A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Alessandro family of Italy.
horseReadiness to serve king and countryJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or au cheval cabré de sa.”
The Alessandro arms were recorded in Sicily, c. 1775.
Sicily was ruled in turn by Normans, Germans, French and Spanish, and each left landed families behind. The island kept formal lists of its noble houses, which is why so many Sicilian names carry recorded arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Italy in this period.
Reigning in Italy when the Alessandro arms are first recorded.
In the Italian states, coats of arms were often used by noble families to show their status and history. These symbols were passed down through the generations to all legitimate male descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design but sometimes added small changes to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
The name Alessandro originates from the Greek name Alexandros, which means defender of men. As the name spread across the Mediterranean, it became a popular given name in Italy, eventually evolving into a hereditary surname. By the late eighteenth century, the Alessandro family was firmly established in Sicily, a region shaped by centuries of cultural exchange and diverse migrations. Living in Sicily during the 1770s meant the family likely experienced the social shifts occurring under the Bourbon monarchy. During this period, families often lived in small agricultural or coastal communities where they maintained local traditions and contributed to the regional economy. The persistence of the name in Sicilian records from 1775 suggests that the family had already been part of the island’s social fabric for generations, likely serving as local landowners, artisans, or laborers who helped define the unique character of their specific province.
Derived from Greek words meaning to defend and mankind.
