The Carabinieri (,
also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national
gendarmerie
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
of
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's main
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
agencies, alongside the
Polizia di Stato
The (State Police or P.S.) is one of the national Law enforcement in Italy, police forces of Italy. Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agen ...
and the
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...
. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth
branch
A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins.
History and etymology
In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...
of the
Italian Armed Forces
The Italian Armed Forces (, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth Military branch, branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's Gendarmerie, military police an ...
, they come under the authority of the
Ministry of Defence; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, the ...
. In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, and both of them are contactable through
112, the European Union's Single Emergency number. Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for
policing the military, and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.
They were originally founded as the police force of the
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...
, the forerunner of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
. During the process of
Italian unification
The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...
, the Carabinieri were appointed as the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
, they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the
Italian resistance movement.
In 2000, they were separated from the Army to become a separate branch of the
Italian Armed Forces
The Italian Armed Forces (, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth Military branch, branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's Gendarmerie, military police an ...
. Carabinieri have policing powers that can be exercised at any time and in any part of the country, and they are always permitted to carry their assigned weapon as personal equipment (
Beretta 92FS pistols).
The Carabinieri are often referred to as "La Benemerita" (The Reputable or The Meritorious) as they are a trusted and prestigious law enforcement institution in Italy. The first official account of the use of this term to refer to the Carabinieri dates back to 24 June 1864.
History
Early history
Inspired by the French
gendarmerie
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
, the corps was created by King
Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia with the aim of providing the
Savoyard state
The Savoyard state comprised the states ruled by the counts and dukes of Savoy from the Middle Ages to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy. Although it was an example of composite monarchy, it is a term applied to the polity by historians an ...
of the
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...
with a police corps. After French soldiers had occupied
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
at the end of the 18th century and later abandoned it to the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Royal Carabinieri Corps was instituted under the Royal Patents of 13 July 1814.
The name is derived from the French word ''carabinier'', meaning "
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer.
Etymology
The wo ...
armed with a
carbine."
The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each province. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated the local police stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public.

In 1868, the
Cuirassiers Regiment or ''Corazzieri'' was formed, initially as a cavalry escort of honour for the sovereign, and since 1946 for the President of the Republic.
The Italian unification saw the number of divisions increased,
and on 24 January 1861, the ''Carabinieri'' were appointed the "First Force" of the new national military organization.

In May 1915, Italian troops marched to encompass
South Tyrol
South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
, a territory of their former allies
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, in the
Italian front . The defenders had sufficient time to prepare strong fortifications there, and at the
Karst Plateau to the east. The Italians, under the overall command of General
Luigi Cadorna
Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian people, Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count, most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914 until 1917 during World War I ...
, found themselves repeatedly repulsed in harsh fighting. The role of the Carabinieri was to act as
barrier troops, setting up machine gun posts to control the rear of the attacking regiments and prevent desertion.
1930s and 1940s
During
Fascist Italy (1922–1943)
Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
under
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
, the Carabinieri were one of the police forces entrusted with suppressing opposition in Italy.
During the same period, while part of the
Italian African Police (mainly in the late 1930s), they were involved in atrocities in colonial
Italian East Africa during the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War
The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Fascist Italy, Italy against Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is oft ...
. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, they fought in their function as military police against the Allied forces, and against
Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
as part of the Italian occupation force of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...
.
After the
fall of the Fascist regime in Italy on 25 July 1943, on the orders of the king, Mussolini was arrested by the Carabinieri as he left the
king's private residence in Rome and subsequently imprisoned on
Campo Imperatore by Carabinieri forces. After the
armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces on 3 September 1943 and the country's split into the fascist
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...
in the north and the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
in the south, the Carabinieri split into two groups.
In the Kingdom of Italy, the Carabinieri Command for Liberated Italy was founded in Bari, mobilizing new units for the Italian war of liberation. These units were attached to the Italian Liberation Corps and the six Italian Combat Groups of the
Italian Co-Belligerent Army, fighting with the Allied forces.
In the fascist Social Republic in the North, the regime organized the
National Republican Guard (composed of Carabinieri, former officers from the
Italian African Police,
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...
and customs police), to employ it as a military police and rapid-deployment anti-guerrilla force. GNR was later joined (but not taken over) by the
Black Brigades, which represented a new militant incarnation of the Fascist party.
Due to the role the Carabinieri had played in the downfall of Mussolini, and since one of the few units which fought the German occupation of Rome were the
Granatieri di Sardegna Mechanized Brigade regiments and the II Carabinieri cadet battalion, the Germans did not view the Carabinieri as loyal to the fascist cause. They disarmed the force and began the deportation of 8,000 officers to Germany for
forced labour on 6 October 1943; the Italian Colonial Police took over their jobs.
Subsequently, large numbers of Carabinieri joined the
Italian resistance movement to fight German and Italian fascists. Nonetheless, some 45,000 officers remained on the job and as of March 1944, this group was the only national security force in Italy.
After the war the Carabinieri counted at least 2735 fallen and 6500 wounded, out of approximately 14,000 who had joined the Resistance in northern and central Italy. In Yugoslavia, the Carabinieri formed a battalion of the Italian
182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi", which fought alongside the Yugoslav partisans against the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
and the Croatian
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
. The battalion lost over 80% of its members in combat and was awarded the
Silver Medal of Military Valor to commemorate the fallen.
One notable act of heroism in this era came from Vice
Brigadiere Salvo D'Acquisto, who was executed by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
in Palidoro (near
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
) during World War II. D'Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a German soldier; instead, he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence.
Present day

