This decoration was established in March 3rd, 1951, to reward foreigners and Italians for services provided to the Republic.
It consists on a collar, a pin, and a sash. The former is made in golden bronze with eleven carved rosettes along it, alternated with eleven stars. At its center, there is an RI monogram (Repubblica Italiana). The pin is in the form of a white enameled cross bearing a golden star in its center and an eagle in each of its angles. The cross lies upon a star of multiple rays. The sash is green with red stripes along its edges. The badge is suspended from a crenellated crown, displayed at the end of the sash.
On the first day of his arrival to Rome, July the 2nd, President Eduardo Frei Montalva was awarded with this decoration by President Giuseppe Saragat, in a protocol event in the Quirinal Palace.