nation" issued its own stamps, which were used by visiting tourists and remain collector's items today. The project began in 1958 as a "scream

The Italian government viewed Rose Island as a threat to national security and a ploy to evade taxes on tourism.