[1][2] The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Firenze" established in Florence in March 1915 in preparation for Italy's entry in World War I.

[1][5] On 7 June 1940 the Firenze division moved from Tuscany to Piedmont, as part of the reserve for the planned Italian invasion of France.

With the part of the Yugoslav forces surrounded, detachments of the Firenze advanced to the Black Drin river bridge and encountered heavy resistance on the way.

[1] The Firenze remained in Macedonia and Montenegro as occupation force, establishing initially garrisons at Debar, Struga, Izvor and Volko Legalo.

By January 1943 the Firenze's units were operating mostly in Gostivar, Peshkopi, Burrel, Debar, Struga, Mogorče, Elbasan, Librazhd and Qukës.

On 28 September 1943 the Firenze was split into four brigade-sized Military Zone Commands, which operated alongside Yugoslav and Albanian partisans in the area from Qafa e Shtamës to Debar.