Italian Army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...

gorget patches Gorget patches (collar tabs, collar patches) are an insignia in the form of paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar of a uniform (gorget), used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank (group of ...

( it, Mostreggiature or it, Mostrine) are worn by all army personnel on the collars of the shirts and jackets of their service uniforms and formal uniforms. The gorget patches identify the arm (Infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineer, signals, transport and material), corps (Health, commissariat, engineers), or speciality within an arm or corps a soldier belongs to.

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 ...

s wear golden stars instead of a gorget patches, while army recruits wear silver stars until they are assigned to a unit after basic training. Originally made from colored cloth, respectively embroidered cloth for Granatieri,

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 ...

and general staff members, gorget patches have been made since 1973 from enamelled metal. :: ''All patches below are worn on the right side.'' Italian Army - Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini visits the Army General Staff

Italian Army - Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini visits the Army General Staff

Multi-arm units

Multi-arm units ( it, Unità Pluriarma) combine personnel from different arms and corps of the army and are therefore grouped separately from other gorget patches. File:Mostrina - Ufficiali in Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito.png, File:Mostrina - 28° PSYOPS "Pavia".png, File:Mostrina - 17°, 18°, 317° "Acqui".png, File:Mostrina - 79°, 80° "Roma".png, File:Mostrina - 85°, 86° "Verona".png, File:Mostrina - 235°, 236° "Piceno".png, File:Mostrina - Unità NBC.png, File:Mostrina - Aviazione dell'Esercito.png, File:Mostrina - Unità RISTA e EW.png, File:Mostrina - Reparti Autonomi.png, * Note 1: originally the 28th Infantry Regiment "Pavia", retains the regiment's patch with a superimposed yellow chess

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

* Note 2: originally infantry regiments, but now considered mutli-arm units as they train troops for all arms and corps of the army * Note 3: originally part of the artillery, therefore the patch retains the artillery's black and yellow * Note 4: has the rank of a speciality of the army (i.e. ranks below the arms and corps of the army, but is set apart from them) * Note 5: originally part of the artillery respectively the signal arm, therefore the patch combines the artillery's yellow and the signal arms' electric blue * Note 6: includes army archives, army penitentiary units, etc.

Infantry

Line infantry

Line infantry regiments wear rectangular gorget patches with a unique color combination for each regiment. Line infantry regiments were always raised in pairs, forming together a brigade and from 1936 a division. Originally the gorget patches of units from other arms and corps assigned to the division were overlaid on the gorget patch of the two regiments of a brigade or division. However, as after World War II infantry regiments with different gorget patches made up the army's divisions this practice was abandoned. Today the only exception is the Mechanized Brigade "Sassari", which still fields its two original regiments. Infantry personnel not assigned to a regiment wear a scarlet patch with two points. The 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" and 87th Infantry Regiment "Friuli" modified their gorget patches once they became part of the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". File:Mostrina - 5°, 6° "Aosta".png, File:Mostrina - 5°, 6° "Aosta".png, File:Mostrina - 13°, 14°, 313° "Pinerolo".png, File:Mostrina - 9°, 10°, 309° "Bari".png, File:Mostrina - 45°, 46° "Reggio".png, File:Mostrina - 57°, 58° "Abruzzi".png, File:Mostrina - 61°, 62° "Sicilia".png, File:Mostrina - 66° Aeromobile "Trieste".png, File:Mostrina - 77°, 78° "Lupi di Toscana".png, File:Mostrina - 81°, 82° "Torino".png, File:Mostrina - 87° Aeromobile "Friuli".png, File:Mostrina - 151°, 152° "Sassari".png, File:Mostrina - 151°, 152° "Sassari".png, File:Mostrina - fanteria fuori corpo.png,

Infantry specialities

Infantry specialities are units that differ from the line infantry in their recruiting, equipment, headdress, tasks and training: * Granatieri: originally

grenadiers A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...

attached to every line regiment of the

Royal Sardinian Army The Royal Sardinian Army (also the Sardinian Army, the Royal Sardo-Piedmontese Army, the Savoyard Army, or the Piedmontese Army) was the army of the Duchy of Savoy and then of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was active from 1416 until it became th ...

they became a royal

guard regiment A royal guard is a group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as the Emperor, emperor or empress, king or queen regnant, queen, or prince or princess. They often are an elite ...

