The regiment is named for the region of Umbria and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm.

The regiment was tasked with maintaining and manning fortifications of the Alpine Wall on the border with Yugoslavia.

In 1895–96, the regiment provided six officers and 241 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

In 1911, the regiment provided men and materiel for units deployed to Libya for the Italo-Turkish War.

At the time the 53rd Infantry Regiment consisted of three battalions, each of which fielded four fusilier companies and one machine gun section.

After Italy's entry into the war on 23 May 1915, the Brigade "Umbria" was deployed to the Cadore region in the alpine section of the Italian front.

[2][5][6] After the disastrous Battle of Caporetto the brigade retreated to the new Italian frontline along the Piave river.

The brigade was the infantry component of the 2nd Territorial Division of Novara, which also included the 17th Field Artillery Regiment.

[2][8][9] At the outbreak of World War II, the 53rd Infantry Regiment "Sforzesca" 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.

[2][8][9] In January 1941, the 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" was transferred to Albania to shore up the crumbling Italian front during the Greco-Italian War.

[2][8][9] In spring 1942, the "Sforzesca" division was assigned to the Italian 8th Army, which was readied to be deployed in summer 1942 to the Eastern Front.

In June 1942, the division arrived in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in Ukraine, where it was assigned to the XXXV Army Corps.

While Chebotarevskii was overrun by Red Army forces, Yagodnyi held and on 21 August the remaining Italian troops counterattacked.

On 24 August, the stronghold at Yagodnyi had run out of ammunition, but the Italian troops there were saved by the arrival of the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment and 6th Bersaglieri Regiment of the 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" and the German 79th Infantry Division.

[2][8][9][13] On 12 December 1942, Soviet forces began Operation Little Saturn during which the "Sforzesca" division was annihilated.

The new "Sforzesca" division was based in Divača, Sežana and Ilirska Bistrica along the border between Italy and Yugoslavia, where it performed anti-partisan duties.

On 8 September 1943, the Armistice of Cassibile was announced and soon after the "Sforzesca" division and its units were disbanded by invading German forces.

[2][16] After the end of the Cold War Italian Army began to draw down its forces and on 31 December 1991, the 53rd Infantry Fortification Battalion "Umbria" was reduced in size and then consisted of a command, a command and services company, and a building maintenance Company.