Formation In 1859, after the conclusion of the
Second Italian War of Independence, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire was forced to cede the Western half of the
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, the region of
Lombardy, to the
Second French Empire, which transferred the region to the
Kingdom of Sardinia. After the annexation of Lombardy the
Royal Sardinian Army began to form new regiments with personnel levied in the region. On 1 November 1859 the
1st Grenadier Regiment (
Grenadiers of Sardinia Brigade) ceded two of its battalions to help form the 3rd Grenadier Regiment (
Grenadiers of Lombardy Brigade). On the same date the
2nd Grenadier Regiment (Grenadiers of Sardinia Brigade) ceded two of its battalions to help form the 4th Grenadier Regiment (Grenadiers of Lombardy Brigade). The 3rd Grenadier Regiment was mustered and initially based in
Genoa, while the 4th Grenadier Regiment was mustered and initially based in
Turin. Both regiments consisted of a staff and four battalions, two of which had been freshly levied in Lombardy. In May 1917 the brigade fought in the
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo at
Hudi Log and
Kostanjevica. On 12 March 1917 the
regimental depot of the 73rd Infantry Regiment in
Alba formed the 276th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Belluno"). In August of the same year the brigade fought in the
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo on the slopes of
Fajtji hrib. In June 1918 the brigade fought in the
Second Battle of the Piave River in the
Monte Grappa sector. In October–November 1918 the brigade fought in the decisive
Battle of Vittorio Veneto on the ridge of
Monte Solarolo. In 1929 the regiment moved from Pula to
Rijeka. In 1934 the division changed its name to 15th Infantry Division "
Carnaro". A name change that also extended to the division's infantry brigade. In 1935–36 the regiment provided 20 officers and 224 enlisted for the units deployed for the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
World War II At the outbreak of
World War II the regiment consisted of a command, a command company, three
fusilier battalions, a support weapons battery equipped with
65/17 infantry support guns, and a mortar company equipped with
81mm Mod. 35 mortars. In April 1941 the division participated in the
Invasion of Yugoslavia. Afterwards the division remained in
occupied Yugoslavia on
anti-partisan duty. In early 1943 the division fought in the
Battle of the Neretva. After the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division skirmished with Germans forces, while trying to reach
Rijeka and
Ilirska Bistrica in Italy. On 9 September 1943 the division and its regiments were overcome by
invading German forces and disbanded. During the
1975 army reform the Italian Army disbanded the regimental level and newly independent battalions were granted for the first time their own flags. On 1 October 1976 the LXXIII Infantry Fortification Battalion "Lombardia" was renamed 73rd Infantry Fortification Battalion "Lombardia" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia". On the same date the 74th Infantry Fortification Battalion "Pontida" was listed as a reserve unit, which in case of war would have received the flag and traditions of the 74th Infantry Regiment "Lombardia". To avoid confusion between the two battalions the name of the 74th was changed from "Lombardia" to "
Pontida" to commemorate the 1167 A.D.
Oath of Pontida, which gave birth to the
Lombard League, a military alliance of the major cities of
Lombardy against Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa. In 1979 the battalion disbanded two of its four companies. On 1 October 1986 the Armored Division "Ariete" was disbanded and two battalions were assigned to the
8th Mechanized Brigade "Garibaldi". On 10 October of the same year the 73rd Infantry Fortification Battalion "Lombardia" was disbanded and the flag of the 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" was transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in Rome. The battalion's base in Arzene and the maintenance of the fortifications along the Tagliamento river were taken over by the
120th Infantry Fortification Battalion "Fornovo". == References ==