. Today the minimum height to join the speciality is 190 cm and members of the regiment wear a

bearskin cap A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and remains in use by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies. Bearskins should not be c ...

. Granatieri wear a double-sized, rectangular scarlet gorget patch with a stylized silver

Austrian knot An Austrian knot (or Hungarian knot), alternatively warrior's knot or , is an elaborate design of twisted cord or lace worn as part of a dress uniform, usually on the lower sleeve. It is usually a distinction worn by officers; the major exceptio ...

. The gorget patches of units from other arms and corps assigned to the

Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" The Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" ( it, Brigata Meccanizzata "Granatieri di Sardegna" - Mechanized Brigade " Grenadiers of Sardinia") is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Italian Army, based in Rome and central Italy. The brigade ...

are overlaid on the Grantieri's patch. *

Bersaglieri The Bersaglieri, singular Bersagliere, (, "sharpshooter") are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army's infantry corps. They were originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Royal Sardinian Army, which ...

: originally

skirmishers Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an i ...

scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

and

sharpshooters A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...

of the

. Members were chosen for their shooting skills and stamina. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

they were employed as

mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

. Bersaglieri wear a red

fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...

with their service uniform and wide-brimmed black hat with a bushel of

wood grouse The western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie , is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. ...

feathers to their ordinary and ceremonial uniforms. Bersaglieri wear a

crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...

gorget patch with two points. *

Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operatio ...

: originally

mountain infantry Mountain warfare (also known as alpine warfare) is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. Mountain ranges are of strategic importance since they often act as a natural border, and may also be the origin of a water source (for example, t ...

recruited locally in the Alpine valleys. Alpini wear a brown felt cap with their service uniform and the

Cappello Alpino The Cappello Alpino is the most distinctive feature of the Italian Army's Alpini troops uniform. The ''Alpini'' are light Infantry troops, specializing in mountain combat. Initially the Cappello was only issued to the Alpini, but soon the Cappell ...

with to their ordinary and ceremonial uniforms. Alpini wear a

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

gorget patch with two points. Unlike the Granatieri and Bersaglieri the Alpini have branched out and artillery, engineer, signals, transport and material, medical, etc. units have acquired the Alpini's headgear and traditions, which led to gorget patches that combine the Alpini's gorget patch with other arms and corps' gorget patches. *

Paracadutisti The Paracadutisti (''English: Paratroopers'') are a speciality of the Italian army's infantry corps. History The first Italian paratroopers were trained shortly before World War II at Castel Benito near Tripoli in Libya, where Italy's first ...

: the first paratrooper units were raised shortly before World War II and were an all-volunteer formation. Today the paratroopers retain above average requirements for recruits. Paracadutisti wear a red beret and azure rectangular gorget patches with a golden wing with seven feathers, a white parachute, and a silver

Gladius ''Gladius'' () is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called '' xiphe'' (plural; singular ''xi ...

with scarlet

crossguard On a sword, the crossguard, or cross-guard, the individual bars on either side known as quillon, is a bar of metal at right angles to the blade, placed between the blade and the hilt. The crossguard was developed in the European sword around the ...

. Like the Alpini the Paracadutisti have branched out and units from other arms and corps assigned to the

Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" The Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" is an airborne brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units are three battalions of paratroopers (''paracadutisti''). The name "Folgore" is Italian for lightning. The Folgore is one of three light infantry briga ...

and the Army Special Forces Command wear now a combination of their gorget patch and the Paracadutisti's patch. * Lagunari: are the armies youngest speciality and were raised to defend the Venetian lagoon ( it, Laguna di Venezia). Originally they were recruited from Venice and the communities surrounding the Venetian lagoon. They wear a green beret and scarlet rectangular gorget patches with a tapered top, below which the winged golden

Lion of Saint Mark The Lion of Saint Mark, representing Mark the Evangelist, pictured in the form of a winged lion, is an aspect of the Tetramorph. On the pinnacle of St Mark's Cathedral he is depicted as holding a Bible, and surmounting a golden lion which is t ...

with a white

aureola An aureola or aureole (diminutive of Latin ''aurea'', "golden") is the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure. In Romance languages, the noun Aureola is usually more related to the d ...

