Italy, Kingdom. A Spanish Civil War Italian Corps Of Volunteer Troops Battle Of Santander Medal 1937

In silvered bronze, obverse illustrating three soldiers marching, with a fourth soldier on horseback behind them, artillery at the left, tank treads at the right and engraver marked "AFFER", reverse with a large fasces, backed by the Spanish fascist yoke and arrows insignia, a lighthouse giving off light at the left and waves below, a mast with a sail and surmounted by an eagle above, inscribed "26 VIII 1937" and "SANTANDER" on either side of the eagle, measuring 32.5 mm in diameter, original ribbon, extremely fine.

Footnote: The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on August 26th assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander, now Cantabria, and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed and captured in the fighting. The Corps of Volunteer Troops (Corpo Truppe Volontarie, CTV) was a Fascist Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support the Nationalist forces under General Francisco Franco against the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939.