A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gritti family of Italy.
Reg. 4170 · Italian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Coupé: au 1 d'azur à la croix alésée d'arg.; au 2 d'arg. plein. Cq. cour. C.: la toque du doge de Venise.”
VeniceVenice, c. 1819
Where the Gritti Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Gritti arms are recorded
The Gritti arms were recorded in Venice, c. 1819.
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.
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 Venice.
Origin & History of the Gritti Family in Italy
The Gritti family is deeply rooted in the history of Venice, where they rose to prominence as one of the city's most influential noble houses. Long before their presence was documented in the early nineteenth century, the family established themselves as key players in Venetian political and maritime life. They were part of the patrician class, which meant they held significant power in the government of the Venetian Republic for several centuries. Members of the family frequently served as high-ranking diplomats, military commanders, and even Doges, who acted as the elected leaders of the state. Their influence spread across the Mediterranean through trade and naval service, allowing them to build a lasting legacy that shaped the development of Venice as a major European power. By the time the family was recorded in the early 1800s, they had already spent generations contributing to the unique culture and governance of their home city.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Grit
A Germanic term referring to sand, gravel, or coarse particles.
This name
GrittiA Venetian surname likely denoting a person who worked with or lived near gravelly terrain.
also spelled
Griti
Gritty
Grytti
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Lane, Frederic C., Venice, A Maritime Republic, 1973
Rösch, Gerhard, Der venezianische Adel bis zur Schließung des Großen Rates: Zur Genese einer Führungsschicht, 1989
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Archivio Gritti, 14th–19th centuries
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
cross symbolChristian faith and service
