Guida all’Araldica  ·  Salvatore C. Ruta, 1984

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This is the title page of *Guida all'Araldica* by Salvatore C. Ruta, featuring a large black-and-white engraving of a Renaissance tournament scene as a full-page background illustration, with the author's name and title printed in bold lettering overlaid across the middle of the image. Below the illustration, a typewritten colophon in Italian identifies this as a private limited edition of twenty copies prepared by the R.A.M. in 1984. The engraving depicts armored knights on horseback in an open tournament arena, with tiered spectator galleries and Renaissance civic architecture visible in the background.
Italiano

Salvatore C. Ruta

GUIDA ALL'ARALDICA

Edizione privata,limitata a n.20 esemplari — — — — — — —
a cura della R.A.M. - 1984

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English

Salvatore C. Ruta

GUIDE TO HERALDRY

Private edition, limited to 20 copies — — — — — — —
under the care of R.A.M.

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Page 3 of the Italian heraldry guide showing a table of contents (Sommario) with 22 chapters and sections listed with their corresponding page numbers in Roman and Arabic numerals, followed by a decorative illustration displaying four historical heraldic shields in various styles and patterns arranged in a horizontal row.
Italiano

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SOMMARIO:

PREFAZIONE...............................p. 4
METALLI SMALTI PELLICCE.................p. I
SMALTI E PELLICCE INSOLITI..............p. II
PARTI E PARTIZIONI DELLO SCUDO.........p. III
ORDINE DELLE PARTI......................p. VII
FIGURE ARALDICHE.........................p. VIII
FIGURE NATURALI..........................p. XI
FIGURE CHIMERICHE........................p. XII
CROCI....................................p. XIII
CROCI DI ORDINI CAVALLERESCHI...........p. XIV
SCUDI: FORME D'EPOCA.....................p. XVI
ELMI: FOGGE D'EPOCA......................p. XVIII
ELMI ARALDICI............................p. XIX
CORONE...................................p. XXI
ORNAMENTI ESTERIORI......................p. XXIII
ORNAMENTI ESTERIORI DI FOGGIA
SPAGNOLA.................................p. XXVIII
IL CAPO...................................p. XXX
BRISURE..................................p. XXXI
COMPOSIZIONE DELL'ARMA...................p. XXXII
LA BLASONATURA............................p. XXXVI
STILI E FORME............................p. XXXVIII

English

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CONTENTS:

PREFACE...............................p. 4
METALS, TINCTURES AND FURS..............p. I
UNUSUAL TINCTURES AND FURS..............p. II
DIVISIONS AND PARTITIONS OF THE SHIELD.p. III
ORDER OF THE PARTS......................p. VII
HERALDIC FIGURES.........................p. VIII
NATURAL FIGURES..........................p. XI
CHIMERIC FIGURES.........................p. XII
CROSSES.................................p. XIII
CROSSES OF CHIVALRIC ORDERS.............p. XIV
SHIELDS: FORMS OF THE PERIOD............p. XVI
HELMS: FORMS OF THE PERIOD..............p. XVIII
HERALDIC HELMS..........................p. XIX
CROWNS..................................p. XXI
EXTERIOR ORNAMENTS.......................p. XXIII
EXTERIOR ORNAMENTS IN SPANISH
FASHION.................................p. XXVIII
THE CHIEF...............................p. XXX
MARKS OF CADENCY.........................p. XXXI
COMPOSITION OF THE COAT OF ARMS.........p. XXXII
BLAZONRY................................p. XXXVI
STYLES AND FORMS.........................p. XXXVIII

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This is a text-only page numbered 4, forming the opening of the Preface (Prefazione) to an Italian heraldry guide. The page is typewritten and presents continuous prose in Italian, organised into five paragraphs. The author explains his personal motivation for composing the guide — written for friends who appreciate things of little practical utility, particularly those evoking past eras viewed with gentle irony. He defends the right to explore one's roots and traditions. He then discusses the guide's practical scope, the common yet nationally distinct characteristics of Western heraldry, and poses the question of whether a distinctly Italian heraldry exists. The final paragraphs address how Italian unification under the House of Savoy led to the Consulta Araldica's codification of noble legislation and heraldic norms, while noting that aristocratic tradition and conservatism often proved stronger than formal law. The page ends mid-sentence.
Italiano

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PREFAZIONE

*H*o composta -letteralmente- questa "Guida all'Araldica"
per quelli tra i miei amici ai quali piacciono le cose po_
co o punto utili.Specialmente se rimandano a tempi che di_
già quando viveva Miguel de Cervantes erano considerati
con benevola ironia. Stemmi,corone,un gergo da iniziati..
alle soglie del 2000,mi si dirà. Non discuto l'anacroni_
smo,difendo però il diritto alla ricerca di quanto attie_
ne alle nostre radici,alla nostra tradizione,sia famiglia_
re che patria.

