The 17th Volunteer Training Regiment "Acqui" () is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Capua in Campania. The regiment is named for the city of Acqui and was originally part of the Italian Army's infantry arm until it became a training unit and was redesignated as a "multi-arms unit" in 2004. The regiment was formed on 19 December 1821 by the Royal Sardinian Army as Brigade of "Acqui", with the troops of the Brigade of "Alessandria", who had remained loyal during the revolt in Piedmont in spring 1821 and were retained in service after the Brigade of "Alessandria" was disbanded on 31 May 1821. Later the Royal Italian Army allowed the two regiments of the Brigade "Acqui" to claim the traditions and honors of the Brigade of "Alessandria", for which reason the regiment's founding is today considered to be 27 October 1703.

The Regiment Desportes was formed in 1703 and fought in the War of the Spanish Succession, War of the Polish Succession, and War of the Austrian Succession. In 1774, the regiment was renamed Regiment of Chablais. In 1792 the regiment fought in the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. In 1796, the regiment was renamed Regiment of "Alessandria". In December 1798, French troops occupied Piedmont, forced King Charles Emmanuel IV into exile, and formed the Piedmontese Republic, a French client-state. Part of the regiment's personnel was then assigned to the 2nd Line Brigade, which fought on the French side in the War of the Second Coalition against the Austrians. In May 1814 King Victor Emmanuel I returned from exile in Sardinia and in July of the same year the Regiment of "Alessandria" was reformed. One year later the 15 militia regiments of the Kingdom of Sardinia were disbanded and their battalions assigned as reserve units to the army's regular regiments. Consequently, on 1 November 1815, the Regiment of "Alessandria" was renamed Brigade of "Alessandria".

In March 1821 most of the brigade's personnel participated, with the troops of three other infantry brigades and three cavalry regiments, in a revolt against King Victor Emmanuel I, who abdicated in favor of his brother Charles Felix. After the revolt Charles Felix had the four infantry brigades and three cavalry regiments disbanded. The troops of the Brigade of "Alessandria", who had remained loyal during the revolt, were used to form the new Brigade of "Acqui" on 19 December 1821. On the same date, the personnel of the other three brigades, which had remained loyal, was used to form the new brigades "Casale", "Pinerolo", and "Savona". The seniority of the four new brigades was determined by drawing lots.

In 1831, the brigade was renamed Brigade "Acqui" and split into two regiments, which in 1839 were designated 17th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Acqui") and 18th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Acqui"). In 1848–49, the regiment participated in the First Italian War of Independence, and in 1855–56 four of the regiment's companies fought in the Crimean War. In 1859, the regiment participated in the Second Italian War of Independence and in 1866 in the Third Italian War of Independence. During World War I, the regiment fought on the Italian front. During World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division "Acqui", with which it fought in the Greco-Italian War. In May 1943, the "Acqui" division was sent to garrison the Greek islands of Cephalonia and Corfu. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, the "Acqui" division refused German demands to surrender and fought attacking German forces until the division's ammunition was exhausted on 22 September. In the following three days Wehrmacht troops murdered most of the "Acqui" division's personnel in the Cephalonia massacre.

In 1948, the regiment was reformed in Rome and assigned to the Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna". In 1975, the regiment was disbanded and its flag and traditions assigned to the 17th Infantry Battalion "San Martino", which trained recruits destined for the Motorized Brigade "Acqui". In December 1990, the battalion was reduced to a reserve unit. The following March the battalion was reformed as 17th Motorized Infantry Battalion "San Martino". In 1992, the battalion lost its autonomy and entered the reformed 17th Infantry Regiment "Acqui". In 1995, the regiment became a training unit, which in 2004 was assigned to the Training Units Grouping. The regiment's anniversary falls on 25 September 1943, the last day of fighting on the island of Cephalonia, for which the regiments of the 33rd Infantry Division "Acqui" were awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor.

History Cabinet Wars In 1701, Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy joined the War of the Spanish Succession and on 27 October 1703, the Regiment Desportes was formed with personnel recruited in various European nations for the war. The regiment was named after its first owner and commander Colonel Ludovic Desportes. The regiment consisted of one grenadier company and twelve fusilier companies, which were grouped into two battalions. During the War of the Spanish Succession the regiment fought in 1705 in the Defense of Chivasso and then in 1706 in the Defense of Turin. In 1713, the war ended with the Peace of Utrecht, which transferred the Kingdom of Sicily and parts of the Duchy of Milan to Savoy. In October 1713 Victor Amadeus II and his wife, Anne Marie d'Orléans, travelled from Nice to Palermo, where on 24 December 1713 they were crowned in the cathedral of Palermo King and Queen of Sicily.