, holding a sword in his right paw and resting his left paw on a closed bible. Behind the lion are two crossed rifles and an anchor and above him a golden crown. Until 1 June 1999 the Carristi (Tankers) were a speciality of the infantry, which on that date was transferred to the cavalry. File:Mostrina - Granatieri di Sardegna.png, File:Mostrina - Bersaglieri.png, File:Mostrina - Alpini.png, File:Mostrina - Paracadutisti.png, File:Mostrina - Lagunari.png,

Special forces

The army's three special forces regiment's combine the infantry speciality gorget patch with two points and the paratroopers symbol, with the color of the speciality they descend from. Green for the

, Azure for the

, and black for the

Arditi Arditi (from the Italian verb ''ardire'', lit. "to dare", and translates as "The Daring nes) was the name adopted by a Royal Italian Army elite special force of World War I. They and the opposing German '' Stormtroopers'' were the first modern ...

, a World War I infantry speciality disestablished in 1920. File:Mostrina - 4° Reggimento Alpini Paracadutisti.png, File:Mostrina - 9° Reggimento "Col Moschin".png, File:Mostrina - 185° Reggimento RAO "Folgore".png,

Disbanded line infantry regiments

The gorget patches of disbanded regiments are an integral part of each regiment's traditions and insignia. In case one of the regiments listed below is reformed, then the corresponding gorget patch will be issued to regiment's personnel. Italian infantry regiments were always raised in pairs, which formed together one brigade. The regiments were initially only numbered and identified as "'' egiment's numberRegiment of the Brigade " rigade's name''". Only during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

did the brigade's name pass to the regiments. Before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the army formed binary divisions with sister regiments, which in some cases received the name of the division they were assigned to. If such a renaming occurred during World War II the division's name follows the regiment's name in brackets: i.e. the 65th and 66th Regiments "Valtellina" entered the 101st Motorized Division "Trieste" and were renamed "Trieste". Therefore, in the list below these two regiments are listed as: "''65th, 6thRegiment "Valtellina" ("Trieste")''". The regiments 1 to 18 were formed before 1848 as units of the

. The regiments 19 to 94 were formed between 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 ...

and 1884. The regiments 95 to 282, with the exception of the 182nd, were raised during

. The 182nd Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" is the only Italian infantry regiment raised after

