A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gorgo family of Italy.
Reg. 5948 · Italian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“Parti d'arg. et d'azur; à un cerf ramp. d'or, br. sur le parti.”
Italyc. 1775
Where the Gorgo Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Gorgo arms are recorded
The Gorgo 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 Gorgo 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 Gorgo Family in Italy
The family name Gorgo finds its historical roots in the vibrant culture of Northern Italy, with clear documentation placing the family in Venice by the year 1775. During this period, Venice was a major center for maritime trade and artistic innovation, and families like the Gorgo were often integrated into the city’s complex social and economic fabric. The name itself is thought to be linked to regional linguistic patterns, possibly originating from descriptive terms used to identify individuals living near specific geographic features or those involved in local craft industries. As the family established itself in the Venetian Republic, they became part of the city's long tradition of urban life, contributing to the local community during the final decades of the republic's independence. By studying the records of this era, we can see that the Gorgo family was part of the steady stream of citizens who helped define the unique identity of Venice before the major political shifts of the nineteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gorgon
Derived from the Greek word for terrible or grim.
This name
GorgoRefers to a fierce or terrifying person, likely used as a descriptive nickname.
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Anagrafi di cittadini e forestieri, 1775
Tassini, Giuseppe, Curiosità veneziane ovvero origini delle denominazioni stradali di Venezia, 1863
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stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
