This morning, in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, the soldiers of the "Granatieri", the oldest military unit of the Italian Army, lined up in arms, attended the celebration of the Holy Mass in suffrage of Don Alberto Genovese, Duke of San Pietro, officiated by Monsignor Sergio Piddi, vicar general of the Military Ordinariate for Italy.
The ceremony was preceded by the parade of the units of the "Grenadiers" brigade in historical uniform of 1848 which, marching from the "Macao" barracks of Castro Pretorio along the streets of the capital, reached the State Church located in Piazza della Repubblica.
The ceremony took place in the presence of the Army Chief of Staff, Corps General Pietro Serino, and various authorities, including the affairs advisor of the Supreme Defense Council and secretary of the Supreme Defense Council , General Rolando Mosca Moschini, the commander of the Southern Operational Forces, general of the army corps Giuseppenicola Tota, and several former Army Chiefs of Staff.
The direct descendants of the Genoese dynasty, always participating in and close to the "Bianchi Alamari", are also present in the more than one hundred year old tradition.
Don Bernardino Antonio Genovese, Duke of San Pietro, Sardinian patrician and father of Alberto, on 10 July 1744 established in Cagliari, at his own expense, the infantry regiment of order "of Sardinia" with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of the settlers as soon as landed on the island of San Pietro, overlooking the Sardinian coasts. Two years later, in 1776, his son Alberto Genovese, who inherited the noble title, donated 120.000 old Piedmontese lire to the regiment, establishing its use for the establishment and subsequent maintenance of regimental music, as well as a fund of piety. for the assistance of needy families of the Grenadiers.
In the testamentary writing, the Duke of San Pietro also ordered that it be celebrated: “Perpetually… anniversary in suffrage and in memory of it, Mr. Duke Alberto, on the anniversary of his death ". The will of the ancient benefactor to place the soldier and his family at the center of his will is still a priority of the Army today.
At the end of the religious function, the commander of the "Granatieri di Sardegna" brigade, Brigadier General Liberato Amadio, wanted to dwell on the meaning of the celebration: The symbolic ceremony has surpassed its original character by becoming a symbol of the traditions of the "Grenadiers of Sardinia". Military traditions constitute a moral and educational heritage for anyone who has served in the Armed Forces and especially in the Army. The resulting feeling is summarized with the simple but significant concept of "body spirit".
The "Grenadiers", specialty of the Infantry, participate and compete in the main national and international missions in which the Armed Force is called to intervene; they are currently engaged with the command of the "Lazio and Abruzzo" grouping as part of the "Safe Roads" operation and provide, with the help of other Army departments, about 1.500 soldiers in support of the Police, ensuring a daily presence on the territory of the capital.
To the many operational / training activities, also in the fight against Covid-19, are added the most important presidential services of the capital and of high representation at the main institutional offices of the Republic.
