The awards for Civil Valor are the honors the
Italian Republic
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
grants in order to "reward acts of exceptional courage that clearly manifest civic virtue and to recognize the recipients as worthy of public honor". Individual citizens can receive the award (including posthumously), and it can also be bestowed collectively on all members of a military department or all residents of a municipality, city, or province when they have knowingly exposed their life to manifest danger.
Historical background
![Valore civile regno](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Valore_civile_regno.JPG)
On 30 April 1851,
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 ...
,
King of Sardinia
The following is a list of rulers of Sardinia, in particular, of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica from 1323 and then of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1479 to 1861.
Early history
Owing to the absence of written sources, little ...
, established the Medal for Civil Valor for the first time. When the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
was established in 1861 with him as its first king, the Medal for Civil Valor became an award of the new kingdom.
The
Carnegie Foundation, based in the
Palazzo del Viminale
The Palazzo del Viminale is a historic palace in Rome (Italy), seat of the Prime Minister and of the Ministry of Interior since 1925; in 1961 the Prime Minister was transferred to Palazzo Chigi.
History
The palace was commissioned by Giovanni G ...
, home of the
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
, has been involved in awards for civil valor since the Scottish philanthropist
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
in a 17 June 1911 letter to the President of the Council of Ministers,
Prime Minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy, officially the President of the Council of Ministers ( it, link=no, Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri), is the head of government of the Italian Republic. The office of president of the Council of Ministers is ...
Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti (; 27 October 1842 – 17 July 1928) was an Italian statesman. He was the Prime Minister of Italy five times between 1892 and 1921. After Benito Mussolini, he is the second-longest serving Prime Minister in Italian history. A pr ...
, granted to the government of the Kingdom of Italy a fund of
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
750,000 in shares of the
Carnegie Steel Company
Carnegie Steel Company was a steel-producing company primarily created by Andrew Carnegie and several close associates to manage businesses at steel mills in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area in the late 19th century. The company was forme ...
, annual annuities of which had to be used to pay premiums to people who were in economic difficulty but who nonetheless had worked in the face of danger to save the lives of others. Carnegie also suggested that instead of money, medals could be awarded to people who were not in economic difficulty.
In the modern Italian Republic, the law of 2 January 1958, Number 13, governs the awarding of medals for civil valor.
Award criteria
The awards for civil valor can be made for specific acts, which include:
*Saving people exposed to imminent and grave danger;
*Preventing or diminishing the damage caused by a serious public or private disaster;
*Re-establishing public order where it has been gravely disturbed and maintaining the rule of law;
*Arresting or participating in the arrest of malefactors;
*Performing acts aimed at the progress of science or in general for the good of humanity;
*Keeping the name and prestige of the country high.
Types of awards
Depending on the circumstances of time and place in which the action was performed and on the effects achieved, four different types of award can be presented:
*
![Valor civile gold medal BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Valor_civile_gold_medal_BAR.svg)
Gold Medal for Civil Valor
*
![Valor civile silver medal BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Valor_civile_silver_medal_BAR.svg)
Silver Medal for Civil Valor
*
![Valor civile bronze medal BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Valor_civile_bronze_medal_BAR.svg)
Bronze Medal for Civil Valor
*
:it:File:NonFaleristica.png Certificate of Public Merit for Civil Valor
The certificate is awarded by the
Minister of the Interior
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
, while the three medals are awarded by 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 ...
on the recommendation of the Minister of the Interior.
Award procedure
The law provides (Article 7) that the granting of recognition normally will follow an examination of the courageous act by a committee composed of a
prefect
Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area.
A prefect's ...
, a
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, a deputy, two members representing the Presidency of the
Council of Ministers
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
, a
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
of the ''
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
'', a representative of the
Carnegie Foundation, and a member of the civil administration of the Ministry of the Interior. However, if "the character of the courageous act and the resonance that it has aroused in public opinion" are sufficient to attest to the propriety of the honor, the President of the Italian Republic can proceed with the recognition without the evaluation of the commission (Article 8).
Notable recipients
Individuals
Silver Medal for Civil Valor
*
Felice Napoleone Canevaro
Felice Napoleone Canevaro (7 July 1838 – 30 December 1926) was an Italian admiral and politician and a Senate of the Kingdom of Italy, senator of the Kingdom of Italy. He served as both Minister of the Navy and Italian Minister of Foreign Affair ...
(1838–1926), for humanitarian aid and contributions to public health while in command of the
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
''
Italia
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
'' during a
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic in
La Spezia
La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.
La Spezia is the second largest city ...
in 1884.
Municipalities
Of particular significance are medals for civil valor the Italian Republic has awarded to cities, municipalities, and provinces in recognition of the acts of heroism credited to the entire community during war, natural disasters. or other tragedies at various times in Italy's national history.
Gold Medal for Civil Valor
=Municipalities decorated for acts of self-denial during Italy's participation the Second World War (1940–1945)
=
*
Acerra
Acerra () is a town and ''comune'' of Campania, southern Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, about northeast of the capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain.
History
Acerra is one of the most ancient cities of the regio ...
(awarded for collective heroism following a
Nazi German
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
massacre on 2 October 1943; 67 men and boys and 15 women and girls were killed, including 14 children, 48 elderly people, and 20 other adults)
*
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
(awarded in 1960)
*
Argenta (awarded in 1973)
*
Avellino
Avellino () is a town and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...
