The Mechanized Brigade "Aosta" () is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Italian Army based on the island of Sicily. The Brigade is one of the oldest of the Italian Army and the name connects the brigade to its original area of recruitment the Aosta Valley and therefore the brigade's coat of arms is modeled after the coat of arms of Aosta. The brigade is part of the Division "Acqui".
History
1831 to 1914
After Charles Albert of Sardinia ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Sardinia on 27 April 1831 a major reform of the kingdom's military was started. Thus on 25 October 1831 the Brigade "Aosta" was raised with two infantry regiments. These two regiments were the "His Royal Highness; Fusilier Regiment" () founded on 20 February 1690 and a newly raised infantry regiment. Earlier from 1 November 1815 to 25 October 1831 the "HRH Fusilier Regiment" was already known as "Brigade of Aosta" (), however in size and function this unit was an infantry regiment with two battalions. Between 1774 and 1799 the "HRH Fusilier Regiment" was known as the "Regiment of Aosta" (). After the founding of the Brigade "Aosta" its two regiments consisted of three battalions each: the regiment's 1st and 2nd battalions fielded three companies of fusiliers and one company of grenadiers, while the third battalions consisted of four companies of skirmishers. Later a fourth battalion was added to each regiment and the companies' strength was increased. By 1839 each regiment fielded four battalions, which in turn fielded 4 companies of 250 men each. In 1839 the regiments of the "Aosta" were numbered and renamed as 5th Infantry Regiment Brigade "Aosta" and 6th Infantry Regiment Brigade "Aosta".
The brigade participated in the First Italian War of Independence, fighting in the battles of Santa Lucia, Goito, Pastrengo and Novara, where the brigade's two regiments earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor. In 1855 the brigade provided two battalions for the Sardinian Expeditionary Corps in the Crimean War. In the Second Italian War of Independence the brigade was employed in the battles of Magenta and Solferino. The brigade was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor for its conduct at Solferino. Furthermore, the IV Battalion of the 5th Regiment was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its conduct during the Battle of Aspromonte. In the following years the brigade was employed in Calabria and the region of Salerno to suppress the popular revolt of the peasant population against the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies into the new Kingdom of Italy. In the Third Italian War of Independence the brigade fought in the Battle of Custoza.
Personnel of the brigade was also employed in the First Italo-Ethiopian War and the Italo-Turkish War.
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I the brigade was based in the city of Gemona with its two regiments fielding three battalions each and each of the battalions consisting of four companies and a machine gun section. The 6th Regiment was the first to see action on the Italian front when it tried to conquer the Plöcken Pass on 3 July 1916. Afterwards the brigade reinforced by two battalions of Alpini was given the task to conquer Monte Rombon. In 1916 the brigade was engaged in combat in the region of Kras. From 22 to 26 November 1917 the brigade defended the summit of Col della Berretta on the Monte Grappa massif during the Battle of Monte Grappa, which put an end the Austrian offensive after the Battle of Caporetto.
In October 1918 the brigade conquered the summit of Monte Valderoa and held it against repeated Austrian counterattacks. For this last engagement of the war the "Aosta" Brigade's two regiments were awarded their second Gold Medal of Military Valor.
World War II
After the end of World War I the brigade moved to Sicily and was garrisoned in the city of Palermo. In November 1926 the brigade assumed the name of XXVIII Infantry Brigade and received the 85th Infantry Regiment "Verona". The brigade was the infantry component of the 28th Territorial Division of Palermo, which also included the 22nd Artillery Regiment. In 1934 the division changed its name to 28th Infantry Division "Vespri". On 20 May 1937 the division ceded the 85th Infantry Regiment "Verona" to the newly raised 60th Infantry Division "Sabratha" in Gharyan in Libya. On the same date the XXVIII Infantry Brigade raised the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" as replacement in Trapani.