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The Cuirassiers Regiment ( it, Reggimento corazzieri) is a Carabinieri cavalry regiment acting as
guard of honour A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
of the
President of the Italian Republic President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. Their motto is ''Virtus in periculis firmior''. From 1948 to 1965, the regiment was officially called ''Squadrone Carabinieri Guardie'' (Squadron of Carabineer Guards); from 1965 to 1990, ''Comando Carabinieri Guardie del Presidente della Repubblica'' (Carabineer Command of the Guards of the President of the Republic); and from 1990 to 1992, ''Reggimento Carabinieri Guardie della Repubblica'' (Carabineer Regiment of the Guards of the Republic).


History


Origins

The first examples of a division of Archers and Esquires for the security of members of
House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
are dated back to the 15th century, but only during the dukedom of Emmanuel Philibert (1553–1580) a "Guard of Honor of the Prince" (''Guardia d'Onore del Principe'') was established with about fifty army-men led by a captain. This guard made its first appearance during the battle of St. Quentin in 1557. The division was subsequently expanded until in 1630 it had about 400 men, divided into 4 companies. Under the reign of
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia Victor Amadeus II (Vittorio Amedeo Francesco; 14 May 166631 October 1732) was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of Prince of Piedmont, Duke of Montferrat, Marquis of Saluzzo and Count of Aosta, Moriana and Nice. Louis XIV ...
(1675–1730), the security units and ceremonial guards were merged into the "Body Guards" (''Guardie del Corpo''), which was subdivided into four companies. Since then, few changes had been made to the uniforms or to the composition of the unit, which has performed normal operational functions as well as serving in war campaigns. During the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars and following the occupation of Piedmont, King
Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel IV (Carlo Emanuele Ferdinando Maria; 24 May 1751 – 6 October 1819) was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802. He abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I. Biography Carlo Emanuele Ferdinando Maria di Savoia was b ...
left the Kingdom in 1798 with only a few guards and took refuge briefly in Sardinia and Spain, until his return to Rome where he abdicated in favour of his brother
Victor Emmanuel I Victor Emmanuel I (Vittorio Emanuele; 24 July 1759 – 10 January 1824) was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia (1802–1821). Biography Victor Emmanuel was the second son of King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda o ...
on 4 June 1802. Thus, most of the Guards were transferred to the French government which formed the Squadron of Piedmontese Carabineers (''Squadrone Carabinieri Piemontesi''). Exiled for over a decade,
Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia Victor Emmanuel I (Vittorio Emanuele; 24 July 1759 – 10 January 1824) was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia (1802–1821). Biography Victor Emmanuel was the second son of King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda o ...
regain possession of his territories only on 20 May 1814, restoring the institutions existing before the Napoleonic rule. The corps of the Body Guards was re-established with the same dimension it originally had. On the following 13 July, the King established the "Corps of Royal Carabinieri" (''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'') with the occasional tasks of “escorting royals” (initially belonging to the Body Guards), along with the law enforcement and public security purposes according to the Royal Licences (''Patenti Reali''). Reforms of
Charles Albert of Sardinia Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia from 27 April 1831 until 23 March 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Albertine Statute, and with the First Italian War of Independence ...
(1834-1849) reduced the personnel and competences of Body Guards while giving a greater relevance to the Carabinieri, who were also designated to form a mounted squadron of honour for the wedding of the Crown Prince
Victor Emmanuel II Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title o ...
with the Archduchess
Adelaide of Austria Adelaide of Austria (Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainera Elisabeth Clotilde; 3 June 1822 – 20 January 1855) was Queen of Sardinia by marriage to Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia, future King of Italy, from 1849 until 1855 when she died as a resu ...
in 1842. The Body Guards took part to the
First Italian War of Independence The First Italian War of Independence ( it, Prima guerra d'indipendenza italiana), part of the Italian Unification (''Risorgimento''), was fought by the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont) and Italian volunteers against the Austrian Empire and other ...
alongside the Carabinieri in order to protect the King. The Body Guards were formally dissolved in 1867, although during the previous twenty years only one company had continued to perform security services exclusively at the
Royal Palace of Turin The Royal Palace of Turin ( it, Palazzo Reale di Torino) is a historic palace of the House of Savoy in the city of Turin in Northern Italy. It was originally built in the 16th century and was later modernized by Christine Marie of France (1606–1 ...
. They were absorbed by the Carabinieri, which were established as an Army Corps with the Royal Decree on the 24 of January 1861.


Kingdom of Italy

The Body of Cuirassiers was established on 7 February 1868 in Florence (the Italian capital at the time). It was formed by carabinieri on horseback from the legions of
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and Bologna. There were 80 carabinieri; each wearing a black helmet with crest and a black breastplate with a cross on the chest, white suede trousers and white gauntlets, high boots and silver spurs. The armour was worn above the Carabiniere uniform and epaulettes. The division was subsequently formed on the occasion of the wedding between Princess Margherita of Savoy and Prince Umberto I of Italy. Since then it had been never been disbanded. Members of the “Company of His Highness's Cuirasses” (''Compagnia Corazze di Sua Altezza'') used to wear the monogram of the King on their breastplates, which were similar to those previously worn by other units. Cuirasses Company had one commander captain, 4 officers, 9 deputy-officers and 69 carabinieri. In 1870, "Royal Guards Companies of the Palace" (''Compagnie Guardie Reali del Palazzo'') were dismantled and the "Carabinieri Guards of the King Squadron" (''Squadrone Carabinieri Guardie del Re''), also known as "Cuirassiers Squadron" (''Squadrone Corazzieri''), began the only division with the task to protect the Royal family. In 1871, following the transfer of the Kingdom capital from Florence to Rome, the Carabinieri Guards of the King Squadron joined the Carabinieri Legion of Rome and settled at the Quirinal Palace. Cuirassiers were deployed in the World War I in order to escort the King in military operations. Many Cuirassiers also joined the
Italian resistance movement The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social ...
after the
Badoglio Proclamation The Badoglio Proclamation was a speech read on Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche (EIAR) at 19:42 on 8 September 1943 by Marshal Pietro Badoglio, Italian head of government, announcing that the Armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the ...
of 8 September 1943 and the escape of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, when they were left without orders.


