Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Breast star of a Knight Grand Cross of the Republic
Awarded by  Italy
Type	Order of knighthood
Eligibility	Civilian and military divisions
Awarded for	Meritorious service or achievement
Status	Extant
Statistics
Established	3 March 1951
Precedence
Next (lower)	Military Order of Italy

The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italian: Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana) was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951.^[1] The highest ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for the order are OMRI.^[2]

The order effectively replaced as national orders the Civil Order of Savoy (1831), the Order of the Crown of Italy (1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362), which the sovereign, as Grand Master, did not abdicate on the abolition of the monarchy and continues to award in exile as fons honorum.^[3] Today, these continue merely as dynastic orders of the former Royal House of Savoy. Whilst their bestowal is suppressed by law in Italy, the continued use of those decorations conferred prior to 1951 is permitted, exclusive of any right of precedence in official ceremonies.^[4]

Grades

Investiture takes place biannually on 2 June, anniversary of the foundation of the Republic and on 27 December, anniversary of the promulgation of the Italian Constitution. However, those awards on Presidential motu proprio, related to termination of service or granted to foreigners may be made at any time. The badge, modified in 2001, bears the inscription Al Merito della Repubblica encircling the national coat of arms on the obverse and the Latin Patriæ Unitati (the union of the country) and Civium Libertati (the liberty of the people) encircling the head of Italia Turrita on the reverse.^[5] The five degrees with corresponding ribbons are as follows (with numbers to June 2013):

Insignia of a Knight of the Italian Republic, since 2001

Ribbon (1951–2001)	Ribbon (since 2001)	Class (English)	Full title in Italian	Awards
		Knight Grand Cross with Collar	Cavaliere di Gran Croce Decorato di Gran Cordone Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana
		1st Class / Knight Grand Cross	Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana	8,814
		2nd Class / Grand Officer	Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana	24,170
		3rd Class / Commander	Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana	45,843
		4th Class / Officer	Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana	29,765
		5th Class / Knight	Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana	127,654

The order is bestowed by decree of the President of the Italian Republic, as head of the orders of knighthood, on the recommendation of the President of the Council of Ministers. Except in exceptional circumstances, no one can be awarded for the first time a rank higher than Knight. The minimum age requirement is normally 35.

Knights Grand Cross with Collar

Recipients:

• Presidency of President Giorgio Napolitano (15 May 2006–14 January 2015): ^[6]
  • 11/10/2006 –  Ghana – President John Agyekum Kufour (2001–2009)^[7]
  • 20/02/2007 –  Slovakia – President Ivan Gašparovič (2004–2014)^[8]
  • 08/06/2007 –  Austria – President Heinz Fischer (2004–incumbent)^[9]
  • 09/10/2007 –  Chile – President Michelle Bachelet (2006–2010; 2014–incumbent)^[10]
  • 30/10/2007 –  Saudi Arabia – King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud (2005–2015)^[11]
  • 01/09/2008 –  Finland – President Tarja Halonen (2000–2012)^[12]
  • 14/10/2008 –  Lebanon – President Michel Suleiman (2008–2014)^[13]
  • 27/10/2008 – – Prince and Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing (2008–incumbent)^[14]
  • 02/09/2009 –  South Korea – President Lee Myung-bak (2008–2013)^[15]
  • 17/10/2009 –  Turkey – President Abdullah Gül (2007–2014) ^[16]
  • 11/03/2010 –  Syria – President Bashar Al-Assad (2000–incumbent)^[17] Revoked by the President of the Republic on 28 September 2012 for "indignity"^[18]
  • 26/04/2010 –  Kuwait – Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (2006–incumbent)^[19]
  • 25/06/2010 –  Malta – President George Abela (2009–2014)^[20]
  • 11/01/2011 –  Slovenia – President Danilo Türk (2007–2012) ^[21]
  • 06/07/2011 –  Croatia – President Ivo Josipović (2010–2015) ^[22]
  • 07/09/2011 –  Romania – President Traian Băsescu (2004–2014) ^[23]
  • 10/06/2012 –  Poland – President Bronisław Komorowski (2010–2015) ^[24]
  • 15/11/2012 –  France – President François Hollande (2012–incumbent) ^[25]
  • 20/02/2013 –  Germany – President Joachim Gauck (2012–incumbent) ^[26]
  • 04/03/2014 –  Albania – President Bujar Nishani (2011–incumbent)^[27]

See also

• List of Italian orders of knighthood
• Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
• Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

• Presidenza della Repubblica - Le Onorificenze (Italian)
• Ordini dinastici della Real Casa di Savoia (Italian)

Orders, decorations, and medals of Italy
Republic (1946–present)	Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1951) Military Order of Italy (1947) Order of Merit for Labour (1923) Order of the Star of Italy (1947/2011) Order of Vittorio Veneto (1968–2010)
Monarchy (1861–1946)	Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362) Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) Order of the Crown of Italy (1868–1983) Military Order of Savoy (1815–1946) Civil Order of Savoy (1831) Order of Merit for Labour (1901–1923) Colonial Order of the Star of Italy (1914–1943) Order of the Roman Eagle (1942–1944)
See also: Template:Orders of Italian States before unification