The 47th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara" () is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Capua. The regiment is named for the city of Ferrara and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 2 July 1859, during the Second Italian War of Independence, a mobile column was formed with volunteers in Bologna. The column did not see action in the war and was soon split into two columns. On 1 October 1859, the 1st Mobile Column was renamed 25th Infantry Regiment and assigned, together with the 26th Infantry Regiment to the Brigade "Ferrara" of the Army of the League of Central Italy of the United Provinces of Central Italy. On 1 January 1860, the 25th Infantry Regiment was renumbered 47th Infantry Regiment, and on 25 March 1860, the regiment joined the Royal Sardinian Army.
In 1866, the regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front, during which it distinguished itself in the Second Battle of the Piave River and was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valor. During World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division "Ferrara", with which it fought in the Greco-Italian War, where the regiment earned a second Gold Medal of Military Valor. Afterwards the regiment was sent to occupied Yugoslavia on garrison duty. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division and its regiments were disbanded by invading German forces.
In 1977, a detachment of the 48th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara" in Barletta became an autonomous training unit designated 47th Infantry Battalion "Salento". The battalion was assigned the flag and traditions of the 47th Infantry Battalion "Ferrara". In 1997, the battalion lost its autonomy and entered the 47th Volunteer Training Regiment "Ferrara". In 2015, the regiment was disbanded and its battalion assigned to the 17th Volunteer Training Regiment "Acqui". The regiment's anniversary falls on 15 June 1918, the first day of the Second Battle of the Piave River, during which the regiment distinguished itself and was awarded Italy's highest military honor a Gold Medal of Military Valor.
History First Italian War of Independence On 5 February 1831, inspired by the Revolutions of 1830, the cities of Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, and Forlì in the Papal Legations of the Romagne rose up against the pope's rule. The revolt quickly spread to the cities of Ancona in the Papal Legations of the Marche and Perugia in the Papal Legations of Umbria. In March 1831, the Austrian Empire sent troops to squash the rebels and return the cities to papal rule.
In 1848, this time inspired by the Revolutions of 1848, the cities rose again up against papal rule. At the same time the Kingdom of Sardinia fought the First Italian War of Independence against the Austrian Empire. On 8 August 1848, the citizens of Bologna defeated an Austrian troops, which had been sent to occupy the city. On 23 March 1849, after Sardinia was defeated in the Battle of Novara, King Charles Albert of Sardinia abdicated in favour of his son Victor Emmanuel II. The next day the new King was forced to agree to the Armistice of Vignale, which ended the First Italian War of Independence. This allowed the Austrians to send troops to crush the rebel republics, which had been formed in the Papal Legations of the Romagne and the Marche. On 16 May 1849, after a siege of 8 days, Bologna was forced to surrender to Austrian forces. Afterwards the city was returned papal rule and an Austrian garrison remained in the city.
Formation On 21 July 1858, French Emperor Napoleon III and the Prime Minister of Sardinia Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour met in Plombières and reached a secret verbal agreement on a military alliance between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire. On 26 January 1859, Napoleon III signed the Franco-Sardinian Treaty, followed by King Victor Emmanuel II on 29 January 1859. On 9 March 1859, Sardinia mobilized its army, followed by Austria on 9 April. On 23 April, Austria delivered an ultimatum to Sardinia demanding its demobilization. Upon Sardinia's refusal, Austria declared war on 26 April and three days later the Austrians crossed the Ticino river into Piedmont. Consequently, France honored its alliance with Sardinia and declared war on Austria on 3 May 1859.
On 2 June 1859, French and Sardinian forces crossed the Ticino river and on 4 June defeated the Austrians in the Battle of Magenta. As a consequence of the defeat the Austrian garrison left Bologna, where on 2 July 1859, volunteers formed the Mobile Column of the Romagne. The column did not see action in the Second Italian War of Independence and was soon divided into the 1st Mobile Column and 2nd Mobile Column. On 10 August 1859, the Provisional Government of the Romagne joined the United Provinces of Central Italy, which then decided to form the Army of the League of Central Italy. On 1 October 1859, the 1st Mobile Column was renamed the 25th Infantry Regiment, while the 2nd Mobile Column was renamed the 26th Infantry Regiment. The two regiments were assigned to the Brigade "Ferrara", which was part of the Army of the League of Central Italy.
