Summary

Blank colour postcard featuring a reproduction of work by Giovanni Fattori "Carabinieri a cavallo in Maremma" (Carabinieri riding in Maremma) created in 1890. It is part of a series of Carabinieri postcards printed by Stab. L. Salmone in Rome, circa 1990. It depicts two Carabinieri on horseback. It was brought to Australia by an Italian migrant.

The Arma dei Carabinieri (Carabinieri) was created by King Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy, with the aim of providing the Kingdom of Sardinia with a police corps in 1814. After the unification of Italy the Carabinieri were appointed the First Force of the a newly founded Italian Army in 1861. In 2000 they became a separate branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The Carabinieri undertake both civilian police work and military work.

The uniform depicted on the postcard is the initial uniform of the Carabinieri which consisted of dark blue pants and jacket with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The mounted division had white fringes and, the infantry had light blue. Their headgear was a distinctive hat with two points popularly called the lucerna. The Carabinieri still use a version of this historic uniform today for ceremonies.

Physical Description

Rectangular postcard, printed in colour and featuring a reproduction of work by Giovanni Fattori: "Carabinieri a cavallo in Maremma (1890)". The picture depicts two men on horse back, dressed in military costume on a dirt road or track. To the side of this road, on the other side of a segment of wooden fence, is a grassed area with two donkeys or mules grazing. One of the donkeys is sitting, while the other is in a standing position and is viewed from behind. The reverse face of the postcard is cream in colour with some print and markings in grey ink.

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