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Tag: Duchy of Lucca

The Long Service Decoration (Bourbon-Parma Lucca)

The Long Service Decoration (Bourbon-Parma Lucca) is a medal instituted in 1833 and awarded to NCO’s and Enlisted Men for ten years’ service.

The Long Service Decoration (or Decorazioni di servizio per gli ufficiali e sottufficiali in Italian, also Medaglia di Anzianitá) is a medal instituted in 1833 and awarded to NCO’s and Enlisted Men who had served at least ten (round medal) or thirty years (cross).

The medal was created during the period of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family. Their members once ruled as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Guastalla, and Lucca.

The Long Service Decoration Design

The medal is round, struck in bronze gilt and measures 33 mm (wide) x 37.7 mm (hight) inclusive of its laterally-pierced ball suspension.

The Constantinian Order of St. George (Parma)

The Constantinian Order of St. George, or Order of St. Angelus / Order of the Golden Chevaliers is a dynastic order of knighthood.

The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, also known as the Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of the Constantinian Angelic Knights of Saint George, is a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

The order is allegedly founded in its original form by Constantine the Great and restored under later Byzantine emperors. However, the actual origin of the order can be traced to the 16th century, when it was founded by an Albanian family by the name Angelo Flavio Comneno. Chivalric orders were completely unknown in the Byzantine world, so it’s believed the story of the links between the Comneno family and their claim to be connected to the Byzantine Komnenos and Angelos dynasties was invented much later.

The Order is best recognized for its Parma iteration. Duke Francesco Farnese of Parma made several amendments to the Order statutes in 1705. These changes were  recognized by Pope Clement XI in 1706 and finalized as a dynastic Order of the Duchy of Parma by a Papul Bull in 1718. In 1731, the Order became a dynastic Order of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. When Marie Louise ascended to the throne of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla she restored it as a dynastic Order of the Duchy of Parma, resulting in the creation of two Order branches.

The motto of the Order is “In hoc signo vinces,” or “In this sign you will conquer.”

The Constantinian Order of Saint George Design

There are several insignia for this order. The medal is a bronze, silver, or gold cross with a collar, sash or ribbon. 

The Civil Merit Order Of St. Louis (Parma)

The Civil Merit Order Of St. Louis is an order of the Duchy of Parma (today Italy). The Order was established in c. 1860.

The Civil Merit Order Of St. Louis is an order of the Duchy of Parma (today Italy) awarded for extraordinary merit within civil services. It has five grades and the Grand Master of the Order was always the Duke of Parma

The Order of St. Louis was initially founded in the Duchy of Lucca in 1836 by Charles Louise (also known as Charles II). His son, Charles III Duke of Parma, revived the Order at Parma, on August 11, 1849, as an award of merit. Membership to the Order was primarily restricted to noble Catholics. When a non-noble became the recipient of the Grand Cross or Commander grades they were bestowed with hereditary nobility.

The Order of St. Louis Design

The insignia for this order is a silver 4 multifaceted armed star, measuring 45 mm (w) x 46.8 mm, with a central gold crest on both the obverse and the reverse. The medal also has finely detailed red, blue, white enameled centers. The suspension is a French style ring with right facing eagles head.