A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bassetti family of Italy.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur au lion léopardé d'or.”
The Bassetti arms were recorded in Piedmont, c. 1775.
Piedmont was Alpine and river country in north-western Italy, ruled from Turin. Its noble houses were listed formally by the state, and a name on that list carried arms as a matter of record.
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 Bassetti 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 surname Bassetti originates from the northern Italian region of Piedmont, where the family established deep roots by the late 18th century. The name itself is a diminutive form of the Italian word basso, which translates to short or low. In medieval times, such names were often given as descriptive nicknames to distinguish individuals based on their physical stature or their place of residence in a valley. By 1775, records indicate that the Bassetti family was well-integrated into the social and economic life of the Piedmontese countryside. During this period, many families with this name were involved in agriculture and local trade, contributing to the development of the rural communities that defined the region. The persistence of the name across generations reflects the stability of these early family units as they navigated the changing political landscape of northern Italy.
Derived from the Latin word bassus meaning short or low in stature.
