A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bevilacqua family of Italy.
Reg. 4628 · Italian, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à un demi-vol abaissé d'arg. C.: une tête d'éléphant au nat., ailée d'arg., cour. d'or. Cri: BEVILACQUA! BEVILACQUA! S.: deux lévriers de gu.”
VeniceVenice, c. 1775
Where the Bevilacqua Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Bevilacqua arms are recorded
The Bevilacqua arms were recorded in Venice, c. 1775.
Venice ran on trade, and its great families were merchants before they were anything else. The city kept a formal list of its noble houses, 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.
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
Sovereign of the period
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
1763–1778
Reigning in Italy when the Bevilacqua arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Italy
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.
Granting authority
Various local rulers and city governments controlled the use of coats of arms across the different Italian states.
How they got arms
Families often assumed their own arms or received them as official grants from local lords, popes, or city councils.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in local city archives or private family books rather than in one single national register.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Venice.
Origin & History of the Bevilacqua Family in Italy
The surname Bevilacqua is a classic Italian name that carries a literal meaning of "drink water." Historians believe this name originated as a descriptive nickname during the Middle Ages, likely given to someone who was known for their sobriety or perhaps to a person who lived near a clean water source. By the time the family became established in Venice during the late 18th century, the name was already well-known across various regions of Italy. Members of the Bevilacqua family were often involved in the social and political life of their cities, moving through the ranks of the merchant class and local administration. Their presence in Venice by 1775 reflects a period when the family was deeply integrated into the urban fabric of the Venetian Republic, contributing to the city's vibrant culture and trade networks before the fall of the republic at the end of that century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bibere aqua
Latin phrase meaning to drink water.
This name
BevilacquaA nickname for a person who drinks only water, possibly indicating a teetotaler or a frugal individual.
also spelled
Bevilacua
Bevilacwa
Bevelakwa
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. 1978
Fucilla, Joseph G. Our Italian Surnames. 1949
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Anagrafi di cittadini e forestieri
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wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