The Carabinieri were in the forefront of many internal conflicts in Italy in the late 20th century, such as the
Years of Lead (against the
Red Brigades) and the
Second Mafia War (against the
Corleonesi Mafia).
[ Carlo Ginzburg, ''The Judge and the Historian. Marginal Notes and a Late-Twentieth-century Miscarriage of Justice'', London 1999, . Original ed. 1991.] They participated, and lost men, in events such as the
Peteano massacre in 1972,
Circonvallazione massacre in 1982,
and the murder of
Emanuele Basile. Until 2000, the Carabinieri were part of the
Italian Army
The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
. On 31 March 2000, they were separated to become the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces.
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
summarizes this force (part of the Ministry of Defence) as having a "nationwide remit for crime investigations. It also serves as the military police for the Italian armed forces and can be called upon for national defence action."
According to
Europol
Europol, officially the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU). Established in 1998, it is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and serves as the central hub for coordinating c ...
(the EU's law enforcement agency), the Carabinieri Corps' military duties include "contributing to national defence, participating in military operations in Italy and abroad, executing military police functions and ensuring the security of Italian diplomatic and consular representations". As a national police force, it "carries out public order and security policing, as well as investigative activities on its own initiative or at the request of the judicial authorities". Europol also states that the force is "supplemented by the Specialized Carabinieri Commands, responsible for safeguarding the primary interests of the community: from the protection of the environment, health, work and national cultural heritage, to the observance of community and agri-food regulations, to the suppression of forgery
fcurrency".
In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on
peacekeeping
Peacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed w ...
missions, including
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, and
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. In 2003, 12 Carabinieri
were killed in a suicide bombing on their base in
Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah ( , ; , BGN: , ), also spelled Nassiriya or Nasiriya, is a city in Iraq, the capital of the Dhi Qar Governorate. It lies on the lower Euphrates, about south-southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. Its po ...
, near
Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
in southern Iraq, in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. One of the previous projects included training and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghan National Police, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police. In Iraq, Carabinieri have trained 13,000 police officers; during the ISIS destruction of historic sites, Italy dispatched troops from the Carabinieri's Command to protect cultural heritage.
At the Sea Island Conference of the
G8 in 2004, Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a
Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.
The
State Forestry Corps was dissolved on 31 December 2016 and personnel with forestry police function were militarized and absorbed by the Carabinieri.
Organization