La Guida fornisce i rudimenti,anche e soprattutto,pra_
tici dell'Araldica,scienza ausiliaria della storia,ma si
dà dei limiti,al di fuori dei quali la sua praticità di_
verrebbe a dir poco evanescente.

Se l'araldica in Occidente ha dei caratteri comuni,ogni
Paese le dà la sua particolare impronta,una segnatura che
non sfugge all'esperto:così vi è un'araldica francese,una
inglese,una tedesca,spagnola,. Ve n'è una che si possa dir
Italiana?

L'unità d'Italia sotto la dinastia sabauda ha portato
alla formulazione dei 'Massimari' della Consulta Araldica
del Regno con i quali si è unificata,per quanto possibile,
la legislazione nobiliare degli scomparsi Stati italiani.
La Consulta Araldica ha unificato altresì le norme che re_
gono l'araldica italiana.

Con ciò è dimostrato che vi è,in effetti,un'araldica
italiana? Basta sfogliare un Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Ita_
liana ed osservare gli stemmi riproduttivi per esser col_
ti dal dubbio. La tradizione ed il conservatorismo della
nobiltà sono stati più forti delle leggi e dei regolamen_
ti,che a loro volta l'hanno avuta vinta in materia di ti_
toli. Negli stemmi di cui parliamo si legge sotto quale
influenza sono stati creati:è storia delle dinastie che

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English

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PREFACE

*I* have composed—literally—this "Guide to Heraldry" for those among my friends who enjoy things of little or no practical use. Especially if they refer back to times that were already regarded with benevolent irony when Miguel de Cervantes was alive. Coats of arms, crowns, an insider's jargon... on the threshold of the year 2000, I shall be told. I do not dispute the anachronism, but I defend the right to research all that pertains to our roots, to our tradition, whether familial or national.

The Guide provides the rudiments, indeed and above all the practical ones, of Heraldry, an auxiliary science of history, but it sets itself limits, beyond which its practical utility would become, to say the least, evanescent.

If heraldry in the West has common characteristics, each Country gives it its own particular imprint, a signature that does not escape the expert's notice: thus there is a French heraldry, an English one, a German, Spanish one, and so forth. Is there one that may be called Italian?

The unification of Italy under the Sabauda dynasty led to the formulation of the 'Maxima' of the Heraldic Consultancy of the Kingdom, by means of which the noble legislation of the defunct Italian States was unified, as far as possible. The Heraldic Consultancy also unified the norms governing Italian heraldry.

Is it thus demonstrated that there is, in effect, an Italian heraldry? One need merely leaf through a Golden Book of Italian Nobility and observe the reproduced coats of arms to be struck by doubt. The tradition and conservatism of the nobility proved stronger than the laws and regulations, which in turn prevailed in matters of titles. In the coats of arms of which we speak, one may read under what influence they were created: it is the history of the dynasties that

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This is a text-only page numbered 5, forming the second and concluding part of a preface to an Italian heraldry guide focused on Sicilian armorial tradition. The text discusses how Italian heraldry was shaped by foreign dynasties ruling various regions of Italy, and explains the author's choice to focus specifically on heraldry of Sicilian — and thus substantially Spanish — character, given Sicily's rule by Spanish dynasts from the 13th to the 18th century. The page closes with acknowledgements to heraldic artists C.A. von Volbort and H. Child for their illustrations, followed by a dateline of Messina, 24 February 1984, and the initials S.C.R. identifying the author.

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Italiano

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regnarono nelle varie regioni d'Italia. E non sempre si
trattava -come ben sappiamo- di dinastie italiane. Fra
Impero e Comuni,Signorie e Principati,Sovrani stranieri
e Pontefici,quale impronta 'italiana' ebbe mai l'araldi_
ca nostrana?
  Alla luce di queste considerazione,poichè ho dedicato
questa guida ai miei amici siciliani come me,ho dato in_
dicazioni di un'araldica di timbro siciliano,che,poi è
in sostanza spagnolo. Dal XIII al XVIII la Sicilia fu sot_
to dinasti spagnoli e la nobiltà siciliana in buona par_
te è di origine spagnola,sia per sangue che per titoli.
Ne consegue che anche gli stemmi hanno l'impronta ispa_
nica,il che è riscontrabile negli stemmi che fregiano gli
antichi palazzi e i cimiteri dell'Isola.
  Le illustrazioni sono mie in piccola parte,la maggior
parte le devo all'artista-araldista C.A. von Volbort col
quale fui per lunghi anni in corrispondenza e all'arti_
sta-araldista H.Child. Poche altre sono di anonimi. Ad
essi la mia,la nostra,gratitudine per averci dato esempi
di corretta arte araldica.

