The Order of the Crown of Italy (
Italian: Ordine della Corona d'Italia or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King
Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate
the unification of Italy in 1861.[1] It was awarded in five degrees for civilian and military merit. Today the Order of the Crown has been replaced by the Order of Merit of Savoy and is still conferred on new knights by the current head of the house of
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice.
The order has been suppressed by law since the
foundation of the Republic in 1946. However,
Umberto II did not abdicate his position as fons honorum and it remained under his Grand Mastership as a dynastic order. While the continued use of those decorations conferred prior to 1951 is permitted in Italy, the crowns on the ribbons issued before 1946 must be substituted for as many five pointed stars on military uniforms.[2]
Grades
The various degrees of the order, with corresponding ribbons, were as follows:
Ribbon
Class (English)
Class (Italian)
Manner of wear
Knight Grand Cross
Cavaliere di Gran Croce decorati del Grande Cordone
Badge on sash on right shoulder, plus star on left chest
Grand Officer
Grande Ufficiale dell'Ordine della Corona d'Italia
Star on left chest
Commander
Commendatore dell'Ordine della Corona d'Italia
Badge on necklet
Officer
Ufficiale dell'Ordine della Corona d'Italia
Badge on ribbon with rosette on left chest
Knight
Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Corona d'Italia
Badge on ribbon on left chest
Insignia
Medals
Kingdom of Italy
Knight
Officer
Commander
Grand Officer
Knight Grand Cross
Italian Republic and Savoy House
Knight
Officer
Commander
Grand Officer
Knight Grand Cross
Members
Members of the order have included:
Isaac Artom (1829–1900), Italian writer diplomat, and politician
Under their section: chivalric institutions founded by the head of a formerly reigning dynasty, the Order has been defined as the following since their 2016 register:[11]
ITALY
House of Savoy (Catholic)
Merit of Savoy
Founded: H.R.H. Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont and Prince of Naples 23 January 1988.
Ribbon: Blue with a broad white centre stripe.
Grand Master: H.R.H. Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont and Prince of Naples (Vittorio Emanuele IV, Titular King of Italy) (b. 1937).
Order of Merit of Savoy Recipients (amongst others)
As of the year 2000 there are/were 1453 recipients of the Order of Merit.[12]
^Founded by Royal Decree No. 4251 of 20 February 1868, renewed by Royal Decree No. 4850 of 24 January 1869, Royal Magistral Decree of 17 November 1907 and Royal Decree No. 276 of 16 March 1911