The corps is headed by the ', consisting of the ''
Comandante Generale'' (a
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
), the ' (a
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
) and the Chief of Staff, all located in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. The Chief of Staff directs, coordinates and supervises all activities of the force. It directly supervises the Directors of Administration, Health, Engineering, the motor pool and the Veterinary Commission. On the Deputy Chiefs of Staff depend the National Center for Recruitment and Selection, the Administration National Center and the Legislation Office.
Territorial Organization
The Carabinieri are organised on a territorial basis for law-enforcement missions. The territorial organization represents the core of the institution; it contains 80 percent of the force and is organized hierarchically in five inter-regional commands, 19 regional commands and 102 provincial commands, 504 Company Commands and
4,672 Station Commands and lieutenancies.
The territorial organization includes four heliborne units:
*
Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria", responsible for operations in
Calabria
Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
*
Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Sicilia", responsible for operations in
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
*
Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Sardegna", responsible for operations in
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
*
Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Puglia", responsible for operations in
Apulia
Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...
Specialist and Mobile Units Command Organization
Outside the territorial organisation, the Specialist and Mobile Units Command ''Palidoro'' (, based in Rome) controls the
Carabinieri Mobile Units Division, the
Carabinieri Specialist Units Division and the
ROS.
Carabinieri Specialist Units Division
The
Carabinieri Specialist Units Division is the Carabinieri formation, established in 2001, dedicated to the performance of specialist police activities and the support to the Territorial Organizations. The Division directs, controls, and coordinates its own units, which carry out tasks related to the protection of Italian artistic heritage, to the currency protection, to the protection of Italian embassies abroad, to the health protection, to the labour policing, to Bank of Italy needs, to the Carabinieri forensics police services. In addition, the Division provides Carabinieri air support.
Mobile Units Division
The
Carabinieri Mobile Units Division is located in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
and has two brigades tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies, defending the nation and participating in military operations abroad. It supports
public order and territorial control in urban areas, and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety. 1st Mobile Brigade, whose headquarters is located in Rome and includes six Regiments and four Battalions mainly employed in public order tasks. 2nd Mobile Brigade headquartered in Livorno includes the
Gruppo di Intervento Speciale special forces group, the
1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania", and the 7th "Trentino-Alto Adige" and 13th "Friuli-Venezia Giulia" regiments, which, together with the
Multinational Specialized Unit, are mainly engaged in international missions.
Special forces
The
Gruppo di Intervento Speciale is one of the six
Italian special forces.
ROS
The ROS (''
Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale
The Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale (ROS), or Special Operations Group, is part of the Italian Carabinieri.
History
Founded on 3 December 1990 to coordinate investigative activities against organized crime, it is now the main investigative arm ...
'' or Special Operational Group) is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with
organised crime (
Mafia
"Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...
and others), subversive activities,
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
and more complex types of crime. An anti-crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor's office.
Special Tasks Departments

Special Tasks Departments are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions:
''
Corazzieri'' (
Cuirassier
A cuirassier ( ; ; ) was a cavalryman equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as man-at-arms, men-at-arms and demi-lancers discarding their ...
s) are an elite corps and honour guard of the
President of the Italian Republic, located in the
Quirinal Palace. They are distinguished by their uniforms and height (the minimum height for admission is ). They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally.
Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as, the Presidency of the Republic, the Senate, Parliament, the Judiciary, the
prime minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
and the National Council of Economy and Labour. Carabinieri also perform
military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
and security duties for the Ministry of Defence, military high commands, the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad. They also have personnel attached to the
Department of Public Security in various departments, as well as anti-Mafia and anti-drug investigative task forces. ''Carabinieri'' officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian embassies and consulates abroad, performing the same services entrusted to the
Marine Corps Embassy Security Group in United States diplomatic and consular offices.
Together with the
Polizia di Stato
The (State Police or P.S.) is one of the national Law enforcement in Italy, police forces of Italy. Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agen ...
and the
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...
, the Carabinieri is also responsible for
border control
Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...
.
Command Unit for environmental, agri-food and forestry protection
The specialized ''Comando unità per la tutela forestale, ambientale, e agroalimentare'' has its headquarters in Rome, and 15 regional commands and approximately 700 Station Commands around the country, with 7,000 personnel. Its missions are preventing production and distribution of illicit agri-foodstuffs, environmental and biodiversity protection, prevention of poaching, and suppression of all criminal organizations that, with their activity, affect the environment. In the Unit, there are also 29 NOEs (''Nucleo Operativo Ecologico''), teams highly specialized in complex investigations in environmental matters against organized crime.
War service

The main battles in which the Carabinieri took part before World War I are:
* Grenoble, 5 July 1815, part of the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
*
Battle of Pastrengo, 30 April 1848 – the Carabinieri Corps was awarded its first
Silver Medal of Military Valor
*
Battle of Santa Lucia, 6 May 1848 – the Carabinieri Corps was awarded its first
Bronze Medal of Military Valor
*
Battle of Custoza, 24–25 July 1848
*
Battle of Custoza, 24 June 1866
*
Capture of Rome
The Capture of Rome () occurred on 20 September 1870, as forces of the Kingdom of Italy took control of the city and of the Papal States. After a plebiscite held on 2 October 1870, Rome was officially made capital of Italy on 3 February 1871, c ...
, 20 September 1870 (together with the
Bersaglieri)
For its contributions during the First World War, the Corps was awarded its first
Gold Medal of Military Valor
In World War II, Carabinieri fought in the following battles:
* Battle of Klisoura on the Greek-Albanian front from 16 to 30 December 1940
Bronze Medal of Military Valor
* Battle at Cafe Struga on the Albanian-Yugoslav front on 18 April 1941
*
Battle of Culqualber (Ethiopia), 6 August-21 November 1941 – Corps was awarded its second
Gold Medal of Military Valor
From 1943 to 1945, the Carabinieri were accountable to the Control Commission of the
Allied Military Government (AMGOT). Their reorganization and reform was organized by Colonel
Arthur Young, a British
police officer
A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...
seconded as Director of Public Safety and Director of Security.
Uniforms

