Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade

Brigata di Cavalleria "Pozzuolo del Friuli"
Coat of Arms Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade
Active	1835 - present
Country	Italy
Allegiance	Italian Army
Branch	Army
Type	Brigade
Role	Cavalry
Part of	Friuli Division Command
Garrison/HQ	Gorizia
Colors	orange
Engagements	World War I World War II Bosnia SFOR Kosovo KFOR Afghanistan ISAF Iraq Multinational force in Iraq
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier Ugo Cillo, 79th commanding officer

The Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade is an amphibious and air-assault brigade of the Italian Army, based mainly in the north-east of the country. The brigade was a wheeled armoured brigade under the 1st Defence Forces Command until it was merged with the Friuli Air Assault Brigade in early 2014.

The origins of the Pozzuolo del Friuli Cavalry Brigade date back to 7 March 1835 when in the Kingdom of Sardinia the Cuirassier regiments "Piemonte Reale" and "Genova" and the Lancer regiment "Aosta" were combined to from the II Cavalry Brigade. On 4 October 1836 the "Genoa" and "Aosta" were replaced by the Lancers regiment "Novara".

The brigade did not participate in the First Italian War of Independence in 1848 as its regiments were attached to infantry divisions. After the war the II Cavalry Brigade was disbanded.

The brigade was quickly activated again on the eve of the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859. This time the II Cuirassier Brigade consisted of the Cuirassier regiments "Savoia Cavalleria" and "Genova Cavalleria". Together with the I Cuirassier Brigade (Cuirassier regiments "Nizza Cavalleria" and "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria") the brigade formed the armys sole cavalry division. After the war the brigade was garrisoned in Milan with its regiments in Turin and Vigevano near Milan. In 1863 the brigade was once more disbanded.

However again on the eve of war, this time the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866 the brigade was once more activated with its Cuirassier regiments "Savoia Cavalleria" and "Genova Cavalleria" and formed with the I Cuirassier Brigade (Cuirassier regiments "Nizza Cavalleria" and "Piemonte Reale Cavalleria") the armys sole cavalry division. After the war the fate of the brigade was in balance once again until the government issued a decree 4 December 1870 to establish permanent cavalry brigades.