First batch of 1849-1866 Italian sculpts!

[fsn]

 

[KTravlos]

I'm more of a Verdi man, myself.

As someone whose knowledge of the Italian Wars of Unicorns is like my knowledge of the Dark Lord's Ear Wax - I am aware they exist, but never been troubled to find more about them - though I I do know that both gave rise to a biscuit.

So, please ignore my ignorance. "Savoie" is, I assume "Savoy", and pledges support for the Royal House.

Is "Viva Verdi" "Long live the Green" rather than admiration for the composer. I would love to be wrong on this one, as once again, I find myself at a loss, as the last great composer was Beethoven and since then individuals may have been able to wring out the odd good tune but mostly it's been too high pitched, brassy and somewhat screechy. So, please throw a little light my way. Were the Greens a party in the IWU, or was the composer of Aida somehow a figurehead for one of the factions?

Savoie is as you pointed out the name of what ended up being the Italian Royal Dynasty (before losing the ultiamte game to Mazzini's ghost). Up to 1945 it was also the equivelant to Hurrah, Huzzah, Urrah etc for the Piedmntese-Sardinian, and later Italian Royal Armies. I.e the war cry.

Viva Verdi. Verdi is of course the well known composer, who was also a fierce supporter of Italian unification. What you might not know is that people used his name also as s stand in for support for the Savoyards. Since it was illegal in Hapsburg Italy to say Viva Vittorio Emmanuel, Re de Italia, people would say Viva Verdi (Viva V-ittorio E-emmanuel R-e d-i I-talia)

[Leman]

I'd love to send a long riposte to that but my tiny hand is frozen.

[fsn]

Thank you KTravlos.

I have learned something, and that means today is a good day. 

[mollinary]

fsn +1.   A fascinating fact - many thanks.

Mollinary

[holdfast]

The Sardinian Grenadiers seem to have worn bearskins of a sort and feature strongly in 1848 and 1866. Will the range be able to stretch to them?

[toxicpixie]

I thought they'd given up the bearskins by '66, but *may* have them for non-combat duties in the '59? Or is that the French? I know the French Grenadiers apparently marched out from their depots in bearskins, but they'd all auto-magically disappeared and been replaced by Kepi's when they crossed the border!

[holdfast]

I have a half-remembered memory of a pic of Granatieri di Sardegnia in bearskins in the 1859 Museum in the base of the big tower at San Martino. The only illustration of them inside the tower is of a mounted major of their brigade, who is wearing a kepi. But the chaps on horses may have had different headgear. Certainly they did very well at Custozza and have a large memorial on the top of the ridge that they fought over, one of only a handful of memorials on the ground there.
Given that the Italian uniforms are fairly unexciting, it would be nice to have the option of a bearskin wearing brigade. The only other colourful types are the Bersiglieri since dear old Garibaldi tended to be sent off on his own and doesnt feature in any of the big battles on 1859 or 1866.
Mollinary ought to know, he was there in 2015.

[toxicpixie]

I think the bear skins are a favorite of painters/artists 'cos they look a bit more exciting, as you say. Isn't there a painting of the French storming the bridges in bearskins, but more recent research suggests it's a juiced up version as they were in kepi's for general ease of actual fighting?

[mollinary]

Grenadiers are on Leon's master list.

Mollinary

[Shedman]

I believe that most of the French Grenadiers kept their bearskins til Magenta then dumped them because they were a pain to wear in the hot weather. That's what my Funcken book says so it must be true

[toxicpixie]

Maybe it was Magenta they ditched them at then, working from memory I thought they marched out with them but they'd disappered once they hit the border, precisely for the reasons you cite

[mollinary]

The tower at San Martino has a mural spiralling its way up the inside. The first action it shows is the Battle of Goito 1849, and features the charge of the Grenadiers of Sardinia, in Bearskins.  So they seem to have used them in 1848-49. As far as I can tell, they went to war in 1859 and 1866 in shakoes with a flaming grenade in metal on the front.

Mollinary

[Leon]

The grenadiers are to cover the earlier 1849 war (as are the troops in coat).  As far as I'm aware from our Italian friend who's been helping with the range, the grenadiers had dropped the bearskins by 1859 and were essentially the same as the regular infantry through to 1866.

[mollinary]

Thanks for doing the business on the painting, Leon!   Also, sorry for the slip of the finger, Goito was in 1848, not 1849.

Mollinary