Medal Of Military Valor
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The Medal of Military Valor (
Italian language Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about ...
: ''Medaglia al valor militare'') is an Italian
medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
, originally established as a Sardinian award. It is awarded to military personnel, units above the level of company, and civilians for exceptional
valor Valor, valour, or valorous may mean: * Courage, a similar meaning * Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause" Entertainment * Valor (band), a Christian gospel music group * Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death * ' ...
in the face of the enemy. The medal has three levels: * The
Gold Medal of Military Valor The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The fac ...
, established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia. * The
Silver Medal of Military Valor The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry. Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, ...
, established in 1833 by King Charles Albert of Sardinia. * The
Bronze Medal of Military Valor The Bronze Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry. It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on 26 March 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold and Silver Medals for Military ...
, established in 1887 by King
Umberto I of Italy Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...
.


Description

All three levels have the same design:
Obverse: Up to 1946, a wreath containing the arms of the House of Savoy surmounted by a Crown, surrounded by the inscription "AL VALORE MILITARE". Awards of the Republic of Italy replace the arms of Savoy with the
emblem of Italy The emblem of the Italian Republic ( it, emblema della Repubblica Italiana) was formally adopted by the newly formed Italian Republic on 5 May 1948. Although often referred to as a coat of arms (or in Italian), it is an emblem as it was designe ...
. A version was also produced by the Italian Social Republic in 1943 in which the central arms are replaced by a
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 ...
.
Reverse: A laurel wreath. The name of the recipient is sometimes engraved within the wreath.
Ribbon: Bright blue moire for all levels.
Each medal can be earned several times by the same recipient, entitling them to wear two or more identical medals, although from 1915 to 1922 the gold and silver medals could only be awarded three times to any one man, any further act of bravery being rewarded by a promotion.


Award history

Originally an award of the
Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
, it became an Italian decoration on the creation of the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
in 1861, being also used by the Italian Social Republic between 1943 and 1945. It is a now awarded by the
Republic of Italy 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 ...
. The award began as the ''Order of Military Valor'' established by Victor Amadeus III in 1793. Falling into disuse during the Napoleonic era, it was revived on 1 April 1815 by
Victor Emmanuel I Victor Emmanuel I (Vittorio Emanuele; 24 July 1759 – 10 January 1824) was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia (1802–1821). Biography Victor Emmanuel was the second son of King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda ...
. Emmanuel I repealed the institution a few months later, on 4 August 1815, replacing the medals for bravery with the ''
Military Order of Savoy The Military Order of Savoy was a military honorary order of the Kingdom of Sardinia first, and of the Kingdom of Italy later. Following the abolition of the Italian monarchy, the order became the Military Order of Italy. History The origin o ...
''. In 1833, King Charles Albert acknowledged that the requirements for the grant of the Military Order were too strict, and re-established medals for valor in gold and silver to reward selfless acts in war and in peace by the military. The
medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
was awarded for the
Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...
, the reverse inscribed "Spedizione d'Oriente 1854-1856" outside the wreath. Awards of this medal in silver included to 450 officers and men of the allied British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
and
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. In 1887 the medal in bronze was authorised by King Umberto I. Soldiers who had received honourable mentions (''menzioni onorevoli'') for bravery between 1848 and 1887 were granted the bronze medal, and from this date it was awarded to those whose acts of bravery did not justify the higher gold or silver levels.Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy n. 298 of 20 December 1887
/ref> During the
First World War 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 ...
a total of 368 Gold, 38,614 Silver and 60,244 Bronze medals were awarded for individual acts of heroism. In 1916 Tsar
Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...
was awarded the Medal of Military Valor in Gold,"Romanov Nicola II Czar di Russia"
(in Italian), ''Official website of the president of the Republic''. Retrieved 11 December 2018. the only foreign head of state to receive this award.
Royal Decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
#1423 of 4 November 1932 defined new rules for granting the Valor medals, as well as the ''
War Cross for Military Valor The War Cross for Military Valor ( it, Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare) is an Italian order for military valor. Established in 1922, the cross may be awarded only in time of war. Appearance The medal is a Greek cross made of copper. Inscr ...
'' and the '' Cross of Merit of War''. In the text of the decree, Articles 1 and 3 define the areas of basic and primary application for the grant of these honors. Article 1 states: While Article 3 provides that: The full text of Royal Decree was published in the ''
Gazzetta Ufficiale The ''Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana'' (Italian, ) is the official journal of record of the Italian government. It is published by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. Function The ''Gazzetta Ufficiale'' promulgate ...
'' 12 November 1932, #261. Nominations for the medal, except in exceptional cases provided for in time of
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, are scrutinized by a special military commission. The award is intended for the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
(individuals or entire military
units Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * Unit (album), ...
, not below Company level), former partisan combatants,
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
,
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
s, and individual citizens.


Types

Decorations for Valor are divided into the following classes: : Gold Medal for Military Valor (26 March 1833 – 10 May 1943) : Gold Medal for Military Valor (10 May 1943 – Present) : Silver Medal for Valor (26 March 1833 – Present) : Bronze Medal for Valor (8 December 1887 – 10 May 1943) : Bronze Medal for Valor (10 May 1943 – Present) :
War Cross for Military Valor The War Cross for Military Valor ( it, Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare) is an Italian order for military valor. Established in 1922, the cross may be awarded only in time of war. Appearance The medal is a Greek cross made of copper. Inscr ...
(10 May 1943 – Present) : Gold Medal of Valor in the Army : Silver Medal of Valor in the Army : Bronze Medal of Valor in the Army : Medaglia d'oro al valore di marina : Medaglia d'argento al valore di marina : Medaglia di bronzo al valore di marina : Medaglia d'oro al valore aeronautico : Medaglia d'argento al valore aeronautico : Medaglia di bronzo al valore aeronautico : Medaglia d'oro al valore dei carabinieri : Medaglia d'argento al valore dei carabinieri : Medaglia di bronzo al valore dei carabinieri : Medaglia d'oro al valore della Guardia di Finanza : Medaglia d'argento al valore della Guardia di Finanza : Medaglia di bronzo al valore della Guardia di Finanza


Medals of Merit

: Croce d'oro al merito dell'esercito : Croce d'argento al merito dell'esercito : Croce di bronzo al merito dell'esercito : medaglia d'oro al merito di marina : Medaglia d'argento al merito di marina : Medaglia di bronzo al merito di marina : Croce d'oro al merito dell'aeronautica : Croce d'argento al merito dell'aeronautica : Croce di bronzo al merito dell'aeronautica : Croce d'oro al merito dei carabinieri : Croce d'argento al merito dei carabinieri : Croce di bronzo al merito dei carabinieri : Croce d'oro al merito della Guardia di Finanza : Croce d'argento al merito della Guardia di Finanza : Croce di bronzo al merito della Guardia di Finanza :
Croce al merito di guerra The War Merit Cross ( it, Croce al Merito di Guerra) is an Italian military decoration. It was instituted by King Victor Emmanuel III during World War I on 19 January 1918. The award received major changes during World War II and is issued by the I ...
, seconda concessione : Croce al merito di guerra


References

{{Reflist


External links


Regio decreto n. 1423 del 4 novembre 1932 dal sito del Quirinale
* Presidency of the Italian Republic: Honors
Elenco decorati di medaglia d'oro al valor militare
Military awards and decorations of Italy Awards established in 1793 1793 establishments in Europe