Why does a modern Italian Army unit still wear towering bearskin caps — and also deploy as a fully equipped mechanized infantry brigade?

In this episode of pplpod, we take a deep dive into the Granatieri di Sardegna (the Grenadiers of Sardinia) and unpack one of the most fascinating contradictions in military history: an elite unit that serves as the ceremonial guard of the President of Italy while remaining a real, combat-ready force with armored vehicles, heavy weapons, and modern infantry training.

We trace their story from their origins in 1659 under the House of Savoy, through the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Italian Wars of Independence