A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the de Medici family of Italy.
Reg. 6892 · Italian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 besant d'or. [Armes du pape Pie IV, 1559—1565.]”
ItalyMilan, c. 1775
Where the de Medici Arms Were Recorded
Milan
Map of Italy showing where the de Medici arms are recorded
The de Medici arms were recorded in Milan, c. 1775.
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 de Medici 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 de Medici Family in Italy
The Medici family name is most famously associated with the rise of Florence, but its origins are rooted in the rugged Mugello region of Tuscany. Early records suggest that the family name likely derived from the Italian word for doctors, which is *medici*. This indicates that their distant ancestors may have been apothecaries or physicians who eventually moved into the city to pursue trade and banking. By the time the family established a presence in northern regions like Milan by 1775, they had already transformed from humble rural landowners into one of the most influential dynasties in European history. Their transition from local merchants to powerful political figures remains a primary example of how families could climb the social ladder through careful business dealings and strategic marriages.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
medicus
Latin term meaning a physician, healer, or medical practitioner.
This name
de MediciRefers to a family of doctors or those who practiced medicine.
also spelled
de Medichi
de Medicy
de Meditci
de Medichee
Medici
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Kent, F.W., Lorenzo de' Medici and the Art of Magnificence, 2004
Parks, Tim, Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence, 2005
Starn, Randolph, Contrary Commonwealth: The Theme of Exile in Medieval and Renaissance Italy, 1982
Archivio di Stato di Firenze, Mediceo avanti il Principato
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