and the only regiment of the army to not have received gorget patches. The regiment's 233 to 282 were raised in 1917 and received gorget patches divided horizontally twice. The 291st and 292nd Infantry Regiment "Zara" were raised during World War II. The regiments of the 300 series were raised during World War II to augment some of the binary divisions. Regiments, whose flags are currently assigned to active units, are in square brackets. File:Mostrina - 1°, 2° "San Giusto".png, File:Mostrina - 3°, 4°, 303° "Piemonte".png, File:Mostrina - 5°, 6° "Aosta".png, File:Mostrina - 7°, 8° "Cuneo".png, File:Mostrina - 9°, 10°, 309° "Bari".png, File:Mostrina - 11°, 12°, 311° "Casale".png, File:Mostrina - 13°, 14°, 313° "Pinerolo".png, File:Mostrina - 15°, 16° "Savona".png, File:Mostrina - 17°, 18°, 317° "Acqui".png, File:Mostrina - 19°, 20° "Brescia".png, File:Mostrina - 21°, 22°, 321° "Cremona".png, File:Mostrina - 23°, 24° "Como".png, File:Mostrina - 25°, 26° "Bergamo".png, File:Mostrina - 27°, 28° "Pavia".png, File:Mostrina - 29°, 30° "Pisa".png, File:Mostrina - 31°, 32° "Siena".png, File:Mostrina - 33°, 34° "Livorno".png, File:Mostrina - 35°, 36°, 336° "Pistoia".png, File:Mostrina - 37°, 38° "Ravenna".png, File:Mostrina - 39°, 40° "Bologna".png, File:Mostrina - 41°, 42°, 341° "Modena".png, File:Mostrina - 43°, 44°, 343° "Forlì".png, File:Mostrina - 45°, 46° "Reggio".png, File:Mostrina - 47°, 48° "Ferrara".png, File:Mostrina - 49°, 50°, 350° "Parma".png, File:Mostrina - 51°, 52° "Alpi".png, File:Mostrina - 53°, 54° "Umbria".png, File:Mostrina - 55°, 56° "Marche".png, File:Mostrina - 57°, 58° "Abruzzi".png, File:Mostrina - 59°, 60°, 359° "Calabria".png, File:Mostrina - 61°, 62° "Sicilia".png, File:Mostrina - 63°, 64°, 363° "Cagliari".png, File:Mostrina - 65°, 66° "Trieste".png, File:Mostrina - 67°, 68° "Palermo".png, File:Mostrina - 69°, 70° "Ancona".png, File:Mostrina - 71°, 72° "Puglie".png, File:Mostrina - 73°, 74° "Lombardia".png, File:Mostrina - 75°, 76° "Napoli".png, File:Mostrina - 77°, 78° "Lupi di Toscana".png, File:Mostrina - 79°, 80° "Roma".png, File:Mostrina - 81°, 82° "Torino".png, File:Mostrina - 83°, 84°, 383° "Venezia".png, File:Mostrina - 85°, 86° "Verona".png, File:Mostrina - 87°, 88°, 387° "Friuli".png, File:Mostrina - 89°, 90° "Salerno".png, File:Mostrina - 91°, 92° "Basilicata".png, File:Mostrina - 93°, 94° "Messina".png, File:Mostrina - 95°, 96° "Udine".png, File:Mostrina - 97°, 98° "Genova".png, File:Mostrina - 99°, 100°, 115°, 116° "Treviso".png, File:Mostrina - 111°, 112° "Piacenza".png, File:Mostrina - 113°, 114° "Mantova".png, File:Mostrina - 99°, 100°, 115°, 116° "Treviso".png, File:Mostrina - 117°, 118° "Padova".png, File:Mostrina - 119°, 120° "Emilia".png, File:Mostrina - 121°, 122° "Macerata".png, File:Mostrina - 123°, 124° "Chieti".png, File:Mostrina - 125°, 126° "La Spezia".png, File:Mostrina - 127°, 128° "Firenze".png, File:Mostrina - 129°, 130° "Perugia".png, File:Mostrina - 131°, 132° "Lazio".png, File:Mostrina - 133°, 134° "Benevento".png, File:Mostrina - 135°, 136° "Campania".png, File:Mostrina - 137°, 138° "Barletta".png, File:Mostrina - 139°, 140° "Bari".png, File:Mostrina - 141°, 142° "Catanzaro".png, File:Mostrina - 143°, 144° "Taranto".png, File:Mostrina - 145°, 146° "Catania".png, File:Mostrina - 147°, 148° "Caltanissetta".png, File:Mostrina - 149°, 150° "Trapani".png, File:Mostrina - 151°, 152° "Sassari".png, File:Mostrina - 153°, 154° "Novara".png, File:Mostrina - 155°, 156° "Alessandria".png, File:Mostrina - 157°, 158°, 165° "Liguria".png, File:Mostrina - 159°, 160° "Milano".png, File:Mostrina - 161°, 162° "Ivrea".png, File:Mostrina - 163°, 164° "Lucca".png, File:Mostrina - 201°, 202° "Sesia".png, File:Mostrina - 203°, 204° "Tanaro".png, File:Mostrina - 205°, 206° "Lambro".png, File:Mostrina - 207°, 208° "Taro".png, File:Mostrina - 209°, 210° "Bisagno".png, File:Mostrina - 211°, 212° "Pescara".png, File:Mostrina - 213°, 214° "Arno".png, File:Mostrina - 215°, 216° "Tevere".png, File:Mostrina - 217°, 218° "Volturno".png, File:Mostrina - 219°, 220° "Sele".png, File:Mostrina - 221°, 222° "Ionio".png, File:Mostrina - 223°, 224° "Etna".png, File:Mostrina - 225°, 226° "Arezzo".png, File:Mostrina - 227°, 228° "Rovigo".png, File:Mostrina - 229°, 230° "Campobasso".png, File:Mostrina - 231°, 232°, 331° "Avellino".png, File:Mostrina - 233°, 234° "Lario".png, File:Mostrina - 235°, 236°, 336° "Piceno".png, File:Mostrina - 237°, 238° "Grosseto".png, File:Mostrina - 239°, 240° "Pesaro".png, File:Mostrina - 241°, 242° "Teramo".png, File:Mostrina - 243°, 244° "Cosenza".png, File:Mostrina - 245°, 246° "Siracusa".png, File:Mostrina - 247°, 248° "Girgenti".png, File:Mostrina - 249°, 250° "Pallanza".png, File:Mostrina - 251°, 252° "Massa Carrara".png, File:Mostrina - 253°, 254° "Porto Maurizio".png, File:Mostrina - 255°, 256° "Veneto".png, File:Mostrina - 257°, 258° "Tortona".png, File:Mostrina - 259°, 260° "Murge".png, File:Mostrina - 261°, 262° "Elba".png, File:Mostrina - 263°, 264° "Gaeta".png, File:Mostrina - 265°, 266° "Lecce".png, File:Mostrina - 267°, 268° "Caserta".png, File:Mostrina - 269°, 270° "Aquila".png, File:Mostrina - 271°, 272°, 273° "Potenza".png, File:Mostrina - 274°, 275°, 276° "Belluno".png, File:Mostrina - 277°, 278°, 279° "Vicenza".png, File:Mostrina - 280°, 281°, 282° "Foggia".png, File:Mostrina - 291°, 292° "Zara".png,

