A substantial contingent of Turin's Urban Militia also took part in the defence of the city. I have gathered a considerable amount of material on these units, including letters and decrees issued by the Duke of Savoy concerning their establishment.
Contrary to what many authors—far more authoritative than myself, I readily admit—have maintained, Turin's militia possessed a distinctive uniform, as well as drummers, standards and a proper military structure: very much in the Piedmontese manner, that is, highly militarised and carefully organised. Piedmont should not be confused with the usual stereotypes sometimes associated with Italian military organisation.
These men were certainly citizens, but they were also soldiers, ranging in age from sixteen to sixty, and they were mobilised through a system of assembly and activation that, in some respects, recalls the modern Swiss or Israeli model.
Since I have collected far too much material to deal with everything in a single post, I will publish several separate articles on the subject, while the complete synthesis of my research will instead appear in the book.
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