A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cordio 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 à une tête et col d'âne (de sa.”
The Cordio 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.
Reigning in Italy when the Cordio 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 family name Cordio traces its roots to the vibrant cultural landscape of eighteenth-century Venice. By 1775, records confirm that members of the family were established residents of this influential maritime city. During this era, Venice served as a major hub for trade and craftsmanship, and families like the Cordios were often integrated into the local merchant or artisan classes that kept the city running. The name itself likely evolved from regional dialects or occupational descriptions common to the Veneto region. As the family navigated the complex social structures of the Venetian Republic, they contributed to the unique urban identity that defined the city before its political landscape shifted at the end of the century. Their presence in such a historically significant location suggests a family deeply connected to the traditions of Italian city-state life.
Latin term meaning heart or core