Cavalry

The Cavalry ( it, Arma di Cavalleria) is divided since 1 June 1999 in two specialities: line cavalry and tankers (= personnel of tank regiments). On 1 June 1999 the three traditional cavalry specialities ''Dragoni'' (

Dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat ...

), ''Lancieri'' (

Lancers A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

) and ''Cavalleggeri'' (

Chevau-léger The Chevau-légers (from French ''cheval''—horse—and ''léger''—light) was a generic French name for several units of light and medium cavalry. Their history began in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when the heavy cavalry forces o ...

) were united in the new speciality "Line cavalry". On the same date the tankers speciality was transferred from the infantry to the cavalry. Line cavalry personnel wear regiment-affiliated colored gorget patches with three points. Personnel of the cavalry that is not assigned to a regiment wear an orange gorget patch with three points. Tankers, whose speciality was founded as part of the infantry, continue to wear a two-pointed gorget patch, which has traditionally been the patch for infantry specialties. The tankers' gorget patch is red with two points in a light blue field. File:Mostrina - "Nizza Cavalleria" (1°).png, File:Mostrina - "Piemonte Cavalleria" (2°).png, File:Mostrina - "Savoia Cavalleria" (3°).png, File:Mostrina - "Genova Cavalleria" (4°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Novara" (5°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Aosta" (6°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Montebello" (8°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri Guide" (19°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Treviso" (28°).png, File:Mostrina - Cavalleria fuori corpo.png, File:Mostrina - Carristi.png,

Disbanded cavalry regiments

The gorget patches of disbanded regiments are an integral part of each regiment's traditions and insignia. In case one of the regiments listed below is reformed, then the corresponding gorget patch will be issued to regiment's personnel. File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Milano" (7°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Firenze" (9°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Vittorio Emanuele" (10°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Foggia" (11°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo" (12°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Monferrato" (13°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria" (14°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Lucca" (16°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Caserta" (17°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Piacenza" (18°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Roma" (20°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Padova" (21°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Catania" (22°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Umberto I" (23°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Vicenza" (24°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Mantova" (25°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Vercelli" (26°).png, File:Mostrina - "Lancieri di Aquila" (27°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Udine" (29°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Palermo" (30°).png, File:Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Sardegna".png,

Artillery

Artillery ( it, Arma di Artiglieria) personnel wear black gorget patches with one point and a yellow edge. Currently five variations and one speciality (Anti-aircraft artillery) are officially sanctioned. File:Mostrina - Artiglieria.png, File:Mostrina - Artiglieria semovente.png, File:Mostrina - Artiglieria per Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Artiglieria per Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - Artiglieria per Brigata Granatieri.png, File:Mostrina - Artiglieria per Brigata Sassari.png, File:Mostrina - Artiglieria controaerei.png, Note: As of 2020 no units wear these insignias.