In July 1718, the Kingdom of Spain landed troops on Sicily and tried to recover the Kingdom of Sicily from Savoy rule. On 2 August 1718, Britain, France, Austria, and the Dutch Republic formed an alliance to defeat Spain in the War of the Quadruple Alliance, during which the Regiment Desportes remained in Piedmont. The war ended with the 1720 Treaty of The Hague, which restored the position prior to 1717, but with Savoy and Austria exchanging Sardinia and Sicily. In 1733, King Charles Emmanuel III joined the War of the Polish Succession on the French-Spanish side. In 1734, the regiment fought in the Battle of San Pietro and the Battle of Guastalla against Austrian forces. In 1739, Colonel Desportes died and the regiment passed to Pierre Audibert, who renamed it Regiment Audibert. In 1742, King Charles Emmanuel III joined the War of the Austrian Succession on the Austrian side and the Regiment Audibert fought in 1743 in the First Battle of Casteldelfino, in 1744 in the Second Battle of Casteldelfino and the Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo, and in 1747 in the Battle of Assietta.

In 1748, the regiment passed to Jean du Monfort de Varache and was renamed Regiment Monfort. In 1769, the regiment passed to Eugene Alexander de Sury and was renamed Regiment de Sury. In 1774, King Victor Amadeus III allowed the regiment to recruit among his subjects in the Duchy of Chablais and the regiment was renamed Regiment of "Chablais". In October of the same year the regiment also formed a third battalion with five fusilier companies from the disbanded Regiment Fatio.

French Revolutionary Wars On 21 September 1792, French forces invaded the Duchy of Savoy and on 29 September the County of Nice. Due to these unprovoked attacks King Victor Amadeus III joined the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. In January 1794, the Regiment of "Chablais", which by then consisted only of soldiers recruited in the territories of King Victor Amadeus III, was taken into national service. In March 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Italy and took command of the French forces, with which he defeated the Royal Sardinian Army in the Montenotte campaign within a month. On 28 April 1796, King Victor Amadeus III had to sign the Armistice of Cherasco and on 15 May 1796 the Treaty of Paris, which forced Sardinia out of the First Coalition.

On 26 October 1796, the regiment was renamed Regiment of "Alessandria" for the city of Alessandria. In fall of 1798, France invaded the remaining territories of King Charles Emmanuel IV. On 6 December 1798, French forces occupied Turin and on 8 December 1798 Charles Emmanuel IV was forced to sign a document of abdication, which also ordered his former subjects to recognise French laws and his troops to obey the orders of the French Army. Charles Emmanuel IV went into exile on Sardinia, while his former territories became the Piedmontese Republic. On 9 December 1798, the Sardinian troops were released from their oath of allegiance to the King and sworn to the Piedmontese Republic. Part of the personnel of the Regiment of "Alessandria" choose to remain in service and were assigned to the 2nd Line Brigade, which fought on the French side in the War of the Second Coalition against the Austrians. On 5 April 1799, the Austrians won the Battle of Magnano and the French were forced out of Italy. With the French retreat the Piedmontese Republic dissolved and all of the republic's regiments were disbanded in May 1799.

Restoration On 6 April 1814, Emperor Napoleon abdicated and on 11 April the winners of the War of the Sixth Coalition exiled him to the island of Elba. On 20 May 1814, King Victor Emmanuel I returned from exile in Sardinia to Turin. On 24 May 1814, Victor Emmanuel I ordered to reform the regiments disbanded in 1799, including the Regiment of "Alessandria". Each regiment consisted of a staff, and two battalions, both of which fielded one grenadier company, four fusilier companies, and one Jäger company. On 27 June 1814, King Victor Emmanuel I ordered that the 15 provincial militia regiments should be reformed with the same organization as the regular regiments. On 26 February 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba and landed on 1 March 1815 in Golfe-Juan in France. This triggered the War of the Seventh Coalition, which Sardinia joined against France. The 1st Battalion of the Regiment of "Alessandria", together with the first battalions of all other Sardinian regiments, fought in the Hundred Days campaign, while the regiment's 2nd Battalion, together with the second battalions of all other Sardinian regiments, remained in Piedmont on garrison duty.

In October 1815, the provincial regiments were disbanded and their battalions assigned to the regular regiments as reserve battalions. The Regiment of "Alessandria" received the 2nd Battalion of the Provincial Regiment of "Casale" and both battalions of the Provincial Regiment of "Acqui". Consequently, on 1 November 1815, the regiment was renamed Brigade of "Alessandria". Each brigade consisted of two battalions in peacetime and four reserve battalions, which would be mobilized in wartime. The battalions had a strength of 789 men and consisted of a staff, a grenadier company, and six fusilier companies. At the same time the battalion's Jäger companies were used to form independent light infantry battalions. The brigade's peacetime organizations was then as follows.

Brigade of "Alessandria" Regimental Staff 1st Battalion 1st Grenadier Company 1st Division, consisting of the 1st and 3rd fusilier companies 2nd Division, consisting of the 5th and 7th fusilier companies 3rd Division, consisting of the 9th and 11th fusilier companies 2nd Battalion 2nd Grenadier Company 1st Division, consisting of the 2nd and 4th fusilier companies 2nd Division, consisting of the 6th and 8th fusilier companies 3rd Division, consisting of the 10th and 12th fusilier companies

The brigade was assigned the provinces of Acqui, Lomellina, Alessandria, and Alba as recruiting zone. On 9 October 1819, King Victor Emmanuel I ordered to reduce the number of troops per battalion to 600 men, while adding two additional reserve battalions to each regiment.

Revolt of 1821