The Carabinieri, as a military and police force, have various uniforms for different functions. For each type of uniform there are seasonal variants and (except for service, combat and historical) versions for men and women.
How, when and why they are to be worn is dictated by the ''"R-11 "Regulation on Uniforms for the Carabinieri Arma''" published by the Carabinieri General Command in 1988.
The uniforms of the Carabinieri are divided into:
# historical and full dress
# ordinary,
# service,
# representative, (for warrant officers, NCOs and constables)
# Great Winter Uniform (GUI) / Great Summer Uniform (GUE) (for officers)
# operational use
# athletic gear
Those of service, representation and GUI/GUE are a derivation of the ordinary.
History
Originally, the Carabinieri were issued a distinctive uniform in black with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The mounted division had white fringes, and the infantry had light blue. Their headgear was a distinctive
bicorne, popularly called the ''lucerna'' (in use only for historical uniform and ceremonies).
They still use a version of the historic uniform today for ceremonies.
Design
The uniform that the
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
wore in 1814 consisted of a
turquoise fabric buttoned suit with a blue collar and padded gloves. Since 1822, some small changes have been made to the uniform. Officials and Marshals had silver swords and sabres, both in a black leather
scabbard. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the rules of the dress code were reinforced because of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Troopers had three different types of uniforms: the ''Complete uniform'', the ''Ordinary uniform'', and the ''Effort uniform''. The Carabinieri's uniform at that time was made of a green-grey cloth material, and was used by all soldiers.
Historical and Ceremonial (Special) uniform
For historical and ceremonial use, the Carabinieri uniform consists of a distinctive black uniform made of silver
braid
A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...
s around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and
epaulettes in silver. The fringes of the mounted division are white, and the infantry has light blue. The headgear used is the traditional two-pointed hat for Carabinieri, known as the Lucerna, also called a
bicorne.
During the 1980s
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer and a billionaire. He first gained renown working for Cerruti 1881. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expanded into music, sport, and luxury hotels. By 200 ...
designed the new more modern uniforms.
Ordinary uniform

The modern Carabinieri Force uniform is coloured in black for every seasonal version, with small variations on weather basis (coat or wind jacket), and is composed of:
*a four-button jacket with shoulder pads: all buttons on the uniform are silvered
*a shirt underneath in white, with two pockets
*trousers have a classic cut, with four pockets and has two vertical red stripes along the outer side of both legs, stretching from the hips to the ankles
*flat black shoes are worn.
The uniform is accompanied by accessories such as:
*the black tie,
*the white cross-belt, or
Sam Browne or no belt,
*peaked cap (males), bowler cap (females)
*black leather gloves,
*V-neck sweater
*wind-breaker
*waterproof coat
There are differences for season, duties, rank and location. For instance, in the summer the four-button jacket and white shirt and tie are replaced with a short-sleeved blue shirt.
Depending on the weather conditions, the uniform can be worn with a waterproof coat (or beaver cloth for officers) and an anorak. Inside the military installations, the jacket can be removed or replaced with the "V-neck" sweater.
In 2020 new 'bomber-style jackets', with appropriate logos were introduced which can be worn instead of the four-button jacket. The white cross belt is still worn on top and either a roll-neck base layer or a white shirt and tie is worn underneath.
Accessories are the same, although ''Wanted in Rome'' reported that: ''"The old leather holster will also be retired, replaced by an external belt with a quick-release holster, made of plastic material. The old gloves will be replaced with modern, cut-resistant gloves. However, style has not been sacrificed for function, begging the question, are the Carabinieri of Rome the most stylish police force in the world?"''
Headdress
The regulation peaked cap is rigid with a ''frieze'' of the Carabinieri (metallic for pinned, Carabinieri and students, embroidered in silver fabric for NCOs, gilded for the inspectors and officers while for the generals the frieze is the eagle of the staff with RI monogram in the centre, silver for brigade and division generals, gold for corps generals). The commanding officers of the department wear the frieze embroidered in gold-edged with red.
The official emblem is placed at the center of the cap.
Each cap is black and has a wimple held by two rounded buttons, the wimple is black for carabinieri, pinned, brigadiers and students; for the chief brigadiers the wimple is also black but with the addition of a silver galloncino mottled with black. The wimple becomes silver mottled with black in the center from the rank of marshal to that of chief marshal with the number of chevrons increasing as the rank increases. For the major marshals, the wimple is silver edged in red with three silver gallons flecked with black; for the top rank of non-commissioned officers, i.e. the lieutenant, the wiggle is silver edged in red with four silver braids edged in red.
For the lower officers, the wiggle and the braids are entirely in silver without streaks, for the superior officers, the wiggle becomes a double braided cord always silver with silver braids. Finally, for the general officers, the wimple becomes a silver braid with silver braids.
Other forms of headdress include berets and mountain-style caps. Carabinieri MP Units also wear a dark navy blue beret.
Service uniform

