A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Benevent family of France.
columnFortitude and constancyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à une colonne d'arg.”
The Benevent arms were recorded in Dauphine, c. 1663.
Dauphine lay in the mountains of south-eastern France, a country of small estates and scattered valleys. Its gentry were many and mostly modest, and even a small landholding was enough to justify 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 France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Benevent arms are first recorded.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The family name Benevent finds its historical roots in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. The name itself is likely locative, meaning it was originally used to identify people who came from a place called Benevent, such as the commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. During the seventeenth century, the Dauphiné was a rugged and mountainous province that served as a vital gateway between the French kingdom and the Italian states. Families living in this area were often involved in local agriculture or trade, navigating the complex social structures of a region that maintained a distinct identity separate from the royal court in Paris. By establishing themselves in this specific landscape, the early Benevent family became part of the long-standing cultural history of the French Alps, contributing to the local community life that defined the province during the reign of King Louis XIV.
Latin for good arrival or well coming.
