A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Granato family of Italy.
Reg. 2560 · Italian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bombOne who has faced a great siege
Colours
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)
“D'azur à un grenade d'or, ouv. de gu., la tige en bas (sans feuilles).”
SicilySicily, c. 1775
Where the Granato Arms Were Recorded
Sicily
Map of Italy showing where the Granato arms are recorded
The Granato arms were recorded in Sicily, c. 1775.
Sicily was ruled in turn by Normans, Germans, French and Spanish, and each left landed families behind. The island kept formal lists of its noble houses, which is why so many Sicilian names carry recorded arms.
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 Granato 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 Sicily.
Origin & History of the Granato Family in Italy
The surname Granato is deeply rooted in the Italian language, where it is derived from the word for pomegranate. In the context of 18th-century Sicily, this name likely functioned as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor who either cultivated these distinctive fruits or possessed a personality or physical appearance associated with them. By 1775, families bearing this name were already established within the social fabric of Sicilian towns, where they participated in the local agricultural and trade economies that defined the island during the Bourbon period. Because the pomegranate was a long-standing symbol of fertility and abundance in Mediterranean culture, the name carried a sense of prosperity and growth. As these families moved through the late 1700s, they became part of the complex demographic history of Sicily, contributing to the vibrant traditions and community life of the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
granum
Latin term referring to a seed, grain, or kernel.
This name
GranatoDerived from the pomegranate fruit, likely used as a nickname for someone with a ruddy complexion.
also spelled
Granatta
Granate
Granato
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. 1978
Fucile, Salvatore. I cognomi della Sicilia. 2002
Archivio di Stato di Palermo, Stato Civile della Restaurazione
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bombOne who has faced a great siege
bombOne who has faced a great siege
