Capitano, 5th Regt of Grenadiers Italian Observer Paul Raffenello

The Kingdom of Italy, declared in 1861, sent officers to observe the Civil War in America. Pictured is a Captain (Capitano) of the 5th Regiment of Grenadiers. The Royal Italian Army had eight regiments of grenadiers. They were picked for their height and size to lob hand grenades over fort walls in the eighteenth century, but by the 1860s they were used as shock troops with the line regiments. The grenadiers retained a tall shako until the 1870s, wore the dark blue frock coat piped in red of the line regiments, and wore the Royal crest of the Cross of Savoy surmounted by the crown on their shakos to denote that they were a "King's Own Regiment". The 5th were garrisoned in Naples and would serve as the household guard to Vittorio Emanuele II when he visited the palace there.

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