XIX0011 – Bersaglieri in the Second War of Italian Unification

The Bersaglieri: Italy’s Running Riflemen

No other unit in Europe was built around the idea that infantry should move at a run. The Bersaglieri were founded in 1836 by Alessandro Ferrero della Marmora, an officer of the Sardinian army who wanted a corps of marksmen able to cover ground faster than the line infantry, fight in open order and scout ahead of the column. By the Second War of Italian Independence in 1859 they were the most distinctive troops on the Italian peninsula.

The Hat and the Feathers

The broad-brimmed vaira with its plume of capercaillie feathers is the most recognisable headgear in Italian military history, and it was practical before it was ornamental: the brim shielded the eyes when aiming, and the mass of feathers was intended to break up the outline of the head and absorb the impact of a sabre cut. The feathers are worn on the right so as not to foul the rifle when it is brought to the shoulder.

Trained to Run

La Marmora’s regulations required movement at the run as the standard pace, not as a sprint for emergencies — a Bersagliere was expected to cover distance at a jog under full load, and the corps drilled its buglers to play while running, which is why Bersaglieri bands still perform at the double today. Recruitment favoured marksmen from mountain districts, and the corps was issued rifled carbines when most European infantry still carried smoothbores.

1859 and After

In the Second War of Italian Independence the Bersaglieri fought at Palestro and through the campaign in Lombardy alongside the French, screening the advance and holding ground against Austrian counterattacks. Eleven years later, on 20 September 1870, it was Bersaglieri who entered Rome through the breach at Porta Pia — the act that completed Italian unification and gave the corps its permanent place in the national story.

Giuseppe Rava’s Original Work

Giuseppe Rava reconstructs the Bersagliere of the 1859 campaign from surviving uniforms and period photographs: the vaira with its plume, the short blue tunic with crimson collar, the grey-blue trousers, the rifled carbine and the leather equipment. Details of cut and insignia follow the regulations in force during the war rather than later ceremonial dress.

This is a limited edition fine art print, hand-signed by the artist, produced in SRA3 format on fine art paper. Ships worldwide.