Order of the Crown of Italy

The Order of the Crown of Italy, Italian: Ordine della Corona d'Italia, was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861.[1] It was awarded in five degrees for civilian and military merit.

Order of the Crown of Italy
Ordine della Corona d'Italia
Star of the Grand Cordon set of the Order
Awarded by

The Head of the Italian Royal Family
TypeDynastic Order of Knighthood
Established20 February 1868
Royal houseHouse of Savoy
EligibilityMilitary, civilian
Awarded forMeritorious Service or Achievement
StatusRarely constituted
FounderKing Victor Emmanuel II
Grand MasterPrince Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Chairman of the CouncilPrince Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice
GradesKnight Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Knight
Precedence
Next (higher)Royal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Next (lower)Royal Civil Order of Savoy
Royal Military Order of Savoy

Ribbon bar

Compared with the older Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572), the Order of the Crown of Italy was awarded more liberally and could be conferred on non-Catholics as well; eventually, it became a requirement for a person to have already received the Order of the Crown of Italy in at least the same degree before receiving the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.

The order has been suppressed by law since the foundation of the Republic in 1946. However, Umberto II did not abdicate his position as fons honorum and it remained under his Grand Mastership as a dynastic order. While the continued use of those decorations conferred prior to 1951 is permitted in Italy, the crowns on the ribbons issued before 1946 must be substituted for as many five pointed stars on military uniforms.[2]

Grades

The various degrees of the order, with corresponding ribbons, were as follows:

RibbonClass (English)Class (Italian)Manner of wear
Knight Grand CrossCavaliere di Gran Croce decorati del Grande CordoneBadge on sash on right shoulder, plus star on left chest
Grand OfficerGrande Ufficiale dell'Ordine della Corona d'ItaliaStar on left chest
CommanderCommendatore dell'Ordine della Corona d'ItaliaBadge on necklet
OfficerUfficiale dell'Ordine della Corona d'ItaliaBadge on ribbon with rosette on left chest
KnightCavaliere dell'Ordine della Corona d'ItaliaBadge on ribbon on left chest

Insignia
Medals
Kingdom of Italy
Knight
Officer
Commander
Grand Officer
Knight Grand Cross
Italian Republic and Savoy House
Knight
Officer
Commander
Grand Officer
Knight Grand Cross
  • The badge of the order was a gilt cross with curved edges, enamelled in white, with the so-called Savoy knots between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc featured the Iron Crown of Lombardy (as appeared on the Austrian Order of the Iron Crown) on a blue enamel background. The reverse central disc had a black-enamelled eagle bearing the Savoy cross on a golden background.
  • The star of the Grand Cross was an eight-pointed faceted silver star; the central disc featured the Iron Crown on a blue enamelled background, surrounded by a white enamel ring bearing the inscription VICT. EMMAN. II REX ITALIAE MDCCCLXVI (Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy, 1866). There was a black-enamelled eagle bearing the Savoy cross above the star.
  • The star of the Grand Officer was an eight-pointed faceted silver star with ball tips at each point and with the obverse of the badge superimposed upon it.
  • The ribbon of the order was red-white-red.

Members

Members of the order have included:

Order of Merit of Savoy

Following the demise of the last reigning monarch in 1983, the order, founded by the first, is no longer bestowed. It was replaced by the Order of Merit of Savoy instituted by his heir, the current head of the former Royal House, in 1988. While the Ordine al merito d'Savoia has never been a national order, it is subsidiary to the Civil Order of Savoy which was.[5] The Order of Merit has around 2,000 members and, as with the Order of the Crown of Italy previously, it is entrusted to the Chancellor of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.

See also

References
  1. Founded by Royal Decree No. 4251 of 20 February 1868, renewed by Royal Decree No. 4850 of 24 January 1869, Royal Magistral Decree of 17 November 1907 and Royal Decree No. 276 of 16 March 1911
  2. Ordini Cavallereschi del Regno d'Italia Archived 2010-01-20 at WebCite Corpo della Nobiltà Italiana (retrieved 10 September 2009)
  3. "WILLIAM VERBECK, EDUCATOR, IS DEAD; General and Former Commander of New York National Guard, Succumbs at 69.HEADED MANLIUS SCHOOL In 1927 He Was Made Commander of Crown of Italy--Received Citizenship by Legislative Act". The New York Times. 1930-08-25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  4. Tremblay, Yves (2005). "BAYLOCK, HARRY WOODBURN". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 15. University of Toronto/Université Laval. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  5. Statutes of the Order of Merit of Savoy 23 January 1988, revised 10 October 1996
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