The regiment is named for the city of Pavia and was originally part of the Italian Army's infantry arm.

During World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 17th Infantry Division "Pavia", with which it fought in the Western Desert Campaign in North Africa.

In 1975, the regiment was disbanded and its flag and traditions assigned to the 28th Infantry Battalion "Pavia", which trained recruits destined for the Mechanized Division "Folgore".

[5][6] On 5 May 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand set off, with the support of the Sardinian government, from Genoa and landed on 11 May in Marsala in Sicily.

This triggered the Sardinian campaign in central and southern Italy, durich which the 27th Infantry Regiment participated in the siege of Civitella del Tronto.

In 1895–96, the regiment provided eleven officers and 250 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

At the time the 28th Infantry Regiment consisted of three battalions, each of which fielded four fusilier companies and one machine gun section.

On 8 August, both regiments of the brigade crossed the Isonzo river and established a bridgehead on the left bank, which was expanded by nightfall to the Sant'Andrea quarter of Gorizia.

[5][7] On 5 January 1917, the two regiments of the Brigade "Pavia" were awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor for having crossed the Isonzo river as the first Italian units.

Two days later the brigade was ordered to block the expansions of the Austro-Hungarian bridgehead at Fagaré on the Southern bank of the Piave river.

During the decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto the brigade attacked the Austro-Hungarian defensive line that ran from Cima d'Oro to Monte Tomeabrù and Bocca di Trat on 3 November 1918.

After breaking through the enemy line the brigade advanced to Ponte Arche, where the news of the Armistice of Villa Giusti reached it.

In 1935-36 the 28th Infantry Regiment "Pavia" provided 30 officers and 860 troops to units deployed to East Africa for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

[5][11][13][14] At the outbreak of World War II, the 28th Infantry Regiment "Pavia" consisted of a command, a command company, three fusilier battalions, a support weapons battery equipped with 65/17 infantry support guns, and a mortar company equipped with 81mm Mod.

On 9 December 1940, the British Western Desert Force began Operation Compass, which quickly overran and annihilated the 10th Army's division.

The 26th Artillery Regiment "Pavia" was sent to Cyrenaica to reinforce the remaining units of the 10th Army, which was annihilated on 6–7 February 1941 in the Battle of Beda Fomm.

In March 1941, the division left its bases to participate in the German-Italian Operation Sonnenblume, which drove the British forces back to the Libyan-Egyptian border.

On 18 November 1942, British Eighth Army began Operation Crusader, which aimed to relieve the Siege of Tobruk.

During the Battle of Alam el Halfa the "Pavia" division held the frontline to the North of the Italo-German attack.

During the Second Battle of El Alamein the division held the southernmost section of the Axis frontline adjacent to the Qattara Depression.

The Italians units walked through the desert to Fuka and then to Mersa Matruh, where the division's remnants surrendered to British forces on 7 November 1942.

On 25 November 1942, the 17th Infantry Division "Pavia" and its regiments were declared lost due to wartime events.

[4][5][11][13] For their conduct and bravery during the Western Desert Campaign the "Pavia" division's two infantry regiments were both awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor.

[2][4][5][12][13] On 1 July 1958, the 28th Infantry Regiment "Pavia" was reformed by renaming the existing 6th Recruits Training Center in Pesaro.

The 28th Infantry Battalion "Pavia" was tasked with training recruits destined for the Mechanized Division "Folgore".

On 31 October 1986, the Mechanized Division "Folgore" was disbanded and the next day the 28th Infantry Battalion "Pavia" was assigned to the 5th Army Corps.