Corazzieri
The Corazzieri Regiment ( it. Reggimento Corazzieri , literally " Cuirassier Regiment ") of the Carabinieri is the bodyguard of the Italian President .
tasks
The Corazzieri are responsible for the safety and integrity of the Italian President and for the protection of his official residence. They serve in the Quirinal Palace in Rome (seat of the President) and often accompany the President on his business trips . If the Italian Senate President as Vice President of the Republic takes over the (domestic) official business of the State President because he is prevented or is abroad, the Corazzieri perform their service with the President of the Italian Senate or at his official seat, the Palazzo Giustiniani . When visiting foreign state guests, they form formations together with units from other branches of the armed forces.
The Corazzieri used on horseback and on foot can be recognized by their full cuirass (breast and back armor), their metal helmets with horsehair tails and, above all, their height (1.90 m minimum). There is a similar formation in France ( Garde républicaine ) and also in the United Kingdom ( Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment ).
The Corazzieri are not to be confused with the 4th Carabinieri Regiment on horseback or with the Granatieri di Sardegna ( grenadiers ) and the Lancieri di Montebello ( cavalry ), who are guard troops of the Italian army and also take on honorary and representative tasks with the Italian government . They too wear special parade uniforms for this purpose .
structure
Like almost all regiments of the Italian army today, the Corazzieri regiment only has battalion strength . In addition to staff and supply units, the regiment has a personal protection unit and two squadrons on horseback , which also drive motorcycle escorts. To Corazziere to be, certain physical conditions are to be brought, including the said minimum size of 1.90 m. In addition, one must have served at least six months in other Carabinieri units and have been assessed very well there.
history
As a regiment of guards on horseback, the Corazzieri are the successors of a guards unit founded in the 14th century by the Counts of Savoy , which distinguished itself in 1557 under Emanuel Philibert at the Battle of Saint-Quentin . Under various names, this guard with its three to nine companies (including a Compagnia Corazze di Sua Altezza ) was also responsible for the protection of the Dukes of Savoy and the kings of Sardinia-Piedmont and also took part in several campaigns with some units. The House of Savoy introduced after the Italian unification ( Risorgimento ), the kings of Italy . After the establishment of the Carabinieri in 1814, they gradually took over the tasks and tradition of the domestic troops , which were completely dissolved by 1870. The Corazzieri have changed their name several times since 1868. They were sometimes called "Honor Guard of His Majesty" or "Carabinieri Guard Squadron of the King", after the abolition of the monarchy they traded under the "Carabinieri Command Guard of the State President" and "Carabinieri Regiment Guard of the Republic". In popular parlance, however, they were only called " cuirassiers " because of their uniform . This was taken into account in 1992: the regiment has been called Reggimento Corazzieri since then . The regiment's barracks are located about half a kilometer northeast of the Roman Quirinal Palace in Via XX Settembre. It is named after the Carabinieri major Alessandro Negri di Sanfront, who led the Carabinieri bodyguard at the time on April 30, 1848 at the Battle of Pastrengo .