Engineer

Engineer ( it, Arma del Genio) personnel wear black gorget patches with one point and a crimson edge. Currently one speciality (Sappers) and four variations thereof are officially sanctioned. The Sappers Speciality's gorget patch symbol is a black grenade from which a five-tongued red flame emerges, with a metallic

gladius ''Gladius'' () is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called '' xiphe'' (plural; singular ''xi ...

over flame and grenade. The other three specialities of the engineer: pioneers, bridge engineers, and railway engineers wear the standard engineer gorget patch. File:Mostrina - Genio.png, File:Mostrina - Genio Guastatori.png, File:Mostrina - Genio Guastatori per Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Genio Guastatori per Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - Genio Guastatori per Brigata Granatieri.png, File:Mostrina - Genio Guastatori per Brigata Sassari.png, Note: As of 2020 no unit wears this insignia.

Signals

Signal ( it, Arma delle Trasmissioni) personnel wear electric blue gorget patches with two points and an amaranth edge. Currently four variations are officially sanctioned. File:Mostrina - Trasmissioni.png, File:Mostrina - Trasmissioni per Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Trasmissioni per Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - Trasmissioni per Brigata Granatieri.png, File:Mostrina - Trasmissioni per Brigata Sassari.png,

Transport and Material

Transport and Material ( it, Arma dei Trasporti e Materiali - TRAMAT) personnel wear black gorget patches with two points on azure background. Currently four variations are officially sanctioned. File:Mostrina - TRAMAT.png, File:Mostrina - TRAMAT per Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - TRAMAT per Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - TRAMAT per Brigata Granatieri.png, File:Mostrina - TRAMAT per Brigata Sassari.png, Note: As of 2020 no unit wears this insignia.

Army Commissariat Corps

The Army Commissariat Corps ( it, Corpo di Commissariato dell'Esercito) was formed on 1 January 1998 by the merger of the Army Commissariat Corps and the Army Administration Corps. Before the merger Commissariat Corps personnel wore violet gorget patches with one point, while Administration Corps personnel wore black gorget patches with one point and a sky blue edge. The personnel of the Commissariat Corps tasked with the role of food supplies wore sky blue gorget patches with one point. These three gorget patches were combined with the gorget patches of specialities of other arms and corps, resulting in dozens of variations. After the merger personnel wore black gorget patches with one point and a double-colored edge in violet and sky blue. This gorget patch was also combined with other gorget patches resulting in dozens of new variations. In 2003 the Commissariat Corps introduced a rectangular blue gorget patch with a golden laurel wreath, which is not combined with any other patch. File:Mostrina - Corpo di Commissariato.png, Examples of the disestablished Army Commissariat Corps and the Army Administration Corps gorget patches and their variations: File:Mostrina - Commissari.png, File:Mostrina - Commissari per Truppe Corazzate.png, File:Mostrina - Sussistenza.png, File:Mostrina - Sussistenza per Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Amministrazione.png, File:Mostrina - Amministrazione per Divisione Aosta.png,

Army Health Corps

The Army Health Corps ( it, Corpo Sanitario dell'Esercito) is the result of the merger of the Army Medical Corps and Army Veterinary Corps on 1 January 1998. The corps' personnel wears two different types of gorget patches: amaranth with one point for medical personnel, and

sky blue Sky blue is a shade of light blue comparable to that of a clear daytime sky. The term (as "sky blew") is attested from 1681. A 1585 translation of Nicolas de Nicolay's 1576 ''Les navigations, peregrinations et voyages faicts en la Turquie'' in ...

with one point for veterinary personnel. The medical corps also distinguishes between medical officers and personnel. For each type of patch five variations are officially sanctioned. In 2009 the medical officers gorget patch was differentiated to include pharmacists, dentists, and psychologists. File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico delle Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico delle Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico della Brigata Grantieri.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico della Brigata Sassari.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico dell'Aviazione dell'Esercito.png, File:Mostrina - Personale Sanitario.png, File:Mostrina - Personale Sanitario delle Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Personale Sanitario delle Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - Personale Sanitario della Brigata Grantieri.png, File:Mostrina - Personale Sanitario della Brigata Sassari.png, File:Mostrina - Personale Sanitario dell'Aviazione dell'Esercito.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale veterinario.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale veterinario delle Truppe Alpine.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale veterinario delle Aviotruppe.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale veterinario della Brigata Grantieri.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale veterinario della Brigata Sassari.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale veterinario dell'Aviazione dell'Esercito.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Chimico Farmacista.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Odontoiatra.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Psicologo.png,

