A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Borgo family of Italy.
Reg. 1561 · Italian, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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. au lion d'arg.; à la bande d'azur, br. sur le tout; le lion tenant de sa patte sen., qui passe sous la bande, un marteau d'arg., emm. d'or, br. sur ladite bande.”
Italyc. 1775
Where the Borgo Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Borgo arms are recorded
The Borgo arms were recorded in Italy, c. 1775.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Venice.
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 Borgo 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 Italy.
Origin & History of the Borgo Family in Italy
The surname Borgo originates from the Italian word for a village or a fortified settlement located just outside the walls of a city. Historically, families who took this name were often associated with these suburban districts, which served as vital hubs for trade and craft production. By the late eighteenth century, the Borgo family had established a presence in the maritime republic of Venice. During this period, Venice was a center of commerce and cultural exchange, and families living there were frequently involved in the city’s intricate network of merchant guilds and civic administration. As residents of such a prominent city in 1775, the family likely participated in the vibrant social and economic life that defined the final decades of the Venetian Republic before its political landscape changed forever.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Burgus
A Latin term referring to a fortified place or small castle.
This name
BorgoRefers to someone who lived in a settlement, village, or near a fortified area.
also spelled
Borga
Borgu
Burgo
Related arms
Duc de Rabeursame arms
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. 1978
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bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
lionCourage, strength and royalty
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
lionCourage, strength and royalty
