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Gold Medal of Military Valor
Medaglia d'oro al valor militare
Medaglia d'oro al valor militare-regno.svg Medaglia d'oro al valor militare.svg
Gold Medal of Military Valor
(Royal version & Republican version)
Country Italy

The Gold Medal of Military Valor (Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) is a very important Italian military award. It was first created on May 21, 1793, by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia. This medal is given to junior officers and soldiers who show amazing bravery during wartime.

The first medals had a picture of the king on one side. The other side showed a flag and the words "for Valor."

History of the Gold Medal

How the Medal Changed Over Time

In 1815, King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia replaced the medal with the Military Order of Savoy. Today, this is known as the Military Order of Italy.

Later, in 1833, Charles Albert of Sardinia brought the Gold Medal back. He also added Silver and Bronze medals for bravery. These new medals featured the coat of arms of Savoy with laurel branches and a royal crown. They also said "for military Valor." The back of the medal showed two laurel branches around the soldier's name, along with where and when the brave act happened.

After Italy became a Republic in 1946, the old symbol of the House of Savoy was changed. It was replaced with the emblem of the Italian Republic.

Awards During World Wars

During World War I, the Gold Medal was given out about 368 times to individual soldiers. It was also awarded 37 times to military units. Once, it was even given to the Unknown Soldier. Only four foreigners received this medal, including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. This medal was very rarely given out in World War I. For example, the British Victoria Cross was awarded 628 times, showing how special the Gold Medal was.

In World War II, soldiers from the Royal Italian Army received the medal. After 1943, when Italy changed sides, it was given to members of the Italian forces who fought with the Allies. Another group, the Italian Social Republic, made their own version of the medal. However, the Italian government after the war did not recognize these awards.

The Medal Today

The Gold Medal for Military Valor is still awarded by the Italian government. It is given for "heroic military acts," even in peacetime. These acts must be closely related to the purpose of the Armed Forces. The medal helps to publicly honor those who show great courage.

Who Has Received the Gold Medal?

Brave Individuals Honored

The very first person to receive the Gold Medal was Domenico Millelire in 1793. He was part of the Royal Sardinian Navy. One of the most recent recipients was Chief Corporal-Major Andrea Adorno in 2014. He received it for his bravery in Afghanistan in 2010.

Many brave people have received this medal. Here are some of them:

Military Units Honored

The first military unit to receive a Gold Medal was the Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Maestà" in 1796. They were honored for their actions during the Battle of Mondovì. Even though the medal was usually for individuals, the king ordered their flag to be decorated with two medals. This was because they helped save his army from Napoleon's attack.

Later, the rules changed to allow cities and military units to receive the medal. The French Imperial 3rd Zouaves Regiment was the first unit to get it after these new rules. They were honored for their bravery in the Battle of Palestro. The latest unit to receive the Gold Medal was the Jewish Brigade in 2017. This was for their service during the Italian Campaign in World War II.

In total, 112 Gold Medals have been given to units of the Italian army. Some units have even received it twice!

Cities and Regions Honored

The city of Vicenza was the first place to receive a Gold Medal of Military Valor in 1866. This was for their strong resistance against Austrian attacks during the First Italian War of Independence. Vicenza is also the only city to receive the medal twice. The second time was for its part in the Italian resistance movement during World War II.

The latest city to be honored was Varzi. This was for creating and defending the Partisan Republic of Alto Tortonese during World War II.

Here are some examples of places that have received this special award:

University of Padua

The University of Padua is the only school that has received a Gold Medal of Military Valor. It was honored in 1945 for its strong fight against German occupation from 1943 to 1945.

See also

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