Italy’s coats of arms are full of history, bold designs, and strong ties to local identity. And like real Italian pizza, every region has its own great style.
Once you get familiar with the basics, you’ll start noticing these symbols all over! From buildings and flags to family crests and even famous logos.
What Makes Italian Heraldry Different from England or France?
Historian D. L. Galbreath noted that the country has few surviving medieval rolls of arms or wax seals, unlike England and France. Instead, Italian coats of arms live on in stone carvings, tax records, and colorful illustrations in old city chronicles.
Regional Pride and the Origins of Italian City Symbols
One of the most fascinating things about Italian heraldry is how it reflects deep regional pride. Unlike countries that were unified earlier, Italy remained a patchwork of independent city-states, duchies, and republics for centuries. Each region developed its own style of heraldry that matched its culture, economy, and local politics.
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Florence proudly used the red lily (giglio) as its symbol. This red fleur-de-lis is on everything from football team jerseys to souvenirs and became a mark of civic identity after the Guelfs took power in 1251 and reversed the city’s original white-on-red flag.
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Milan leaned into its battle history. The city’s arms are a red cross on a white field, but the powerful Visconti family took things further with their snake eating a man (biscione). This symbol was so iconic it later became a symbol of the whole region and still appears on modern Milanese logos like the Italian sports car company, Alfa Romeo.
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Venice was known for its trading empire, and its symbol (the winged lion of Saint Mark) represented both the city and its powerful naval presence. The lion, often holding a book or sword, became a proud marker of Venetian influence across the Adriatic.
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Siena used a black-and-white shield, said to represent the legendary founders of the city (Senius and Aschius) who rode black and white horses. These colors still dominate the city’s flag and the uniforms of the contrade (neighborhoods) during the Palio horse race, a festival of medieval origin conducted annually in certain Italian cities and featuring bareback horse races.
In many cases, civic arms became so important that even families or guilds designed their symbols to match or complement their city’s identity. When people marched into battle, they were just as proud to carry the banner of their city as their own family crest.
How History Shaped Italian Heraldry
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy didn’t exactly bounce back as one united kingdom. Instead, it divided into 1) northern regions joined Charlemagne’s empire, 2) The Pope holding the center, and 3) The south, which was a mix of old duchies and Byzantine rule. (Basically: political patchwork.)
By the 12th century, powerful cities like Florence and Milan were running the show and picking sides in a major feud: Pope vs. Emperor, also known as the Guelfs vs. Ghibellines. And because Italians have always had a flair for design, those loyalties showed up in their heraldry.
Take Florence: originally, its banner featured a red fleur-de-lis on white. But when the Guelfs took over in 1251, they flipped it to white on red.
You can still see traces of these old rivalries in city flags, carved crests, and even soccer team colors. (Once a symbol, always a symbol!)
Why Civic Coats of Arms Came First in Italy
Many Italian cities used coats of arms before families did. One famous example is the carroccio, a large cart with the city’s banner mounted on top. It’s a bold symbol of the city’s independence and self-rule. Cities rolled it into battle like a moving flagpole.
Guild and Merchant Coats of Arms
In Italy, merchants, bankers, and trade guilds all used heraldic symbols.
Florence assigned arms to its trade guilds as early as the 1200s.
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The Silk Guild (Arte della Seta) is represented by the gate of Santa Maria.
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The Wool Guild (Arte della Lana) used a lamb under a flag (see photo above).
Church Heraldry and Papal Symbols
Popes and bishops also had coats of arms, but they started using them later than nobles. The first pope with confirmed arms was Boniface VIII around 1295. Church leaders added items to their shields to show their rank.
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The papal tiara and crossed keys signaled papal authority.
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Bishops used miters (tall pointed hats) above their shields.
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Cardinals added red or purple hats with cords.
By the 1500s, these symbols were common in church art, tombs, and books.
Italian Family Crests
Some of the most dramatic coats of arms came from noble families.
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The Viscontis of Milan were important patrons of the early renaissance and were appointed as viscounts, hence the family name. Their coat of arms featured a biscione, which is a giant serpent swallowing a man. (Charming.)
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The Colonna family used a column as a symbol, matching their name. They were a powerful Roman dynasty that had powerful influence in both politics and church.
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The Della Scala family of Verona had a ladder on their arms, again a pun on their name (scala means ladder in Italian). They ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries and left their mark on the city’s politics, architecture, and (surprisingly) even literature.
Did you know that Dante Alighieri (the famous Italian writer), after being exiled from Florence, found refuge at the court of Cangrande della Scala? Dante admired Cangrande so much that he dedicated part of his Divine Comedy to him.
Curious to find your Italian family crest? Our heraldry experts can help you explore centuries of records to uncover the symbols linked to your Italian ancestors!
Italy’s Living Heraldry
Unlike other countries, Italy didn’t keep coats of arms exclusive to nobles. Merchants, guilds, and cities got in on it early, which led to a mix of bold, creative symbols.
You don’t have to go far to find them either. Just look around! Italy’s heraldic history is just hiding in plain sight.
Image credits:
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The Giglio of Florence as seen on Giotto's Campanile via Wikipedia, source
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Badge of Alfa Romeo via Wikipedia, source
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Bronze lion of Saint Marc on a column on Piazzetta San Marco in Venice via Wikipedia, source
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Coats of arms of the guilds of Florence, 18th century via Wikipedia, source
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Boniface VIII's coat of arms via Wikipedia, source