Army Corps of Engineers

The Army Corps of Engineers ( it, Corpo degli Ingegneri dell'Esercito) was formed on 9 October 1980 by unifying the army's technical services. The Army Corps of Engineers conducts technological research, tests and evaluates the army's acquisitions, and maintains and updates the army's geographic data. All members of the Army Corps of Engineers are officers and wear rectangular black gorget patches with a colored border and a profile of the head of

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...

facing inward. File:Mostrina - Ingegnere Armamento.png, File:Mostrina - Ingegnere Geografi.png, File:Mostrina - Ingegnere Infrastrutture.png, The army's technical services wore rectangular black gorget patches with a colored border. File:Mostrina - Servizio Tecnico Artiglieria.png, File:Mostrina - Servizio Tecnico Geografico.png, File:Mostrina - Servizio Tecnico Chimico Fisico.png, File:Mostrina - Servizio Tecnico Genio.png, File:Mostrina - Servizio Tecnico Motorizzazione.png, File:Mostrina - Servizio Tecnico Trasmissioni.png,

Special Voluntary Auxiliary Corps

The Italian Army Special Voluntary Auxiliary Corps of the Association of the Italian Knights of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

( it, Corpo speciale volontario ausiliario dell'Esercito Italiano dell'Associazione dei cavalieri italiani del Sovrano militare Ordine di Malta - Corpo Militare EI-SMOM) is a volunteer corps providing medical support to the Italian Army. Members of the corps wear Italian Army uniforms with a

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

instead of the

Italian flag 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, ...

and one of four approved gorget patches: * a rectangular red patch with a white border for troops and NCOs of the Order * a rectangular red patch with a white border and a violet point for commissariat officers * a rectangular red patch with a white border and an amaranth point for medical or pharmacist officers * a rectangular red patch with a white border and a black point with a bright yellow edge for officer commanders of hospital units File:Mostrina - Corpo speciale volontario ausiliario dell'Esercito Italiano.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Commissario - Corpo speciale volontario ausiliario dell'Esercito Italiano.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Medico o Farmacista - Corpo speciale volontario ausiliario dell'Esercito Italiano.png, File:Mostrina - Ufficiale Comandante di unità ospedaliero Corpo speciale volontario ausiliario dell'Esercito Italiano.png,

World War II

Royal Italian Army

During

the units of the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...

wore gorget patches of different size and form, but with the same colors. The gorget patches had a size of 60 x 32 mm and were made from colored cloth. Below follow a few examples of these historic gorget patches, while all of them can be found on Wiki Commons at: Royal Italian Army gorget patches. Divisions carried the colors of their two infantry regiments, which was then combined with the artillery, engineer, supply and medical gorget patches. Below follow the gorget patches of the 13th Infantry Division "Re" and

17th Infantry Division "Pavia" The 17th Infantry Division "Pavia" ( it, 17ª Divisione di fanteria "Pavia") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Pavia was formed in on 27 April 1939 and named after the city of Pavia. The Pavia was classif ...

. File:Mostrina - 1°, 2° "San Giusto".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 23° Rgt. Artiglieria "Re".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Genio Divisione "Re".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sanità Divisione "Re".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza Divisione "Re".png, File:Mostrina - 27°, 28° "Pavia".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 26° Rgt. Artiglieria "Pavia".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - XVII Btg. Genio Divisione "Pavia".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sanità Divisione "Pavia".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza Divisione "Pavia".png,

Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

, armored/motorized, and

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...

