Formation On 16 April 1861, the
Royal Italian Army formed the
Brigade "Abruzzi" in
Milan. The brigade consisted of the 57th Infantry Regiment and 58th Infantry Regiment, which were formed on the same day and based in Milan, respectively in
Bergamo. The 57th Infantry Regiment received three battalions ceded by the
7th Infantry Regiment and 8th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Cuneo", and by the 51st Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Alpi", while the 58th Infantry Regiment received three battalions ceded by the
13th Infantry Regiment and 14th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Pinerolo", and by the 19th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Brescia". On 1 August 1862, the regiment ceded its 17th Company and 18th Company to help form the
72nd Infantry Regiment (
Brigade "Puglie"), and one additional company to help form the
8th Grenadiers Regiment of the
Grenadiers of Tuscany Brigade. In 1866, the regiment fought in the
Third Italian War of Independence. In September 1870, the regiment participated in the
capture of Rome. On 15 May 1916, the 57th Infantry Regiment's depot in Padua formed the 228th Infantry Regiment for the newly formed
Brigade "Rovigo". In August 1916, the brigade fought in the
Battle of Gorizia, during which the 57th Infantry Regiment suffered 2,088 casualties at
Oslavia. In May 1917, the brigade fought in the
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo. On 14 August 1917, the President of France
Raymond Poincaré visited the Italian front and the Brigade "Umbria" paraded before him. After the parade Poincaré personally affixed the French
Croix de guerre avec Palme de bronze to the flags of the 57th Infantry Regiment and the 58th Infantry Regiment. On 18 August 1917, the brigade fought in the
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo on the
Banjšice plateau. After the disastrous
Battle of Caporetto the brigade retreated to the new frontline along the
Piave river. On 5 December 1917, the Brigade "Abruzzi" entered the frontline on the
Monte Grappa massif. The rest of the month the brigade fought in the
First Battle of Monte Grappa on
Col della Berretta. In 1918, the brigade remained on the Monte Grappa and fought in there in the
Second Battle of Monte Grappa and
Third Battle of Monte Grappa. On 1 January 1928, the X Infantry Brigade exchanged the 56th Infantry Regiment "Marche" for the 55th Infantry Regiment "Marche" of the
XIII Infantry Brigade. In 1934 the 9th Territorial Division of Verona changed its name to
9th Infantry Division "Pasubio", while the 10th Territorial Division of Padua changed its name to
10th Infantry Division "Piave". A name change that also extended to the division's infantry brigade. In 1935, the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" formed a Replacements Battalion, which was assigned to the
84th Infantry Regiment "Venezia" of the
19th Infantry Division "Gavinana", which was mobilized for the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The regiment also contributed personnel for the XI Special Replacements Battalion, which was formed by the 49th Infantry Regiment "Parma", and provided a further nine officers and 181 troops for other units deployed to East Africa for the war.
Cold War During the
1975 army reform the army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 31 December 1975, the
80th Infantry Regiment "Roma" was disbanded and the next day the regiment's I Battalion in
Sora became an autonomous unit and was renamed 57th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Abruzzi". The battalion was assigned to the
Motorized Brigade "Acqui" and consisted of a command, a command and services company, three motorized companies, and a heavy mortar company equipped with towed 120mm Mod. 63 mortars. At the time the battalion fielded 844 men (41 officers, 94 non-commissioned officers, and 709 soldiers). On 12 November 1976, the
President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone assigned with decree 846 the flag and traditions of the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" to the 57th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Abruzzi".
Recent times On 1 March 1991, the flag of the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" left the base of the 57th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Abruzzi" in
Sora. On the same day the battalion's companies and base were taken over by the
17th Motorized Infantry Battalion "San Martino", whose flag arrived on the same day in Sora. The next day, 2 March 1992, the 57th Infantry Battalion "Abruzzi" was reformed as recruits training battalion in
Sulmona in the former base of the 17th Infantry Battalion "San Martino". On 1 June of the same year, the battalion was transferred from the
Motorized Brigade "Acqui" to the Military Penitentiary Organization Command. The battalion consisted of a command, a command and services company, and two recruits companies. In 1992, the battalion was renamed 57th Battalion "Abruzzi". On 27 September 2012, the 123rd Volunteer Training Regiment "Chieti" was disbanded and the 57th Battalion "Abruzzi" was assigned to the Training Units Grouping. On 1 April 2013, the 57th Battalion "Abruzzi" was disbanded and the flag of the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in
Rome.
Reactivation On 1 October 2022, the flag and traditions of the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Acqui" of the
Division "Acqui". On the same day the unit was renamed 57th Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Abruzzi". == Organization ==