The Uniforms of the
State of the Church Army
in 1708-1709

Uniform Guide

by G.C. Boeri
Drawings by M. Brandani


In this occasion the soldiers were given as a dress not just the coat (justeaucorp), as it had been the custom until then, but also trousers and vest, wollen stockings, hat or the cap for grenadiers, a pouch and a pouch-belt and a belt for the sword and the bayonet. The dress was tailored era tagliato with a single line of buttons, generally pewter but sometimes brass, horizontal pocket flaps and cuffs and lining of the regimental colour. Vest and trousers were generally of the same colour as the cuffs; stockings were also of one colour for the whole regiment.

The hat was usually bordered with a lace (white or yellow); the hat cockade often was with the Pope's family colours, i.e. blue and golden yellow. officer were frequently dressed with the colours opposite to those of the soldiers, but in a few instances wore the same dress as the soldiers and in other cases colours completely different. They wore golden or silver buttons and often their dress was richly trimmed with golden or silver lace.

Drummers and fifers were generally dressed as the soldiers wearing though on their back fake sleeves upon which the Pope's arms were sewn. These arms were the tiara and keys over which lay a shield with the Pope's family arms (blue field with a golden eight-points star in the upper half, a golden bar to divide in two the field and a three peaks mount in the lower half). Some regiment had drummers and fifers wearing the colonel's family livery.

Drums were ususally wooden and had the Pope's arms or the colonel's, or both, painted on the front.

Infantry standards usually were crimson red and bore in the center the arms of the Pope, but colonel's companies' were often white; sometimes standards were also blue and could carry some other devices. For the six infantry regiments levied at Bologna white standards with the Pope's arms were made; ordinary companies' standards were distinguished with a crimson band all around the border, while colonel's were without any border; the latter had lace and tassels of gold, and the former had crimson lace and tassels. Dragoons regiment Fasanini, stationed in Bologna, had crimson cornets, except the colonel's that was white; all were decorated with the Pope's arma and had golden fringes, lace and tassels.

Grenadiers wore a woollen cap with a front that could be either cloth or bear skin covered, that generally bore the Pope's arms. Grenadiers were also equipped with hatchets.

Infantry regiment Colonna had blue coats with yellow lining and cuffs. Grenadiers had bearskin caps with a blue bag, the Pope's arms on front, for private soldiers in yellow cloth with yellow silk edge, corporals edged of gold lace and all golden wool for sergents. Tassels were similarly yellow or golden. Some companies were distributed white stockings.

Private soldiers of regiment Ser1uni wore at first an all blue dress with white cuffs and linig and brass bottons; n.c.o.s had a white dress with blue cuffs and lining; at a second time both reversed colours.

Regiment Falconieri, also called of the White Cross because all the officers were Cavaliers of the order' of Malta and the men had a white Maltese cross on the front of the dress, had red coat and stockings, blue cuffs and lining, blue (some companies white) vest and trousers, hats laced silver; grenadiers wore bearskin caps with red bags; at the shoulders they had white, blue and red laces. Officers were dressed in the same colours, but their clothes were made of much finer fabrics; buttons were silver and buttons holes were all laced silver. The satndards were crimson red with a white Maltese cross in the center.

Corsican regiment de Franchi was dressed in grey-white with red cuffs, lining, vest, trousers and stockings and white metal buttons. Neck-ties were white linen.

More Church Uniforms 1708-1709


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