Old Military Order of Savoy

Military Order of Savoy
Insignia of the Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of Savoy
Awarded by Kingdom of Italy and Kingdom of Sardinia
Type	Order of knighthood
Eligibility	Military personnel
Awarded for	Valour
Status	Reconstituted on 2 January 1947
Statistics
Established	Turin, 14 August 1815
First awarded	Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Last awarded	Enrico de Nicola
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Equivalent	Military Order of Italy
Next (lower)	Civil Order of Savoy

The Military Order of Savoy was a military honorary order of the Kingdom of Sardinia first, and of the Kingdom of Italy later. Following the abolition of the Italian monarchy, the order became the Military Order of Italy.

The origin of the Military Order of Savoy can be traced back to the first honorary degrees granted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia to its soldiers (see Gold Medal of Military Valor).

Later this degrees went into disuse because of the Napoleonic regime in Italy and especially in Piedmont. On 1 April 1815 these honorary degrees were used again by Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and later abolished on the 14th of August of the same year.

Later again, all of these honorary degrees become part of one, and became, the Military Order of Savoy. This military order was to be granted to the soldiers who fought in the Italian army of Napoleon and became part of the Legion of Honor (or either obtained the honorary degree of Order of the Iron Crown) due to military merit. This honorary degree was conceded to everyone no matter what religion or rank the soldier was.

This degree was a typically French honorary degree.

Another purpose this Order was created to reward all other kind of military merit, to the simple soldier and up to the high-ranked officer, that performed a special military feat during battle.

Following the foundation of the Republic, the order was renamed the Military Order of Italy in 1947; it continues to be awarded under that title today.

The Order was once split into four different grades of merit:

With the entry of this new Order in the honorary degree system of the Kingdom of Italy these four different grades were then modified into five: