title: Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano
text: # Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano
  
  Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano was an Italian politician, general, and Senator of the Kingdom of Italy
  
  ## Biography
  
  Born in Turin on March 20, 1830 , Alessandro Asinari of San Marzano enrolled in the Turin military academy leaving it just eighteen with the rank of cavalry lieutenant. In 1848 he took part in the First Italian War of Independence where he distinguished himself particularly in the Battle of Santa Lucia and then took part in the Crimean War in which he was promoted to Lieutenant.
  
  In 1859 he took part in the Second Italian War of Independence, being promoted to Captain and becoming part of the General Staff after the Battle of San Martino where he also earned the silver medal for military valor. After the Battle of Castelfidardo he was promoted to Major for war merits and then fought in the Siege of Gaeta and that of Messina where he obtained the knight's cross of the Military Order of Savoy. In 1866 after the Armistice of Villafranca and the Battle of Custoza, he obtained the cross from Officer of the Military Order of Savoy and promoted to Colonel.
  
  After taking part in the capture of Rome in 1870 , in 1877 he was promoted to Major General, then Lieutenant General in 1883 , until he obtained command of the Alexandria division . In the colonial field he was governor of Massawa in Italian Eritrea from 1887 to 1888 and commander in chief of the great expeditionary force sent to East Africa after the Dogali disaster Battle of Dogali. San Marzano guided his troops with caution and successfully faced the Ethiopian army which eventually had to retreat due to logistical difficulties.
  
  He was Italian Minister of War in the Di Rudinì IV Cabinet, Di Rudinì V Cabinet and Pelloux I Cabinet.
  
  Deputy for two legislatures, he was appointed senator on January 4, 1894 but had to give it up shortly after due to poor health and advanced age. Umberto I , who had him in great esteem, appointed him his secretary in the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and later Vittorio Emanuele III awarded him the collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation.
  
  He died after a slow illness on February 16, 1906 in Rome.
  
  ## Awards
  
  * Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, Knight (1901)
  * Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Knight (1901)
  * Order of the Crown of Italy, Knight (1901)
  * Military Order of Savoy
  * Medal of Military Valor
  * Maurician medal
  * Commemorative medal for the campaigns in Africa
  * Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy
  
  ### Foreign Awards
  
  * France: Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign
  * United Kingdom: Crimea Medal
  