History

This Cross was originally founded by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1918 during the Kingdom of Italy.

The modern Cross was re-established in 1947, and it is conferred upon Italian military personnel for rendering at least a full year of service while in contact with enemy forces.

The Cross may be awarded three times in total to a single recipient who served in multiple conflicts. Each additional awarding merits the addition of a star to the cross’ ribbon. Wherein the second conferral of the Cross has a single star on the ribbon, and the third conferral of the cross has two stars on the ribbon.