A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dono family of Italy.
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commanderJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la bande d'azur.”
The Dono 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.
Reigning in Italy when the Dono 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 Dono has roots that trace back to the vibrant city of Venice during the late eighteenth century. By 1775, records indicate that members of the Dono family were established residents within the Venetian Republic, a time when the city served as a major hub for trade and cultural exchange. The name itself is thought to be derived from the Italian word for gift, suggesting that it may have originally been a descriptive term or a nickname given to an ancestor. As the family navigated life in Venice, they became part of the intricate social fabric of one of Europe’s most influential maritime powers. Their presence during this era reflects the broader history of Venetian families who contributed to the city's unique administrative and commercial life before the fall of the Republic at the end of the century.
Latin term meaning a gift, offering, or present.
