The Alpini, are the elite mountain warfare

Mountain warfare

Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...

 soldiers of the Italian Army

Italian Army

The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...

. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino (Alpine).

Formed in 1872, they are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world. Their original mission was to protect Italy's northern mountain border with France and Austria.