divisions had their own set of gorget patches. File:World War II - Mostrina - Granatieri di Sardegna.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 13° Rgt. Artiglieria "Granatieri di Sardegna".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - XXI Btg. Genio Divisione "Granatieri di Sardegna".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Granatieri di Sardegna Sanità.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Granatieri di Sardegna Sussistenza.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Alpini.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Artiglieria alpina.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - XVIII Btg. Genio Divisione "Cacciatori delle Alpi".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sanità alpina.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza alpina.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Fanteria carrista.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Artiglieria di divisione motorizzata e corazzata.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Genio di divisione motorizzata e corazzata.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sanità di divisione motorizzata e corazzata.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza di divisione motorizzata e corazzata.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Paracadutisti.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Artiglieria paracadutisti.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Genio paracadutisti.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sanità paracadutisti.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza paracadutisti.png,

, and the troops assigned to divisional mortar, machine gun, and anti-tank battalions carried the same gorget patches across all divisions. The infantry regiments assigned to motorized divisions combined their traditional regimental gorget patch with the azure color of the armored and motorized forces. Below the patch of the 61st and 62nd Infantry Regiments "Sicilia" of the

102nd Motorized Division "Trento" The 102nd Motorized Division "Trento" ( it, 102ª Divisione motorizzata "Trento") was a motorized infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1935 and named for the city of Trento, where its infantr ...

is given as an example for motorized regiments. File:World War II - Mostrina - Bersaglieri.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 61°, 62° "Sicilia".png, 61st, 62nd Rgt. "Sicilia" File:World War II - Mostrina - Battaglioni mortaisti.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Battaglioni mitraglieri.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Battaglioni controcarri.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Fanteria fuori corpo.png, Each Cavalry regiment had its distinct gorget patch. Associated with the cavalry were the tank groups of the three cavalry divisions, which had been raised by the Regiment "Cavalleggeri Guide" and therefore combined the form of the tank infantry gorget patch with the color scheme of the "Cavalleggeri Guide". File:World War II - Mostrina - "Nizza Cavalleria".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Savoia Cavalleria".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Genova Cavalleria".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Lancieri di Aosta".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Lancieri di Milano".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Lancieri di Montebello".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Lancieri di Firenze".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri di Lodi".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - "Cavalleggeri Guide".png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Gruppi carri veloci di divisione celere.png, For units that were not assigned to divisions - i.e. Corps Artillery - basic gorget patches without any associated regimental colors were used. File:World War II - Mostrina Artiglieria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina Genio.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sanità.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Sussistenza.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Commissariato.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Corpo automobilistico.png,

Coastal units

Coastal divisions were reserve units and new gorget patches were created for them: for the division patches with a triangle, and for the brigades a square with three white lines. File:World War II - Mostrina - 202ª Divisione costiera.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 202ª Divisione costiera artiglieria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 202ª Divisione costiera genio.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 204ª Divisione costiera.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 204ª Divisione costiera artiglieria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 204ª Divisione costiera genio.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 225ª Divisione costiera.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 225ª Divisione costiera artiglieria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - 225ª Divisione costiera genio.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Brigate costiere fanteria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Brigate costiere artiglieria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - Brigate costiere genio.png,

CC.NN.

During World War II the paramilitary wing of the Italian

National Fascist Party The National Fascist Party ( it, Partito Nazionale Fascista, PNF) was a political party in Italy, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Italian Fascism and as a reorganization of the previous Italian Fasces of Combat. The ...

, the

Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale The Voluntary Militia for National Security ( it, Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, MVSN), commonly called the Blackshirts ( it, Camicie Nere, CCNN, singular: ) or (singular: ), was originally the paramilitary wing of the Nation ...

(MVSN), also known as "Blackshirts" ( it, Camicie Nere, abbreviated as CC.NN.) raised four divisions, which were attached to the Royal Italian Army for the invasion of Egypt. Additionally the MVSN activated its paramilitary legions and battalions, which were attached to the army's divisions. The MVSN units had their own distinct gorget patches. File:World War II - Mostrina - CC.NN.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - CC.NN- Battaglioni M.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - CC.NN Artiglieria.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - CC.NN Genio.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - CC.NN Sussistenza.png, File:World War II - Mostrina - CC.NN Sanità.png,

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Italian Army Website: Gorget patches

National Former Officers Union of Italy Website: Army Uniform Regulations

References

{{Italian Army Italian Army Military uniforms