The service uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform but is adapted for the specific duty of the soldier.
E.g.:
*mountainous areas –
ski patrol; ski kit is worn,
*mounted (horseback) patrol; different boots are worn,
*'radio-mobile' (car) patrol; different boots and a 'paletta' (stop sign used to stop vehicles) are worn, etc.
Representative (dress) uniform
''(For carabinieri, NCOs, warrant officers, officers.)''
The representative uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform, but worn for more formal, but still on duty occasions, where the ordinary and ceremonial uniforms are unsuitable. It differs from the ordinary uniform for the following elements:
*white cords (agiluettes) on the four-button jacket,
*sabre (sword) with pendants and dragon,
*black belt with shoulder strap (only marshals and chief brigadiers) or white cross-belt/bandolier (for the remaining staff).
*white gloves
*and a black-cape in colder conditions
Sometimes the pistol is worn with the sword, other times it is not. The cap worn is the peaked cap.
Operational uniform
The operational uniform is worn for public order (riot) situations, raids, cross-country work and is worn for operations only.
It is blue in color with red piping and a 'Polychrome' uniform.
It consists of:
*jacket (with four patch pockets, shoulder straps fastened by a button and thermal lining) and trousers;
*blue fleece suit (to be used as an alternative to the sweater);
*blue neckerchief with red piping;
*black leather gloves with reinforcement;
*operational black amphibious ankle boots
*and a dark-blue beret with cap badge
A "particular" version of this uniform is worn by the soldiers of the Special Intervention Group, as well as the following departments: The "Tuscania" CC Parachute Regiment, Carabinieri Regiment on Horseback and Airborne Squadrons CC Cacciatori. The colours (for the trousers and jacket) are often camouflage rather than blue and red and maroon/red (for the beret) rather than blue.
Riot helmets, body-armour, equipment vests, rescue helmets etc., are worn when necessary.
Gymnastic
It consists of a tracksuit (jacket and pants), t-shirt and shorts.
The suit consists of a jacket and long trousers in blue fabric, with red inserts. The jacket is made up of a body with a central zip, two detachable sleeves with a zip and a collar.
The trousers consist of two leggings, an elastic waistband with a drawstring at the waist and a zip at the bottom. The jacket, the T-shirt and the shorts bear the ''frieze'' of the Carabinieri.
Other
There are also evening-dress style (mess kit) uniforms for dinners and galas, as well as variations for the above uniform for occasions (e.g. medals, sabres to be worn etc.).
''The full set of different Carabinieri uniforms today is presented here
in Italian.''
Females

The uniforms adopted for female staff are essentially an adaptation of the male ones.
The variants concern the buttoning, the shape of the jackets (without upper pockets), the use of skirts inside the Offices, off-duty or with formal uniforms and shoes.
No changes were made to any other items of clothing/equipment already in use by male personnel.
Decorations
The State Color of the Carabinieri bears the following decorations:
*6 Cavalier Crosses of the
Military Order of Italy
*3 Gold Medals of Military Valor
*3 Gold Medals of Army Valor
*5 Silver Medals of Military Valor
*4 Bronze Medals of Military Valor
*11 Gold Medals of Civil Valor
*1 Silver Medal of Civil Valor
*2 War Crosses of Military Valor
*4 Gold Medals of Civil Merit
*6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Public Security
*6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to Education, Culture and the Arts
*2 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to the Environment
*1 Gold Medal of Service in the Earthquake of 1909
*1 Bronze Medal of Civil Defense Excellence 1st Class
Weapons
Vehicles and equipment
Until very recently the Italian police (including the ''Carabinieri'') operated only Italian-made vehicles, but that changed with the introduction of
Land Rover Defenders and
Subarus into service. Normal ''Carabinieri'' patrol vehicles are dark blue with a white roof, with a red stripe along the side. Carabinieri license plates begin with "CC" or previously with "EI" (formerly Esercito Italiano, Italian Army), and a Carabinieri car is traditionally called a ''Gazzella'' (
gazelle). Small or medium-sized cars are used for ordinary patrol work, with larger and more powerful vehicles being used for emergency response, highway patrol, and special services. The vehicles of the ''Carabinieri'' military police and mobile units are painted in NATO camouflage scheme as done with the other Italian Armed Forces vehicles.
Cars

