Commemorative Medal of the Spanish Campaign

Commemorative Medal of the Spanish Campaign
Commemorative Medal of the Spanish Campaign
	The obverse (left) and reverse of the medal
Type	Commemorative medal
Awarded for	Service during the Italian intervention in the Spanish Civil War
Presented by	Fascist Italy
Eligibility	Military and civilian personnel
Status	Abolished 13 December 2010
Established	6 June 1940
	Ribbon of the medal
Precedence
Next (higher)	Commemorative Medal of the African Campaigns
Next (lower)	Commemorative Medal of the War Period 1940-43

The Commemorative Medal of the Spanish Campaign (Italian: Medaglia commemorativa della campagna di Spagna) was a decoration awarded by the Kingdom of Italy during its period of Fascist rule under Prime Minister Benito Mussolini to personnel who took part in the Italian military intervention in Spain during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939.

History[edit]

King Victor Emmanuel III established the Commemorative Medal of the Spanish Campaign with Royal Decree Number 1244 of 6 June 1940.^[1]

After deeming it obsolete, the Italian Republic abolished the medal with Presidential Decree Number 248 on 13 December 2010.^[2]

Eligibiity[edit]

Eligibility for the award extended to:^[3]

Personnel of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie ("Corps of Volunteer Troops") who served for at least three months in operational units in Spain.
Personnel of the Regia Aeronautica ("Royal Air Force") who took part in at least three flight actions of the Aviazione Legionaria ("Legionary Air Force").
Personnel of the Regia Marina ('Royal Navy") who served at least three months aboard ship in support of the interventiom.
Italian volunteers of the Tercio de Extranjeros ("Tercio of Foreigners") who served in Spain for at least three months.
Merchant mariners who provided services connected to the intervention.
Airline employees who provided services connected to the intervention.

Appearance[edit]

Medal[edit]

The medal consists of a bronze disc with a diameter of 33 millimetres (1.3 in) and a hook attachment.

The obverse depicts a naked knight brandishing a sword and riding a steed trampling a serpent and a hammer and sickle. The horse is led by a winged victory who holds a laurel wreath on his right.

The reverse depicts a slight relief of the Iberian Peninsula and the tip of Ceuta. Superimposed on the peninsula is the inscription Guerra Por La Liberation Y Unidad De Espagna 17 Julio 1936 ("War for the Liberation and Unity of Spain 17 July 1936"). The head of a winged medusa is on the upper edge above the inscription. Below the inscription is the symbol of the Kingdom of Spain, consisting of the royal coat of arms of Spain between the Pillars of Hercules wrapped in a cartouche.

Ribbon[edit]

The 37-millimetre (1.46 in) ribbon has seven vertical lines. Two 3-millimetre (0.12 in) black lines, on the left and right edges, symbolize Italian fascism. Between the black lines are five lines — three 6-millimetre (0.24 in) red lines alternating with two 6.5-millimetre (0.26 in) yellow lines — in the colors of the flag of Spain.

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

^ Royal Decree Number 1244, Concessione e istituzione di distintivi di guerra a favore del personale partecipato campagna Spagna ("Granting and institution of war badges in favor of personnel participating in the Spanish campaign"), 6 June 1940, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia ("Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy") Number 216 of 14 September 1940 (in Italian).
^ Decree of the President of the Republic Number 248, Regolamento recante abrogazione espressa delle norme regolamentari vigenti che hanno esaurito la loro funzione o sono prive di effettivo contenuto normativo o sono comunque obsolete, a norma dell'articolo 17, comma 4-ter, della legge 23 agosto 1988, n. 400 ("Regulation expressly repealing the regulatory provisions in force which have exhausted their function or are devoid of effective regulatory content or are in any case obsolete, pursuant to article 17, paragraph 4-ter, of law 23 August 1988, No. 400"), 13 December 2010, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica italiana, serie generale, n. 20 del 26 febbraio 2011, supplemento ordinario n. 18 ("Official Journal of the Italian Republic, General Series, No. 20 of 26 February 2011, Ordinary Supplement No. 18") (in Italian).
^ Morittu.

Bibliography[edit]

Morittu, Giuseppe (1982). Guerre e decorazioni 1848-1945 (in Italian). Padua: Bolzonella s.n.c.

[1] Royal Decree Number 1244, Concessione e istituzione di distintivi di guerra a favore del personale partecipato campagna Spagna ("Granting and institution of war badges in favor of personnel participating in the Spanish campaign"), 6 June 1940, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia ("Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy") Number 216 of 14 September 1940 (in Italian).

[2] Decree of the President of the Republic Number 248, Regolamento recante abrogazione espressa delle norme regolamentari vigenti che hanno esaurito la loro funzione o sono prive di effettivo contenuto normativo o sono comunque obsolete, a norma dell'articolo 17, comma 4-ter, della legge 23 agosto 1988, n. 400 ("Regulation expressly repealing the regulatory provisions in force which have exhausted their function or are devoid of effective regulatory content or are in any case obsolete, pursuant to article 17, paragraph 4-ter, of law 23 August 1988, No. 400"), 13 December 2010, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica italiana, serie generale, n. 20 del 26 febbraio 2011, supplemento ordinario n. 18 ("Official Journal of the Italian Republic, General Series, No. 20 of 26 February 2011, Ordinary Supplement No. 18") (in Italian).

[3] Morittu.

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