47th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara"

47th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara"
47° Reggimento Fanteria "Ferrara"
Regimental coat of arms
Active	2 July 1859 — 8 Sept. 1943 1 Feb. 1977 — 2015
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	Training Units Grouping
Garrison/HQ	Capua
Motto(s)	"Fede e valore"
Anniversaries	15 June 1918 - Second Battle of the Piave River
Decorations	1x Military Order of Italy 2x Gold Medals of Military Valor 1x Calabrian-Sicilian earthquake Silver Medal of Merit
Insignia
Regimental gorget patches

The 47th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara" (Italian: 47° Reggimento Fanteria "Ferrara") is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Capua. The regiment is named for the city of Ferrara and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 2 July 1859, during the Second Italian War of Independence, a mobile column was formed with volunteers in Bologna. The column did not see action in the war and was soon split into two columns. On 1 October 1859, the 1st Mobile Column was renamed 25th Infantry Regiment and assigned, together with the 26th Infantry Regiment to the Brigade "Ferrara" of the Army of the League of Central Italy of the United Provinces of Central Italy. On 1 January 1860, the Brigade "Ferrara" was transferred to the Royal Sardinian Army, and the 25th Infantry Regiments was renumbered 47th Infantry Regiment.

In 1866, the regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front, during which it distinguished itself in the Second Battle of the Piave River and was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valor. During World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division "Ferrara", with which it fought in the Greco-Italian War, where the regiment earned a second Gold Medal of Military Valor. Afterwards the regiment was sent to occupied Yugoslavia on garrison duty. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division and its regiments were disbanded by invading German forces.

In 1977, a detachment of the 48th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara" in Barletta became an autonomous training unit designated 47th Infantry Battalion "Salento". The battalion was assigned the flag and traditions of the 47th Infantry Battalion "Ferrara". In 1997, the battalion lost its autonomy and entered the 47th Volunteer Training Regiment "Ferrara". In 2015, the regiment was disbanded and its battalion assigned to the 17th Volunteer Training Regiment "Acqui". The regiment's anniversary falls on 15 June 1918, the first day of the Second Battle of the Piave River, during which the regiment distinguished itself and was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valor.

History

First Italian War of Independence

On 5 February 1831, inspired by the Revolutions of 1830, the cities of Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, and Forlì in the Papal Legations of the Romagne rose up against the pope's rule. The revolt quickly spread to the cities of Ancona in the Papal Legations of the Marche and Perugia in the Papal Legations of Umbria. In March 1831, the Austrian Empire sent troops to squash the rebels and return the cities to papal rule.

In 1848, this time inspired by the Revolutions of 1848, the cities rose again up against papal rule. At the same time the Kingdom of Sardinia fought the First Italian War of Independence against the Austrian Empire. On 8 August 1848, the citizens of Bologna defeated an Austrian troops, which had been sent to occupy the city. On 23 March 1849, after Sardinia was defeated in the Battle of Novara, King Charles Albert of Sardinia abdicated in favour of his son Victor Emmanuel II. The next day the new King was forced to agree to the Armistice of Vignale, which ended the First Italian War of Independence. This allowed the Austrians to send troops to crush the rebel republics, which had been formed in the Papal Legations of the Romagne and the Marche. On 16 May 1849, after a siege of 8 days, Bologna was forced to surrender to Austrian forces. Afterwards the city was returned papal rule and a Austrian garrison remained in the city.

Formation

On 21 July 1858, French Emperor Napoleon III and the Prime Minister of Sardinia Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour met in Plombières and reached a secret verbal agreement on a military alliance between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire. On 26 January 1859, Napoleon III signed the Franco-Sardinian Treaty, followed by Victor Emmanuel II on 29 January 1859. On 9 March 1859, Sardinia mobilized its army, followed by Austria on 9 April. On 23 April, Austria delivered an ultimatum to Sardinia demanding its demobilization. Upon Sardinia's refusal, the war began on 26 April and three days later Austria crossed the Ticino river and war began. On 3 May 1859, France declared war on Austria.

On 2 June 1859, French and Sardinian forces crossed the Ticino river and on 4 June defeated the Austrians in the Battle of Magenta. As a consequence of the defeat the Austrian garrison left Bologna, where on 2 July 1859, volunteers formed the Mobile Column of the Romange. The column did not see action in the Second Italian War of Independence and was soon divided into the 1st Mobile Column and 2nd Mobile Column. On 10 August 1859, the Provisional Government of the Romagne joined the United Provinces of Central Italy, which together decided to from the Army of the League of Central Italy. On 1 October 1859, the 1st Mobile Column was renamed 25th Infantry Regiment, while the 2nd Mobile Column was renamed 26th Infantry Regiment. The two regiments were assigned to the Brigade "Ferrara", which was part of the Army of the League of Central Italy.

On 30 November 1859, the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, Duchy of Modena and Reggio, and the Papal Legations of the Romagne were united under the Royal Government of Emilia, which on 1 January 1860 was redesignated as the Royal Provinces of Emilia. On the same date, the two 25th and 26th infantry regiments took their place in the progressive numerical order of the regiments of the Sardinian Army and became the 47th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara") and 48th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara"). On 11 and 12 March 1860, the Royal Provinces of Emilia voted in a plebiscite for annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia. On 18 March 1860, the annexation act was presented to Victor Emmanuel II and one week later, on March 25 1860, the Brigade "Ferrara" and its two regiments were formally incorporated into the Royal Sardinian Army.

On 5 May 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand set off from Genoa and landed on 11 May in Marsala in Sicily. On 15 May 1860, Garibaldi won the Battle of Calatafimi and the Sardinian government decided to send reinforcements to Sicily. As the Brigade "Ferrara" consisted entirely of volunteers, which were eager to join Garibaldi in Sicily, the entire personnel of the brigade was released from service on 20 May. The brigade was reformed immediately, with the uneven numbered infantry regiments, from 3rd Infantry Regiment to 27th Infantry Regiment, ceding their 4th Company to help reform the 47th Infantry Regiment, while the even numbered infantry regiments, from 4th Infantry Regiment to 28th Infantry Regiment, ceded their 4th Company to help reform the 48th Infantry Regiment.

Third Italian War of Independence

After the successful conclusion of Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On 17 March 1861, King Victor Emmanuel II proclaimed himself King of Italy. In 1862, the Brigade "Ferrara" moved to Sicily, where the brigade operated in the Western half of the island to suppress the anti-Sardinian revolt, which had erupted in Southern Italy after the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

On 1 August 1862, the two regiments of the Brigade "Ferrara" ceded their 17th Company and 18th Company to help form the 66th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Valtellina"). In 1866, the Brigade "Ferrara" participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. On 25 October 1871, the brigade level was abolished, and the two regiments of the Brigade "Ferrara" were renamed 47th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara", respectively 48th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara". On 2 January 1881, the brigade level was reintroduced, and the two regiments were renamed again as 47th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara") and 48th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara"). On 1 November 1884, the 47th Infantry Regiment ceded some of its companies to help form the 85th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Verona") in Tortona. In 1887-88 the regiment's 4th Company deployed to Massawa for the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889, which led to the establishment of the Italian colony of Eritrea. In 1895–96, the regiment provided eight officers and 266 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

In December 1908 the regiment was deployed to the area of the Strait of Messina for the recovery efforts after the 1908 Messina earthquake. For its service the regiment was awarded a Calabrian-Sicilian earthquake Silver Medal of Merit, which was affixed to the regiment's flag. In 1911-12, the regiment provided twelve officers and 1,550 enlisted for units deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War.