Italian {Solingen} 1860

[Tim Simmons]

My latest purchase, fro the price of a small SEA or Afican dagger on an Ethno dealer site. Nice condition too.

[corrado26]

Scabola da Cavalleria 1860 et di Carabinieri Reali a Cavallo - cavalry sabre 1860 and for mounted royal carabineris

[Will M]

I find it interesting that this 1860 scabbard fits the 1853p british troopers blade well. In fact the scabbard appears identical save for the lower ring band is closer to the upper, otherwise the same.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Udo for identifying this. We dont see Italian swords come up to much. Going by that detail, it seems the carabinieri were royal cavalry which had originated with King Emanuel I of Savoy to provide the Kingdom of Sardinia with a police corps. In 1861 they were appointed as the 'first force' in the newly created Kingdom of Italy in the wars of Italian unification..known as the Risorgimento.

Up to this point Italy was primarily city states and independent republics and kingdoms. During these campaigns Pope Pius IX called for Catholics from various nations for protection of him and the Vatican. Years ago I came across a Napoleonic period British M1796 light cavalry saber in rough condition and no scabbard. On the langet were the markings CsA.

Many years went by with the notion of this being a Confederate sword on the Civil War being summarily dismissed, and no further clues. It was not until Richard Dellar, author of "The British Cavalry Sword: Some New Perspectives", suggested the markings were likely to the Castel sant Angelo, the armory in the Vatican in that ancient Roman fortress.

This made perfect sense, and likely had come into this context during early incursions to protect Italian interests during the Napoleonic period and his campaigns taking over much of Italy. Also, it may have been part of the huge volume of British weapons dispersed as surplus at the end of the Napoleonic wars.

Whatever the case, here we have two sabers, which may have come from opposing sides during the Risorgimento which ended in 1870-71 with the fall of Rome.

The photo of a Carabinieri officer is from c1875, and the medal is apparently to his being a veteran of the Risorgimento. Note the saber of stirrup hilt form, probably later type or other.