Bronze Medal of Military Valor

Bronze Medal of Military Valor
Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare
Bronze Medal of Military Valor
(Royal version & Republican version)
TypeMilitary decoration
Awarded forDeeds of outstanding gallantry in war
CountryItaly
EligibilityJunior officers and soldiers
Established26 March 1833
Ribbon bar of the medal
Precedence
Next (higher)Silver Medal of Military Valor[1]
Next (lower)Bronze Medal of Military Valor[1]

The Bronze Medal of Military Valor (Italian: Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry.

It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on 26 March 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold and Silver Medals for Military valor.[2]

These medals, as well as the "Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare" (War Cross of Military Valor - which can only be awarded in time of war) are established by the Royal Decree of 4 November 1932, in which their purpose is defined as "To distinguish and publicly honor the authors of heroic military acts, even ones performed in time of peace, provided that the exploit is closely connected with the purposes for which the Armed Forces are constituted, whatever may be the condition or quality of the author."[3]

During the First World War, the medal was given out some 60,244 times for individual acts of heroism (compared to 38,614 Silver medals and 368 Gold Medals).[4]

  1. ^ a b "Esercito Italiano- Nastrini delle decorazioni in uso" (in Italian). Esercito.difesa.it. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  2. ^ see "CCM - Consorzio Culturale del Monfalconese :: View.DocDetail". Archived from the original on 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-06-12. which describes the book "Le medaglie d'oro al valor militare: volume primo, Roma, [Gruppo Medaglie d'Oro al Valor Militare d'Italia], 1965, 804 p.; 22 cm"
  3. ^ official website of the Italian Presidency http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/statico/onorificenze/cennistorici/medagliacrocevm.htm
  4. ^ "Nel 1° Centenario della istituzione della Medaglia al Valor Militare" edizione del 1933 dell' Ufficio storico dell' esercito