The 53rd Infantry Division "Arezzo" ( ) was a infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Arezzo was classified as a mountain infantry division, which meant that the division's artillery was moved by pack mules instead of the horse-drawn carriages of line infantry divisions. Italy's real mountain warfare divisions were the six alpine divisions manned by Alpini mountain troops. The division was formed on 24 May 1939 and named after the city of Arezzo. The division disintegrated on 12 September 1943 after the Armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the Allies was announced. The Arezzo is not related to the Partisan Division "Arezzo", which operated in the Cortona area in Tuscany in 1943. History World War I The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Arezzo" established during World War I in Castelfranco Veneto on 18 May 1916. The brigade consisted of the 225th Infantry Regiment and 226th Infantry Regiment, which were manned by reservists. The brigade fought on the Italian front and for their conduct the brigade's two infantry regiments were awarded Italy's highest military honor, the Gold Medal of Military Valour. After the war the regiments raised during the war were dissolved, with the exception of those, who had been awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valour. On 30 September 1926 the brigade command and 226th Infantry Regiment "Arezzo" were disbanded, while the 225th Infantry Regiment "Arezzo" was assigned to the XXIV Infantry Brigade. On 1 March 1938 the 18th Infantry Division "Matauro" reactivated the 226th Infantry Regiment "Arezzo" in Macerata. On 24 May 1939 the 53rd Infantry Division "Arezzo" was activated in Macerata and was assigned its two namesake infantry regiments and the newly raised 53rd Artillery Regiment "Arezzo". World War II The Arezzo was transferred to Albania in June 1939 and based in Shkodër in the country's North. After the Arezzo had left for Albania the 49th Infantry Division "Parma" was activated on 12 September 1939 and housed in some of the barracks of the Arezzo in mainland Italy. From 30 October 1940 units of the division were sent to the South of Albania to reinforce Italian units fighting the Greco-Italian War. From 20 November the entire division was engaged in combat against Greek forces in the Shkumbin valley. After Greek forces advanced on the Arezzo's right flank the division was forced to retreat on 2 December. The Arezzo suffered serious losses