The Order of Saint George of the Reunion is an
order of knighthood
An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is a society, fellowship and college of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and pai ...
of the Kingdom of the
Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies () was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and land are ...
. It was established to replace the
Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies.
It was created on 1 January 1819 by
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I (Italian language, Italian: ''Ferdinando I''; 12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 until his death. Before that he had been, since 1759, King of Naples as Ferdinand I ...
to reward military valor and merit. It received its name to celebrate the reunification of
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
and
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. ...
into one kingdom after the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
.
The dynastic dispute within the
House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon that ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for more than a century in the 18th and 19th centuries. It descends from the Capetian dynasty in legitimate male line through Phili ...
means the position of
Grand Master is disputed between
Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria and
Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro (born 24 February 1963) is one of two claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Early life
Prince Carlo was born in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France, the only son of Prin ...
. The head of the Spanish branch, Prince Pedro, considers this Order to be dormant and it is no longer awarded.
Grades
During the time of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Order was divided into the following grades:
*''Grand Collar'' (abolished 28 September 1829), with St George and the Dragon suspended from a collar, plus a star on the left breast;
*''Grand Cross'', with St George and the Dragon suspended from a badge under a crown on a necklet, plus a star on the left breast;
*''Commander'', with a badge under a crown on a necklet, plus a star on the left breast;
*''Knight of Justice'', with a badge on a necklet;
*''Knight of Grace'', with a badge without laurel wreath on a chest ribbon;
*''Gold Medal'' on a chest ribbon;
*''Silver Medal'' on a chest ribbon.
Insignia
The badge of the Order is a red enameled lilied cross with in the middle a white enameled round plate bearing the image of a mounted St. George running the dragon through with his sword, bordered by a circle of blue enamel with the inscription "IN HOC SIGNO VINCES" and a laurel wreath.
The decoration of the Knights of Grand Cross has a golden image of St. George hanging down from the lower arm of the cross; the Royal Crown tops it.
Recipients
* Knights
**
Leopold, Prince of Salerno
Leopoldo Giovanni Giuseppe Michele of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince of Salerno (2 July 1790 – 10 March 1851) was a member of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and a Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He married Archduchess Clementina of Austr ...
**
Giuseppe Saverio Poli
* Grand Cross
**
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II (; ; ; 12 January 1810 – 22 May 1859) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death in 1859.
Family
Ferdinand was born in Palermo to King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Isabella of Spain. ...
**
Giustino Fortunato
**
Laval Nugent von Westmeath
**
Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn
See also
*
Royal Order of Francis I
The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' ) was an extinct order of merit of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies which was annexed in 1861 by the King of Italy (until 1860 King of Piedmont and S ...
*
Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit
*
Order of Saint Januarius
*
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (; ), also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of the Constantinian Angelic Knights of Saint George, is a dynastic order of knighthood ...
References
External links
Del real ordine militare di S. Giorgio della riunione: Legge istitutiva ... e decreto che abolisce l'ordine delle Due Sicilie 1853.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint George and Reunion, Order of
Awards established in 1819
1819 establishments in Italy
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies