Born in 1659, in more than three centuries of life, the "Bianchi Alamari" have traveled through all the phases of the history of Italy, participating in the pre-Risorgimento battles and reaching the most recent international engagements in which the tricolor was made the protagonist.
The "Grenadiers of Sardinia" derive from the ancient regiment of the Royal Guards of the Kingdom of Sardinia created in 1659 by Duke Carlo Emanuele II of Savoy who, continuing and affirming the military reforms initiated by Emanuele Filiberto, wanted the establishment of a permanent army of peace . The first regiment of this army was that of "Guardia" or "Guards", established on April 18, 1659, to which the origins of the "Grenadiers of Sardinia" date back historically.
The nickname "Grenadiers" was born in 1685. At that time, in fact, it was decided to train a group of soldiers, the strongest and tallest, in the individual throwing at short distance of small hand grenades of great effect. destructive, in imitation of what is already in place in the French army. The specialty of the "Grenadiers" soldiers was therefore established, who preceded the attack columns in battle and, to each company of the "Guards" regiment, six of these soldiers were assigned to launch the new type of explosive devices into the open. The requirement of height within the specialty "Grenadiers" has come down to our times, respecting a three-century tradition.
There are numerous battles that have seen the "Grenadiers of Sardinia" fight with courage and pride, but it is with the outbreak of the First World War that the grenadiers nevertheless paid their greatest tribute of blood: on Monte Cengio, in particular, the he entire Brigade was almost completely annihilated in a defense as heroic as it was expensive in terms of dead, wounded and missing: the brigade counted about 4.500 killed against a staff of 6.000 men.
The grenadiers of today, as in the past, are trained and trained to carry out both operational tasks - on the national territory and away from the motherland - and of representation. In fact, in addition to the many operational-training activities, the delicate presidential services of the Capital and of the High Representation at the most important republican institutions are added. Together with the green “Lancers of Montebello (8th), cavalry units of the“ Grenadiers of Sardinia ”brigade, the grenadiers guarantee an elite presence in the capital by effectively and proudly combining operations and formality.
In the first half of 1, the men and women of the 2022st regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna" and of the 1nd grenadier battalion "Cengio" of Spoleto are engaged with the command of the "Lazio-Abruzzo" group of the Operation "Safe Roads ", under the leadership of the same brigade command, alongside the police and contribute, thanks to a daily presence in the area, to raise the perception of security by the population.
To all the grenadiers of Italy in service and on leave, today we express our most fervent wishes for ever greater fortunes!