Italian Republic

On 13 June 1946, the last King, Umberto II of Italy, was exiled after the proclamation of the Republic and he freed the Cuirassiers from their oath to the Monarchy. The division was then renamed as the "3rd Mounted Carabineer Squadron" (''3° Squadrone Carabinieri a Cavallo'') and members wore new uniforms. The squadron returned to the Quirinal on 11 May 1948, when the second president of Italy Luigi Einaudi reestablished the "Squadron of Carabineer Guards" (''Squadrone Carabinieri Guardie'') with the historical uniforms of 1876. In 1961 the division was called "Squadrons Group" (''Gruppo squadroni'') and it was renamed "Carabineer Command of the Guards of the President of the Republic" (''Comando Carabinieri Guardie del Presidente della Repubblica'') in 1965. With the decree of the President of the Republic n. 671 of 12 September 1978, the Command obtained a banner for their mounted units. In 1990, the division was transformed into the "Carabineer Regiment of the Guards of the Republic" (''Reggimento Carabinieri Guardie della Repubblica'') and on 24 December 1992, with a decree of the 9th President of Italy Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, the name "Cuirassiers Regiment" (''Reggimento Corazzieri'') was officially restored. In February 2006, the Cuirassiers took part in the flag-raising ceremony of the
2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
in Turin. In June 2017, the first black Cuirassier in the history of the unit commenced duty during the visit of Pope Francis to President Sergio Mattarella.


Members


Recruitment requirements

The members of the Regiment, which are a specialized force of the Carabinieri, are distinguished by their uniforms and strict requirements needed to join the Regiment. A Cuirassier has to be at least 190 cm tall, with a "harmonious" body, a strong resistance and athletic preparation, important qualities for the long shifts during which he must stand with austere immobility in every condition. Moreover, candidates have to have an undisputed personal and familiar morality and it is necessary to have excellent disciplinary and service records, demonstrated by at least six months of territorial service and as many months of traineeship in the Regiment (with a final exam). Among the regiment there are snipers, martial artists, experts of personal defence and paratroopers. Cuirassiers must manage with expertise their vast range of equipment, known as ''"bottino"'' ("booty"), and they are trained to ride perfectly
Irish Sport Horse The Irish Sport Horse, or Irish Hunter, is an Irish breed of warmblood sporting horse, used mostly for dressage, eventing and show-jumping. It was bred from 1923 by cross-breeding of Irish Draught and Thoroughbred stock. There was some limited ...
s and drive Moto Guzzi California cruisers, a means of complementary or alternative transport in daily services but also in many ceremonial services. Being in charge to escort the President of the Republic, Cuirassiers have to be able to manage promptly many delicate operations characterized by a large public presence and by the need to ensure a discreet, but always effective, protection.


Uniforms

Cuirassiers use the same uniforms which were established in 1878 but with some slight differences. Lance corporals and brigadiers wear single-breasted horse jackets while marshals and officers wear the double-breasted ones. In special circumstances, for example during guard shifts or ceremonies in the Quirinal, Cuirassiers wear mess dress uniforms, helmets with chinstraps and horse hair crests. During particular honour services, like the Italian Republic Day on 2 June, the distinctive cuirasses of the regiment are worn.


Coat of arms

A decree of the President of the Republic of 24 December 1986 granted arms to the Cuirassiers. The shield is divided vertically ''party per pale'': on the dexter side, an escutcheon ''Gules'' bearing the letters "RI" (for ''Repubblica Italiana'') on the breast of an eagle displayed ''Sable'' (emblem of the Royal
House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
) on a field ''party per pall'' of ''Azure'' (for Turin), ''Argent'' (for Florence) and ''Gules'' (for Rome), representing the capital cities in which the regiment had served; on the sinister side, the arms of the Corps of Caribineers to which the regiment belongs. The shield is surmounted by an eight-turreted mural crown (five turrets are visible) and supported by two lions Or, bearing the
flag of Italy The national flag of Italy ( it, Bandiera d'Italia, ), often referred to in Italian as ''il Tricolore'' ( en, the Tricolour, ) is a tricolour (flag), tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical Pale (heraldry), pales of green, white and red, ...
(dexter) and presidential standard (sinister). The Latin motto ''Virtus in periculis firmior'' means “Courage becomes stronger in danger”. Minor changes were made in 1990 and in 1992, following changes to the Presidential standard. In 2002, the coat of arms was modified to reflect the restoration of elements of the 1935 arms of the Caribinieri on its becoming a separate branch of the
Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...
.


Gallery

File:2june2006 374.jpg, Mounted Cuirassiers during the parade of 2 June 2006. File:2june2006 059.jpg, Cuirassiers on Guzzi California cruisers during the parade of 2 June 2006. File:Comando Carabinieri, Reggimento Corazzieri - building 2.jpg, The barrack of Via XX Settembre 12, in Rome. File:Quirinale corazziere di guardia al Quirinale Roma.jpg, A Cuirassier on guard at the entrance of Quirinal.


See also

* 4th Carabinieri Mounted Regiment *
Guard of honour A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

* * * {{Law enforcement in Italy Military units and formations established in the 14th century Carabinieri regiments of Italy Cavalry units and formations of Italy Guards regiments Protective security units Royal guards Units and formations of the Carabinieri 14th-century establishments in Italy Guards of honour