The Italian honours system is a means to reward achievements or service to the Italian Republic, formerly the Kingdom of Italy, including the Italian Social Republic.
There are five orders of knighthood awarded in recognition of service to the Italian Republic. Below these sit a number of other decorations, associated and otherwise, that do not confer knighthoods. The degrees of knighthood, not all of which apply to all orders, are Knight (Cavaliere abbreviated Cav.), Officer (Ufficiale abbreviated Uff.), Commander (Commendatore abbr. Comm.), Grand Officer (Grand'Ufficiale, abbr. Gr. Uff.), Knight Grand Cross (Cavaliere di Gran Croce, abbr. Cav. Gr. Croce) and Knight Grand Cross with cordon (Cavaliere di Gran Croce con cordone).
Italian citizens may not use within the territory of the Republic honours or distinctions conferred on them by non-national orders or foreign states, unless authorised by Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The use of awards of the Holy See (including the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre) is to be authorized by Presidency of the Council of Ministers, while the use of those of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, enjoying formal recognition in Italy, do not need any authorization to boast.[1]
The Royal House of Savoy, Italy's former Royal Family, also continues to bestow knighthoods in three orders of chivalry previously recognised by the Kingdom of Italy. In fact, Umberto II, the last King of Italy did not abdicate, and so he preserved his fons honorum: today the Grand Mastership of the orders remain under the prerogatives of Head of the House of Savoy, claimed between Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples and Aimone, Duke of Aosta.[2] Today these continue merely as dynastic orders of the Royal House in exile. While their bestowal is suppressed by law in Italy, the use of those decorations conferred prior to 1951 is recognised, exclusive of any right of precedence in official ceremonies.[3] However the Savoy orders, are theoretically recognized by the Holy See amongst others, for example the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus were recognized by papal bull of Pope Gregory XIII, where he bestowed upon Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy and his Savoy successors, the right to confer this knighthood in perpetuity.[4]
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies additionally continues to bestow knighthoods, including the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George which is fully recognised by the Italian republic.[5] Also the Houses of Bourbon-Parma and Habsburg-Tuscany continues to do so.
The Sardinian orders of the Most Holy Annunciation, of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and the Military and Civil orders of Savoy were continued on the unification of Italy in 1861. These were augmented during the Liberal period by the Order of the Crown of Italy, the Chivalrous Order of Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial Merit, the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy and later, by the Civil and Military Order of the Roman Eagle.[20] In contrast to the Republican orders, the feminine style Dama is used for women.
The Knight Bachelor, usually transmitted by male primogeniture, was similar to a British baronetcy but older.[21] These Cavaliere Ereditario were not, however, members of an order of chivalry.
| Order of Saint Januarius | |
|---|---|
| The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius (Italian: Insigne Reale Ordine di San Gennaro) is an order of knighthood in the Roman Catholic Church. The order was founded by Charles VII of Naples in 1738. It was the last great dynastic order to be constituted as a chivalric fraternity, with a limitation to Roman Catholics and a direct attachment to the dynasty rather than the state. The founder of the order, Charles VII of Naples, ruled from 1734 until 1759. | |
| The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (SMOCG) (Italian: Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio, Spanish: Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge), 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 of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The order was founded either in c. 330 (legendary) or c. 1545 (actual). | |
| Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit | |
| The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit is an order of knighthood of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was established on 1 April 1800 by Ferdinand IV of Naples and III Sicily to reward men who performed important deeds and gave proof of loyalty to the Head of the Royal House and to the Royal Family. | |
| Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies | |
| The Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies (Italian: Ordine reale delle Due Sicilie) was a dynastic order of knighthood of the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. The order was established 24 February 1808 by Joseph Bonaparte, who, at the time, was the King of Naples. The order was expanded and continued under the rule of Joachim Murat but was ultimately suppressed by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies in 1819. Those Knights of the Order of the Two-Sicilies who were still active were instead awarded the Order of Saint George and Reunion. | |
| Order of Saint George of the Reunion | |
| The Order of Saint George of the Reunion is an order of knighthood of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. 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 to reward military valor and merit. It received its name to celebrate the reunification of Naples and Sicily into one kingdom after the Congress of Vienna. | |
| Royal Order of Francis I | |
| The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' Italian: Reale Ordine di Francesco I) 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 Piedmonte and Sardinia). It has been revived by Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, as an award for services to charity and inter-religious understanding and includes a number of non-Catholic statesmen and stateswomen among its membership. |
| Name | Ribbon | Awarded for | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Military Valor | Exceptional valor in the face of the enemy | [34] | ||
| War Cross for Military Valor | Valor in time of war | [35] | ||
| Medal of Valor of the Army | Activities bringing luster and decorum to the Italian Army not in time of war | [36] | ||
| Medal of Valor of the Navy | Acts of courage aimed at saving lives at sea | [37] | ||
| Medal of Valor of the Air Forces | Acts of courage and philanthropy in the Air Forces | [38] | ||
| Medal of Valor of the Carabineri Branch | Acts of courage in military operations not in time of war serving the Carabinieri | [39] | ||
| Medal of Valor of the Financial Guard | Acts of courage aimed at saving lives, preventing accidents, or bringing luster and decorum while serving the Guardia di Finanza | [40] | ||
| Award for Civil Valor | Acts of exceptional courage manifesting civic virtue | [41] |