*
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and ''comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
(awarded in 1961)
*
Boves (awarded in 1963)
*
Bucine
Bucine is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southeast of Florence and about west of Arezzo.
Subdivision
Bucine borders the following municipalities: Castelnuovo Berardenga, Civite ...
(awarded in 1963)
*
Castelforte
Castelforte is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Latina, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located at the feet of the Monti Aurunci massif.
History
Castelforte was founded most likely before the year 1000 AD. According to some sch ...
(awarded in 2002)
*
Civitella in Val di Chiana
Civitella in Val di Chiana (official name), often also Civitella di Val di Chiana, is a ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, south of Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy. It is one of the best-preserved of the network of Lombard fortresses of the 6th and ...
*
Foggia
Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...
(awarded in 2007)
*
Francavilla al Mare
Francavilla al Mare () is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
The municipality, included in the urban area of Pescara, borders with Chieti, Miglianico, Ortona, Pescara, Ripa Teatina, San Giovanni Teat ...
(awarded in 1959)
*
Isernia
Isernia () or, in Pliny and later writers, ''Eserninus'', or in the Antonine Itinerary, ''Serni''. is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of province of Isernia.
Geography
Situated on a rocky crest ri ...
(awarded in 1960)
*
Marsala
Marsala (, local ; la, Lilybaeum) is an Italian town located in the Province of Trapani in the westernmost part of Sicily. Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth in Sicily.
The town is famous for the docking of Gius ...
*
Matera
Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy.
As the capital of the province of Matera, its original settlement lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a comple ...
(awarded in 2016)
*
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
(awarded in 1959)
*
Ortona
Ortona (Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: '; grc, Ὄρτων, Órtōn) is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italy, Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants.
In 1943 Ortona was the site of a Battle o ...
(awarded in 1959)
*
Paternò
Paternò ( scn, Patennò) is a southern Italian town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. With a population (2016) of 48,009, it is the third municipality of the province after Catania and Acireale.
Geography
Paternò ...
(awarded in 1972)
*
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
(awarded in 1961)
*
Santi Cosma e Damiano
The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a titular church in Rome, Italy. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the Roman Forum and incorporates original Roman buildings, but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum ...
(awarded in 2002)
*
Trapani
Trapani ( , ; scn, Tràpani ; lat, Drepanum; grc, Δρέπανον) is a city and municipality (''comune'') on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an impor ...
(awarded in 1961)
=Municipalities decorated for natural disasters
=
*
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 ...
(awarded in 1968 following a 1966 flood)
*
Legnago
Legnago () is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Verona, Veneto, northern Italy, with population (2012) of 25,439. It is located on the Adige river, about from Verona. Its fertile land produces crops of rice, other cereals, sugar, and toba ...
(awarded in 1883 following an 1882 flood)
*
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
(awarded in 1883 following an 1882 flood)
=Municipalities decorated for other events
=
*
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
(awarded in 1981 following the 1980 station massacre)
Silver Medal for Civil Valor
*
Viterbo
Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo.
It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history. ...
*
Ceccano
Ceccano is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, central Italy, in the Latin Valley.
History
The town had its origins as an ancient Volscian citadel that surrendered to the Romans in 330 BC (424 Ab Urbe Condita).''The History ...
*
Velletri
Velletri (; la, Velitrae; xvo, Velester) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring com ...
*
Cisterna di Latina
Cisterna di Latina is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Latina in Lazio, of central Italy. It was the scene of the Battle of Cisterna in January 1944.
The Garden of Ninfa is located in the commune's territory.
The town, then known as ''T ...
*
Foligno
Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...
*
Leonessa
:''Leonessa is also the name of a ''frazione'' of Bassano Romano.''
Leonessa is a town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Province of Rieti in the Lazio region of central Italy. Its population in 2008 was around 2,700.
Situated in ...
*
Stia
Piazza Tanucci at Stia.
Stia is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Pratovecchio Stia in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about east of Florence and about northwest of Arezzo. It was an independent commune until it ...
*
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
*
Tolentino
Tolentino is a town and ''comune'' of about 19,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.
It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.
History
Signs of the first inhabitants of this favora ...
Bronze Medal for Civil Valor
*
Capracotta
Capracotta is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region of Molise, located about northwest of Campobasso and about north of Isernia.
It is the second highest municipality near the center of Italy at above s ...
*
Civitella del Tronto
Civitella del Tronto () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Teramo, within the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
History
The origins of Civitella are unknown, though in the area have ...
*
Fidenza
Fidenza (Parmigiano: ; locally ) is a town and ''comune ''in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. It has around 27,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman name of ''Fidentia''; before, it was cal ...
*
Monte Argentario
Monte Argentario is a ''comune'' (municipality) and a peninsula belonging to the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about south of Grosseto. The peninsula is connected with the mainland by thre ...
*
Poggibonsi
Poggibonsi is a town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located on the river Elsa and is the main centre of the Valdelsa Valley.
History
The area around Poggibonsi was already settled in the Neolithic age, although the firs ...
''Comune di Poggibonsi Archiviato il''
Italian)
*Pignataro Interamna Pignataro Interamna is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. It takes its name from the ancient Latin colony of Interamna Lirenas, founded by the Romans after the conquest of Casinum, an ancient Oscan city.
The town is ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
Carlo Borda, ''Medaglie, in Manuale dizionario di amministrazione municipale, provinciale, e delle opere pie, II, Sebastiano Franco e figli,'' 1863, pp. 294 – 297.
(Italian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Civil Valor
Civil awards and decorations of Italy