Italian Honorifics - State Honorifics

State Honorifics

The President of the Republic can give “honours of the Republic”. These are:

• Medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) to persons or entity for merit or valor
• Knighthood (Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Grande Ufficiale, Commendatore – comm., Cavaliere Ufficiale – cav. uff., Cavaliere – cav.) of five Orders (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Ordine Militare d’Italia, Ordine al Merito del Lavoro, Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana, Ordine di Vittorio Veneto)
  • Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) is for outstanding merit in regard to the nation
  • Ordine Militare d’Italia (Military Order of Italy) rewards the actions of units of the armed forces or by soldiers, demonstrating expertise, responsibility and valour. The title may be given posthumously
  • Ordine al Merito del Lavoro (Order of Merit for Labour) for those who have worked with skilfulness, contributing to the development of the nation and to a better status to the workers
  • Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana (Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity) for the post-war reconstruction of Italy
  • Ordine di Vittorio Veneto (Order of Vittorio Veneto) for the Italian soldiers of the First World War

In addition, the orders of chivalry of the Royal House of Savoy and other Italian dynasties confer honorifics (Cavaliere and Dama), as do the Holy See and the Order of Malta. Oddly, the Italian Republic bestows the rank of knight but not that of dame, though ladies may be decorated with knightly rank.