He was born in
Novi di Modena on 5 December 1889, and enlisted in the
Royal Italian Army on 3 November 1907, entering the
Royal Military Academy of Infantry and Cavalry of
Modena. He graduated in 1909 with the rank of infantry
second lieutenant, assigned to 70th Infantry Regiment. In 1911 he was transferred to the 84th Infantry Regiment "Venezia", and with this unit he took part in the initial phases of the
Italo-Turkish War, distinguishing himself in October 1911 during the
consolidation of the Tripoli bridgehead, and subsequently in Bu Meliana,
Zanzur and Sciara Zauri. In 1912 he was promoted to
lieutenant, and in March 1913 he was awarded the
Bronze Medal of Military Valor. After returning to Italy he participated in a course for
airship pilots, but with the entry of the
Kingdom of Italy into
World War I, on 24 May 1915, he returned to the
infantry as company commander. On 8 August of the same year he was promoted to
captain, and on 29 October he distinguished himself in the fighting on the
Col di Lana (where he led an assault that resulted in the capture of an Austro-Hungarian position and was wounded in action), earning a
Silver Medal of Military Valor. During 1917 he was promoted to
major, and on 3 November of the same year, during the retreat that followed the
battle of Caporetto, he distinguished himself in the defense of the bridge of
Pinzano, on the
Tagliamento, halting the Austro-Hungarian advance enough to prevent the encirclement of a retreating infantry brigade and earning a second silver medal for military valor. On 5 December 1921 he returned to
Cyrenaica to take part in the
pacification of the colony, returning to Italy in October 1925. On 12 December of the same year he was assigned to the Tank Unit (
Reparto Carri Armati) where he spent the next twelve years, continuing his military career with promotions to
lieutenant colonel (1926) and
colonel (31 December 1936); in 1937 he was appointed commander of the
3rd Tank Infantry Regiment. ==References==