Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze" (9th)

The Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze" (9th) (Italian: Reggimento "Lancieri di Firenze" (9°) - "Lancers of Florence") is an inactive cavalry unit of the Tuscan Army, French Imperial Army, Royal Sardinian Army, and Italian Army. In 1753, Grand Duke Francis ordered to commence the formation of a dragoons regiment, which would become the only regular cavalry regiment of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In 1799, the regiment fought against French forces in the War of the Second Coalition. One year later the regiment was disbanded, but in 1803 it was reformed. In 1808, the regiment was incorporated into the French Imperial Army. The regiment then fought in Napoleon's invasion of Spain and invasion of Russia, during which the regiment reached Madrid respectively Moscow.

In 1848, the regiment fought in the first campaign of the First Italian War of Independence. In 1859, during the Second Italian War of Independence, Grand Duke Leopold II fled Tuscany, which allied with the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire. On 18 March 1860, the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed Tuscany and one week later, on 25 March 1860, the regiment was incorporated into the Royal Sardinian Army. The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Firenze" was the only regiment of a pre-unification Italian state allowed to retain its regimental honors and traditions upon entering the Royal Sardinian Army.

In 1866, the regiment fought in the Third Italian War of Independence and in 1911-12 in the Italo-Turkish War. During World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front. In 1935, the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Division, with which it participated in 1941 in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In 1942-43, the regiment served on anti-partisan duty in Albania. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the regiment's officers hid the regiment's standard and then dissolved the regiment.

In 1951, during the Cold War, the Italian Army formed an armored squadron, which was given the name and traditions of the regiment. The squadron was assigned to the Armored Division "Pozzuolo del Friuli" as the division's reconnaissance unit. In 1956, the squadron was expanded to squadrons group, but already on 31 December 1957 the unit was disbanded. In 1975, the regiment's name, standard, and traditions were assigned to the 9th Tank Squadrons Group "Lancieri di Firenze", which was assigned to the Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto". In 1992, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the reformed Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze" (9th). In 1995, the regiment was disbanded and regiment's standard transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome for safekeeping.

The regiment's anniversary falls on 30 October 1918, the day the regiment occupied the city of Vittorio during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, for which the regiment was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.