Acqui Motorized Brigade

Brigata Motorizzata "Acqui"
Coat of Arms Acqui Brigade
Active	25 October 1831 - 30 June 1996 1 January 2003 - today
Country	Italy
Allegiance	Italian Army
Branch	Army
Type	Brigade
Role	Infantry
Part of	COMFOTER
Garrison/HQ	L'Aquila

The Acqui Motorized Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Italian Army, based in the centre of the Italian peninsula. The Brigade was one of the oldest of the Italian Army and the name connected the brigade to its original area of recruitment around the city of Acqui. In 2003 the Acqui was raised as a division command and in 2013 the Acqui became a full division.

After the ascension to the throne of Charles Albert of Sardinia on 27 April 1831 a major reform of the military of the Kingdom of Piedmont was undertaken. Thus on 25 October 1831 the Acqui Brigade was raised in Nice and consisted of the 1st Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Infantry Regiment. the 1st Infantry Regiment continued the traditions of the Desportes Regiment. The Desportes had been founded on 27 October 1703 by Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia as a foreign volunteer regiment. By 1839 each regiment fielded four battalions, which in turn fielded 4 companies of 250 men each. In 1839 the regiments of the Acqui were numbered and renamed as 17th Infantry Regiment Aacqui and 18th Infantry Regiment Acqui.

The brigade participated in the First Italian War of Independence fighting in the battles of Santa Lucia, Goito and Novara. For its conduct at Novara the 17th Infantry Regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor. In 1855 the brigade provided two battalions for the Sardinian Expeditionary Corps in the Crimean War. In the Second Italian War of Independence the brigade was employed in the battles of Magenta and Solferino. For its service at Solferino the 17th Infantry Regiment was awarded its second Silver Medal of Military Valor. In the following years the brigade was employed in Calabria and the region of Salerno to suppress the popular revolt of the peasant population against the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies into the new Kingdom of Italy.