On 30 November 1859, the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, Duchy of Modena and Reggio, and the Papal Legations of the Romagne were united under the Royal Government of Emilia, which on 1 January 1860 was redesignated as the Royal Provinces of Emilia. On the same date, the 25th and 26th infantry regiments took their place in the progressive numerical order of the regiments of the Royal Sardinian Army and became the 47th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara") and 48th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara"). On 11 and 12 March 1860, the Royal Provinces of Emilia voted in a plebiscite for annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia. On 18 March 1860, the annexation act was presented to Victor Emmanuel II and one week later, on 25 March 1860, the Brigade "Ferrara" and its two regiments were formally incorporated into the Royal Sardinian Army.
On 5 May 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand set off from Genoa and landed on 11 May in Marsala in Sicily. On 15 May 1860, Garibaldi won the Battle of Calatafimi and the Sardinian government decided to send reinforcements to Sicily. As the Brigade "Ferrara" consisted entirely of volunteers, which were eager to join Garibaldi in Sicily, the entire personnel of the brigade was released from service on 20 May. Most men of the brigade then joined the expedition of Giacomo Medici, which departed for Sicily in the nights between 8 and 10 June 1860. The Brigade "Ferrara" was immediately reformed, with the uneven numbered infantry regiments, from 3rd Infantry Regiment to 27th Infantry Regiment, ceding their 4th Company to help reform the 47th Infantry Regiment, while the even numbered infantry regiments, from 4th Infantry Regiment to 28th Infantry Regiment, ceded their 4th Company to help reform the 48th Infantry Regiment.
Third Italian War of Independence After the successful conclusion of Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On 17 March 1861, King Victor Emmanuel II proclaimed himself King of Italy. In 1862, the Brigade "Ferrara" moved to Sicily, where the brigade operated in the Western half of the island to suppress the anti-Sardinian revolt, which had erupted in Southern Italy after the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
On 1 August 1862, the two regiments of the Brigade "Ferrara" ceded their 17th Company and 18th Company to help form the 66th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Valtellina"). In 1866, the Brigade "Ferrara" participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. On 25 October 1871, the brigade level was abolished, and the two regiments of the Brigade "Ferrara" were renamed 47th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara", respectively 48th Infantry Regiment "Ferrara". On 2 January 1881, the brigade level was reintroduced, and the two regiments were renamed again as 47th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara") and 48th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Ferrara"). On 1 November 1884, the 47th Infantry Regiment ceded some of its companies to help form the 85th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Verona") in Tortona. In 1887–88 the regiment's 4th Company deployed to Massawa for the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889, which led to the establishment of the Italian colony of Eritrea. In 1895–96, the regiment provided eight officers and 266 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.
In December 1908, the regiment was deployed to the area of the Strait of Messina for the recovery efforts after the 1908 Messina earthquake. For its service the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Merit, which was affixed to the regiment's flag. In 1911–12, the regiment provided twelve officers and 1,550 enlisted for units deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War.
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I, the Brigade "Ferrara" formed, together with the Brigade "Brescia" and the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, the 22nd Division. At the time the 47th Infantry Regiment consisted of three battalions, each of which fielded four fusilier companies and one machine gun section. On 1 January 1915, the depot of the 47th Infantry Regiment in Lecce formed the 140th Infantry Regiment for the newly formed Brigade "Bari". After Italy's entry into the war on 23 May 1915, the Brigade "Ferrara" was deployed on the Karst plateau near Polazzo, where the brigade fought in June and July 1915 in the First Battle of the Isonzo. From 18 July to 3 August 1918, the brigade fought again near Polazzo in the Second Battle of the Isonzo. After a break the brigade returned to the Karst plateau on 7 November 1915. This time the brigade was deployed on Monte San Michele On 10 November 1915, the Fourth Battle of the Isonzo began and the brigade attacked Austrian lines near San Martino del Carso. By 23 November, the brigade had suffered 1,400 casualties and was sent to the rear. On 8 December 1915, the 47th Infantry Regiment's depot in Lecce formed a battalion, which was assigned on 8 March 1916 to the newly formed 220th Infantry Regiment of the Brigade "Sele".