Medal of Military Valor

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The Medal of Military Valor (Italian language: Medaglia al valor militare) is an Italian medal, originally established as a Sardinian award. It is awarded to military personnel, units above the level of company, and civilians for exceptional valor in the face of the enemy.

The medal has three levels:

• The Gold Medal of Military Valor, established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia.
• The Silver Medal of Military Valor, established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia.
• The Bronze Medal of Military Valor, established in 1887 by King Umberto I of Italy.
• Below the medal, the War Cross of Military Valor is awarded, established in 1922 by King Victor Emmanuel III.

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. A version was also produced by the Italian Social Republic in 1943 in which the central arms are replaced by a Gladius.

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, it became an Italian decoration on the creation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, being also used by the Italian Social Republic between 1943 and 1945. It is a now awarded by the Republic of Italy.

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 Falling into disuse during the Napoleonic era, it was revived on 1 April 1815 by Victor Emmanuel I. Emmanuel I repealed the institution a few months later, on 4 August 1815, replacing the medals for bravery with the Military Order of Savoy.

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 was awarded for the Crimean War, 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 and Army.

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.

During the First World War 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 was awarded the Medal of Military Valor in Gold, the only foreign head of state to receive this award.

Royal Decree #1423 of 4 November 1932 defined new rules for granting the Valor medals, as well as the War Cross for Military Valor 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 12 November 1932, #261.

Nominations for the medal, except in exceptional cases provided for in time of war, are scrutinized by a special military commission.

The award is intended for the military (individuals or entire military units, not below Company level), former partisan combatants, municipalities, provinces, and individual citizens.

Types

Decorations of Valor are divided into the following classes: :[[File:Valor militare gold medal - old style BAR.svg|100px]] Gold Medal of Military Valor (26 March 1833 – 10 May 1943) :[[File:Valor militare gold medal BAR.svg|100px]] Gold Medal of Military Valor (10 May 1943 – Present) :[[File:Valor militare silver medal BAR.svg|100px]] Silver Medal of Military Valor (26 March 1833 – Present) :[[File:Croce_di_guerra_al_valor_militare_BAR.svg|100px]] Bronze Medal of Military Valor (8 December 1887 – 10 May 1943) :[[File:Valor militare bronze medal BAR.svg|100px]] Bronze Medal of Military Valor (10 May 1943 – Present) :[[File:MeritoMilitare+.png|100px]] War Cross of Military Valor (7 January 1922 – 10 May 1943) :[[File:Croce_di_guerra_al_valor_militare_BAR.svg|100px]] War Cross of Military Valor (10 May 1943 – Present)

:[[File:Valor dell'esercito gold medal BAR.svg|100px]] Gold Medal of Army Valor :[[File:Valor dell'esercito silver medal BAR.svg|100px]] Silver Medal of Army Valor :[[File:Valor dell'esercito bronze medal BAR.svg|100px]] Bronze Medal of Army Valor

:[[File:Valor di marina gold medal BAR.svg|100px]] Gold Medal of Navy Valor :[[File:Valor di marina silver medal BAR.svg|100px]] Silver Medal of Navy Valor :[[File:Valor di marina bronze medal BAR.svg|100px]] Bronze Medal of Navy Valor

:[[File:Valor aeronautico gold medal BAR.svg|100px]] Gold Medal of Aeronautic Valor :[[File:Valor aeronautico silver medal BAR.svg|100px]] Silver Medal of Aeronautic Valor :[[File:Valor aeronautico bronze medal BAR.svg|100px]] Bronze Medal of Aeronautic Valor

:[[File:ValoreCC1.png|100px]] Gold Medal of Carabinieri Valor :[[File:ValoreCC2.png|100px]] Silver Medal of Carabinieri Valor :[[File:ValoreCC3.png|100px]] Bronze Medal of Carabinieri Valor

:[[File:ValoreGdF1.png|100px]] Gold Medal of Guardia di Finanza Valor :[[File:ValoreGdF2.png|100px]] Silver Medal of Guardia di Finanza Valor :[[File:ValoreGdF3.png|100px]] Bronze Medal of Guardia di Finanza Valor

Medals of Merit

:[[File:Croce al merito dell'esercito gold medal BAR.svg|60px]] Gold Cross of Army Merit :[[File:Croce al merito dell'esercito silver medal BAR.svg|60px]] Silver Cross of Army Merit :[[File:Croce al merito dell'esercito bronze medal BAR.svg|60px]] Bronze Cross of Army Merit

:[[File:Croce al merito della marina gold medal BAR.svg|60px]] Gold Cross of Navy Merit :[[File:Croce al merito della marina silver medal BAR.svg|60px]] Silver Cross of Navy Merit :[[File:MeritoMarinaBz.png|60px]] Bronze Cross of Navy Merit

:[[File:Croce al merito dell'aeronautica gold medal BAR.svg|60px]] Gold Cross of Aeronautic Merit :[[File:Croce al merito dell'aeronautica silver medal BAR.svg|60px]] Silver Cross of Aeronautic Merit :[[File:Croce al merito dell'aeronautica bronze medal BAR.svg|60px]] Bronze Cross of Aeronautic Merit

:[[File:Croce al merito dei carabinieri gold medal BAR.svg|60px]] Gold Cross of Carabinieri Merit :[[File:Croce al merito dei carabinieri silver medal BAR.svg|60px]] Silver Cross of Carabinieri Merit :[[File:Croce al merito dei carabinieri bronze medal BAR.svg|60px]] Bronze Cross of Carabinieri Merit

:[[File:MeritoGdF1.png|60px]] Gold Cross of Guardia di Finanza Merit :[[File:MeritoGdF2.png|60px]] Silver Cross of Guardia di Finanza Merit :[[File:Croce al merito della Guardia di Finanza - 03.png|60px]] Bronze Cross of Guardia di Finanza Merit

:[[File:Croce di guerra al merito SC BAR.svg|60px]] War Merit Cross - Second award :[[File:Croce di guerra al merito BAR.svg|60px]] War Merit Cross

References

References

1. Captain H. Taprell Dorling.. "Ribbons and Medals.".
2. [http://augusto.digitpa.gov.it/gazzette/index/download/id/1915139_PM Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy n. 139 of 2 June 1915]
3. [http://augusto.agid.gov.it/gazzette/index#giorno=22&mese=07&anno=1922 Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy n. 176 of 27 July 1922]
4. Captain H. Taprell Dorling.. "Ribbons and Medals.".
5. [http://augusto.digitpa.gov.it/gazzette/index/download/id/1887298_PM Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy n. 298 of 20 December 1887]
6. "Nel 1° Centenario della istituzione della Medaglia al Valor Militare" edizione del 1933 dell' Ufficio storico dell' esercito
7. [http://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/12519 "Romanov Nicola II Czar di Russia"] (in Italian), ''Official website of the president of the Republic''. Retrieved 11 December 2018.