*
Alfa Romeo 159
*
Alfa Romeo Giulia
*
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
*
Subaru Forester
*
Lancia Kappa
*
Land Rover Freelander
*
Land Rover Defender-90 hard top
*
Land Rover Discovery II e III e IV
*
Lotus Evora S
*
Fiat Ducato
*
Hummer H1
*
Fiat Grande Punto
*
Fiat Tipo (2015)
*
Jeep Renegade
*
Jeep Grand Cherokee
*
Mitsubishi Pajero
*
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
*
Isuzu D-Max
*
Renault Clio
*
Iveco Daily
The Iveco Daily is a large light commercial vehicle, light commercial van produced by the Italy, Italian automaker Iveco since 1978; it was also sold as the Fiat Daily by Fiat Automobiles, Fiat until 1983. Unlike the more car-like unibody Fiat D ...
*
SEAT León
*
Suzuki Jimny
Motorcycles

*
Moto Guzzi California Cruiser
*
BMW F650GS
*
BMW R1100-RTP
*
BSA M20
Aircraft
*Fixed-wing aircraft
**
Piaggio P.180 Avanti
*Helicopters
**
AgustaWestland AW109
**
Agusta-Bell AB 412
**
AgustaWestland AW139 (2019)
Tactical vehicles

*
Land Rover Defender 110 soft top
*
Iveco Daily
The Iveco Daily is a large light commercial vehicle, light commercial van produced by the Italy, Italian automaker Iveco since 1978; it was also sold as the Fiat Daily by Fiat Automobiles, Fiat until 1983. Unlike the more car-like unibody Fiat D ...
4×4 40.10WM 4×4 off-road light armored military truck
*
Unimog
The Unimog (pronunciation in American English: ''YOU-nuh-mog''; British English: ''YOU-knee-mog''; German: , ) is a Daimler Truck line of multi-purpose, highly offroad capable AWD vehicles produced since 1948. Utilizing engine-driven power tak ...
*
RG-12
*
Iveco VM 90T Torpedo
*
Iveco VM 90P Protected
*
Iveco LMV
*
Puma 4×4
*
Puma 6×6
*
VCC1
*
M113
*
M3
*
Hummer H1
Ships
*
Offshore patrol boats
** Motovedetta classe 800
** Motovedetta classe N700
** Motovedetta classe 600
*
Coastal patrol boats
** Motovedetta classe 200
** Motovedetta classe 100
* Motorboats
** Motovedetta classe 300
** Motovedetta classe N100
** Motovedetta classe T120
** Motovedette classe S
** Battello pneumatico Stinger
Special Vehicles

*
GEMCAR
* Snowmobile Polaris
Uniforms
File:Carabiniere a Bologna (April 2006).jpg, A Carabiniere in everyday uniform
File:Milano Italy Carabinieri-01.jpg, Carabinieri with capes
File:CarabinieriPompei.jpg, Summer dress
File:Firenze.Carabinieri01.JPG, Carabinieri at a demonstration in Florence
See also
*
Italian Carabinieri Bands
*
Civilian control of the military
Civil control of the military is a doctrine in military science, military and political science that places ultimate command responsibility, responsibility for a country's Grand strategy, strategic decision-making in the hands of the state's c ...
*
Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City
*
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
*
Law enforcement in Italy
*
Military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
*
Multinational Specialized Unit
*
Zaptie
*
Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
*
Centro Sportivo Carabinieri
References
External links
*
Official ''Carabinieri'' website*
FIEP – Italian Carabinieri*
Carabinieri Association website
{{Authority control
National law enforcement agencies of Italy
Gendarmerie
Border guards
Military provosts
Military of Italy
1814 establishments in Italy
Military units and formations established in 1814