IL ROSSO & L'ORO, volume 2 (1836-1859), Massimo FIORENTINO

IL ROSSO & L'ORO, volume 2 (1836-1859), Massimo FIORENTINO

The second volume of “Il Rosso & l’Oro” begins with an overview of the events in Italian history in 1848-49, in which the Swiss regiments of the Two Sicilies were very involved and played a major role. Indeed, their behavior in this context not only proved that they constituted a strategic asset in resolving the state of military emergency; but he also influenced Switzerland's position on the thorny issue of military service for its citizens abroad. This, in turn, created a reaction over the availability and quality of recruitment of the Swiss units in Naples in the 1850s. This growing crisis finally led, on July 7, 1859, to the "Mutiny of the Flags", the dramatic epilogue of the "Mutiny of the Flags". Service of Naples” also caused by the hasty decisions of the Neapolitan Crown. In this regard, the volume offers a detailed analysis of this final act, through archival documents and the available bibliography, in order to understand the real driving forces of this episode.
Regarding uniforms, the reforms introduced in 1836 refreshed and simplified the clothing of the Swiss Regiments compared to the previous decade, while maintaining a fashionable appearance. By studying the standardization of their uniforms following new regulations, our research has brought together a very wide range of objects, in addition to a vast portfolio of iconography, largely unpublished until today, which results in a complete study of the uniforms of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies between 1836 and 1859 under the reign of Ferdinand II of Bourbon. Many new discoveries and new sources, therefore, compared to previous publications. The Author's research has been supported by a large number of museums in Switzerland and Italy; iconography collections in Switzerland, the United States, France, Russia and Italy; as well as by certain prestigious private collections. For the first time, all these objects, images and information have been analyzed and brought together in an organized framework.

658 color pages, 24x32 cm format. Hardcover, hard cover.
More than 900 images showing a wide range of uniforms, hairstyles, period iconographic documents, weapons and accessories
52 original uniformological subjects in color created by Bruno Mugnai
68 pages of summary in English, including translation of comments and image descriptions.

THE AUTHOR:
Over the past 52 years, MASSIMO FIORENTINO has studied in depth the history of uniforms and the organization of the Italian armies before 1861. He has worked since 1979 in the field of infrastructure investments and related financial arrangements. His preferred area of historical research is the Army of the Two Sicilies, 1734-1861. He has published several books and numerous articles in specialist journals, from the daring “Warrior” in the early 1970s to “Soldats Napoléoniens” and “La Revue Napoléon” more recently, including “Storia Modellismo”, “Rivista Militare”, “Figurina Helvetica”, “Militaria Belgica” and “Tradition Magazine”. He collaborated with the “Military Review” of the Italian Ministry of Defense (“Rivista Militare”) between 1974 and 1987 and with the “Historical Service of the Italian Army” (“Ufficio Storico”) between 1983 and 1990. He has curated several exhibitions in the field of military history such as “Dalla Campagna d'Italia a Porta Pia, 1796-1870” in Rome in 1975-76; “Dagli Eserciti Pre-unitari all’Esercito Italiano” in Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, in 1985; “Napoleon e la Repubblica Italiana” in Milan in 2002. The first volume of “Il Rosso & l'Oro” was published in March 2022 and the second volume in March 2024.