D'Este Milizia
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Origin and History
This militia regiment originated from the provincial militia whose 12 battalions were reorganised in 8 regiments in 1704. More precisely, it was raised from the Biella and Vercelli provincial militia battalions. Despite its designation as militia, it was actually a real infantry regiment, well equipped, dressed and drilled and not a simple militia.
In 1704, the regiment counted one battalion.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, the colonel of the regiment was:
- since 1704: Gontardo Gabriele d'Este Marquis of Dronero (from the famous noble family of d'Este)
Service during the War
In 1704, the regiment was assigned to the garrison of Vercelli and took part in the defence of this place. When Vercelli surrendered, on 20 July, 220 men of the regiment became prisoners of war.
The regiment does not seem to have been re-raised afterwards.
Uniform
Privates

Headgear |
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Neck stock | white, wrapped several times around the collar of the shirt to keep it closed, and knotted with the ends hanging freely on to the breast (from 1714 the ends were fastened behind the neck and were not hanging freely) | ||||||||||||
Coat | grey-white with pewter buttons on the right side
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Waistcoat | red with pewter buttons | ||||||||||||
Breeches | grey-white | ||||||||||||
Stockings | grey-white fastened under the knee with a natural leather strap | ||||||||||||
Gaiters | ??? | ||||||||||||
Leather Equipement |
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Armaments consisted of a musket and a bayonet. Fusiliers carried a sword (brass hilt) while the grenadiers had a sabre. Grenadiers also carried a pistol.
NCOs
Uniforms of NCOs were almost identical to those of privates but had a silver lace edging each cuff.
NCOs carried a halberd.
Officers
Until 1750, officers didn’t have to wear any official uniform. In fact, they usually wore a uniform similar to the one of the troops but of better quality, probably decorated with golden lace on the edges of the coat and with gilt buttons.
Officers always wore a blue sash around the waist.
Musicians
no information found yet
Colours
Colonella Colour (same for all militia regiments): blue field with a white cross; bordered with a wide blue frame.
Ordinanza Colour: red field with a white cross; bordered with a wide red frame; the arms of d'Este in the first canton (upper left canton)
References
Boeri, Author Gian Carlo: The Army of the Duke of Savoy 1688 - 1713
Cavalieri, Giorgio: Uniformi Piemontesi 1671- 1798, L'Arciere - 2004 - Riva di Chieri
Deputazione Sopra gli Studi di Storia Patria per le Antiche Provincie e la Lombardia: Le Campagne di Guerra in Piemonte (1703- 1708) e l'Assedio di Torino (1706), Vol. I, Torino Fratelli Bocca Librai di Sua Maestà
Fiorenti, Fabio: A me i miei dragoni, Gaspari Editore, Udine, 2006
Gariglio, Dario: 1706 L'Assedio di Torino, Cherasco: Blu Edizioni, 2005
Gentile, L.C. and T. Ricardi: L’Ordine in difesa del duca. Il reggimento Croce bianca in «Gentilhuomini christiani e religiosi cavalieri». Nove secoli dell'Ordine di Malta in Piemonte, Milano, 2000
Mola di Nomimaglio, Gustavo with Roberto Sandri Giachino, Giancarlo Melano, Piergiuseppe Menietti: L'esercito ducale sabaudo nel 1706. Organizzazione, uniformi, bandiere., Turin: Centro Studi Piemontesi, 2006
Acknowledgements
Michele Savasta Fiore for the initial version of this article