Prospero Alpini was a Venetian physician and botanist. He travelled around Egypt and served as the fourth prefect in charge of the botanical garden of Padua. He wrote several botanical treatises which covered exotic plants of economic and medicinal value. His description of coffee and banana plants are considered the oldest in European literature. The ginger-family genus Alpinia was named in his honour by Carolus Linnaeus.
The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinate to the Alpine Troops Headquarters. The Alpini's name comes from their inceptive association with the Alps, the mountain range that Italy shares with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. An individual soldier of the Alpini is called Alpino.
The 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The headquarters of the division was in the city of Cuneo, and the majority of its Alpini soldiers were drafted from the surrounding Province of Cuneo - hence the division's name "Cuneense". The division participated in all Italian World War II campaigns with the exception of the North African Campaign. The division was annihilated during Operation Little Saturn by Soviet forces in January 1943.
The 7th Alpini Regiment is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.
Veci is the nickname of the members on extended leave of the Alpini, a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. "Veci" means "old ones" in the Venetian language; the word has no offensive meaning and, instead, is an affectionate and very respectful way of calling elderly people in that zone of Italy. Thus the meaning of "veterans" among the Alpini.
The Battle of Nikolayevka was the breakout of Italian forces in January 1943. The breakout involved the Alpine Army Corps of the Italian 8th Army near the village of Nikolayevka.
The 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated, elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units. Today the traditions and name of the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" are carried on by the Alpine Brigade "Julia".
The 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense" was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the division are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army consisting of both infantry and artillery units. Today, the traditions and name of the 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense" are carried on by the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The headquarters of the division was in the city of Turin and the majority of its soldiers were drafted from the surrounding Province of Turin — therefore the division was named "Taurinense" for the Roman name of the city of Turin Augusta Taurinorum.
The 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units. The name Tridentina was chosen as the division was based in the Trentino-South Tyrol region, for which the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini had created the neologism Venezia Tridentina. After World War II, the traditions and name of the 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" were carried on by the Alpine Brigade "Tridentina".
The Comando Truppe Alpine or COMTA commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army, called Alpini and various support and training units. It is the successor to the 4º Corpo d'Armata Alpino of the Cold War. The Alpini are light Infantry units specializing in Mountain Combat. The subordinate units of the COMTA distinguished themselves during combat in World War I and World War II.
Sisto Michele Scilligo was an Italian Alpini soldier and skier.
Costanzo Picco, was an Italian military officer and skier. He served as an officer during World War II, first in the Italian 4th Army and later in the Italian resistance forces. After WWII, he participated in the 1948 Winter Olympics, and served as a commander in the Italian Mountain Warfare School.
The Cappello Alpino is the most distinctive feature of the Italian Army's Alpini troops' uniform. The Alpini are light Infantry troops, specializing in mountain combat. Initially, the Cappello was only issued to the Alpini, but soon the Cappello was adopted by the Alpini Corps' support units like artillery, signals, and engineers. Today the Cappello is issued to members of 15 Army regiments, 3 battalions and various high commands. Thanks to the black raven feather, which is carried on each Alpini soldier's Cappello, the Alpinis are known as Le Penne Nere in Italy. A nickname the Alpini quickly adopted for themselves.
Salvator Gotta was an Italian writer. He was best known as a prolific novelist, but he was also a biographer, playwright, screenplay writer, and writer of children's books.
The Alpini are elite soldiers of the Italian Army who specialize in mountain warfare.
Giuseppe Fabre was an Italian Generale di Corpo d'Armata and skier.
Alpina is a German automobile manufacturing company.
Giovanni Spagnolli was an Italian Christian Democrat politician.
Alpino was a Alpino-class frigate operated by the Italian Navy during the Cold War. Launched in 1967, the vessel was optimised for anti-submarine warfare based on two Agusta-Bell AB.204 helicopters protected by a telescopic hangar and a variable-depth sonar (VDS). It was also the first frigate to use gas turbines, in a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) arrangement. In 1973, the frigate undertook the longest continuous voyage of an Italian naval ship, covering over 7,000 nautical miles, and continued to serve in the anti-submarine role until 1996, by which time the helicopters had been replaced by the more capable Agusta-Bell AB-212ASW and the VDS taken out of service. In 1997, the ship was recommissioned as a support ship for mine warfare, at the same time as the ability to operate one of the helicopters was removed. The frigate was decommissioned in 2006.
The 4th Alpine Division "Monterosa" was one of four divisions raised by Mussolini's Italian Social Republic. It existed from 1 January 1944 until 28 April 1945.
