Carrer XX September in Rome is named after the date that commemorates the culmination of the long process of Italian unification. There, at the back of the Quirinal Palace, former residence of the popes and today the seat of the presidency of the Republic, are hidden the secrets of one of the military bodies most admired by Italians. They are the so-called corazzieri, or cuirassiers, the 250 members of the historical guard that has protected kings and presidents since the 16th century, and who are now the uniformed shadow guarding the most important representative of Italian power, the head of state, Sergio Mattarella.
"We are the honor guard of the Presidents of the Republic and we are in charge of the protection and security of the Head of State and his guests", proudly explains the commander of the regiment, the Sicilian Colonel Rino Coppola, in the quarter entrance.
Entering the corazzieri barracks is entering a world built on a gigantic scale. The motorcycles parked are all of the Italian brand Guzzi and of high displacement, but of XL size. The horses bred in the paintings and shown in the presidential parades reach up to 1.87 meters. Even the ambulance they have, in case there is a health emergency, is adapted for the needs of a two-metre man.
The reason is very clear: the corrazieri is a regiment made up of tall men. One of the most important requirements to enter this body is to exceed at least 1.90 meters, a height that has been changing with the evolution of the average height of Italians. There are even some that exceed two meters. They must dominate from afar, but also enjoy a "harmonious" physique as an essential requirement to access this honor. But not only that, but recruits must master all fields, such as artificer work, shooting or martial arts. They are seen from afar in their iconic uniforms, but when they are dressed in a discreet suit and tie is when they carry out their most thorny missions when it comes to ensuring the safeguarding of President Mattarella and his guests in all kinds of events for Italy and State visits.
A dozen aspiring cuirassiers ride in a multipurpose space where they also practice shooting. In the background, its motto is read, in Latin: "Virtus in periculis firmior", virtue is strengthened by danger. They practice choreographies studied for when they have to accompany the president on designated days such as Republic Day, which is celebrated every June 2 in this country. They are all between 20 and 26 years of age, and are already carabinieri, members of the Italian militarized police, who wish to become part of the future of the corazzieri.
There is no woman among them, something that could soon change, according to a colonel. "There is no rule that prevents women from being part of the corrazieri, only that so far we have not found any woman over 1.90 who has aspired to this", he defends. But, as there are already some who exceed this height among the ranks of the carabinieri, it is very likely that in the next few years the Italians will meet the first woman to wear this historic uniform that has not changed since the end of the 19th century. Of course, they will have to bear an enormous weight. The cuirass alone weighs between seven and eight kilos, and the helmet is two kilos. For sixty years, they do not make new cuirasses, but rather restore the existing ones.
The origins of the corazzieri go back to the 14th century, with a body of archers and squires who were in charge of the security of the residence and the exponents of the House of Savoy. However, it was not until the duchy of Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro, between 1553 and 1580, that a true "guard of honor of the Prince" was constituted, composed of about fifty men commanded by a captain that premiered in the famous battle of Sant Quentí, on August 10, 1557, which confronted the Spanish Empire and the French army.
The body kept growing until in 1630 it had about four hundred men, including a company that began to wear breastplates with the current monogram that has survived to this day. But the birth of modern births took place much later, on February 7, 1868, when Crown Prince Umbert was going to marry Margaret of Savoy, daughter of the Duke of Genoa. Then, 80 carabinieri on horseback, the best planted chosen from the legions of Florence, Milan and Bologna, formed a representative squad and an honor escort.
When the wedding celebrations were over, the group was not disbanded, but in addition to appearing as an escort of honor, it also took on the role of guarding the royal apartments and protecting the sovereigns. In those early days they kept changing names, from His Majesty's Honor Guard to a squadron of the Royal Carabinieri, but among the people they were already known as cuirassiers for their shiny armored uniforms, the appellation that has survived to this day. When the Republic was born, Umbert II freed the cuirassiers from their oath to the monarchy, until, over the years, they returned to proudly guard the head of State, the President of the Republic.
The Italians see the corrazzieri static during many hours of guard duty, but not when they do their day-to-day tasks like the rest of them. Among the corps members are those who are assigned the duties of blacksmiths, cooks or electricians, and also those who take care of accompanying the horses twice a week through the park of Villa Borghese in Rome so that they can breathe some fresh air . In the stables they have 60 specimens, the majority of Irish breed, and all black or dark brown, at least 175 centimeters to be proportional to their tall owners.
When you see the presidential banner hoisted next to the Italian and European flags in the Quirinal Palace, know that President Sergio Mattarella is in Rome, but also, with him, his most loyal guardians.