Messina,24.2.1984

S.C.R.

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English

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reigned in the various regions of Italy. And not always were these—as we well know—Italian dynasties. Between Empire and City-States, Lordships and Principalities, Foreign Sovereigns and Pontiffs, what 'Italian' character did our heraldry ever possess?
  In light of these considerations, since I have dedicated this guide to my Sicilian friends like myself, I have provided indications of a heraldry of Sicilian character, which is in substance Spanish. From the thirteenth to the eighteenth century Sicily was under Spanish dynasties and Sicilian nobility in large part is of Spanish origin, both by blood and by titles. It follows that the arms too bear the Hispanic imprint, which is evident in the arms that adorn the ancient palaces and cemeteries of the Island.
  The illustrations are mine only in small part; the greater part I owe to the heraldic artist C.A. von Volbort with whom I was in correspondence for many years and to the heraldic artist H. Child. A few others are by anonymous artists. To them my gratitude, our gratitude, for having provided us with examples of correct heraldic art.

Messina, 24.2.1984

S.C.R.

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Tavola I of an Italian heraldry guide presents the standard graphic conventions for metals, tinctures, and furs, labelled "Metalli – Smalti – Pellicce." The upper group shows six numbered rectangular panels demonstrating the hatching systems for two metals (Oro and Argento) and four tinctures (Azzurro, Rosso, Verde, and Porpora). Below, a second group of five panels illustrates the conventional representations of five furs — Vairy, Counter-vairy, Sable, Ermine, and Counter-ermine — numbered 8, 9, 7, 10, and 11 respectively, with a note that Sable (Nero) holds an anomalous position in the numbering sequence. The page concludes with three advisory notes on the rules of tincture and the historical codification of heraldic hatching symbols.
Italiano

TAV. I

METALLI – SMALTI – PELLICCE

Metalli: 1.Oro – 2.Argento
Smalti: 3.Azzurro – 4.Rosso – 5.Verde – 6.Porpora

Pellicce: 8.Vajo – 9.Contravajo – 7.Nero – 10.Armellino – 11.
Contrarmellino.

NB. Il Nero è considerato da molti uno smalto,ma da molti altri
una pelliccia.Qui ha ricevuto il numero progressivo tra gli
smalti,ma è stato posto tra le pellicce.

AVVERTENZE

1. Mai porre metallo su metallo,smalto su smalto.Le pellicce so_
no considerate o come metallo o come smalto.

2. Il sistema di indicare con simboli grafici i metalli, gli
smalti e le pellicce è entrato in uso nel 17º secolo,ma solo
nel 18º è stato codificato e universalmente accettato:da qui
i possibili errori nei simboli grafici del 17º secolo.

3. Errori sono possibili anche nella lettura dei colori di vec_
chie o antiche miniature a causa dell'ossidazione delle ma_
terie coloranti.P.es.l'oro che muta in verde,l'argento in ne_
ro,tra i più frequenti.

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English

PLATE I

METALS – TINCTURES – FURS

Metals: 1. Or – 2. Argent
Tinctures: 3. Azure – 4. Gules – 5. Vert – 6. Purpure

Furs: 8. Vair – 9. Countervair – 7. Sable – 10. Ermine – 11. Counter-ermine.

N.B. Sable is considered by many to be a tincture, but by many others
a fur. Here it has been assigned a progressive number among the
tinctures, but has been placed among the furs.

NOTES

1. Never place metal upon metal, tincture upon tincture. Furs are
considered either as metal or as tincture.

2. The system of indicating metals, tinctures, and furs by graphic
symbols came into use in the 17th century, but only in the 18th
century was it codified and universally accepted: hence the possible
errors in graphic symbols of the 17th century.

3. Errors are also possible in reading the colours of old or ancient
miniatures owing to the oxidation of colouring matter. For example,
or which changes to green, argent to black, are among the most
frequent.

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TAV.II (Plate II) from an Italian heraldry guide showing "Unusual Enamels and Furs" (Smalti e Pellicce Insoliti). The page displays two horizontal rows of heraldic tincture patterns with numbered examples: the first row illustrates six uncommon enamels (tanné, sanguigno, and various fur patterns including Pean, Erminois, and natural coloring), while the second row shows four variations of vair furs (patente, counter-patente, in punta, and antico). Text beneath identifies each pattern and notes that tanné and sanguigno are peculiar to Scottish heraldry and to a lesser extent English heraldry.
Italiano

TAV.II

SMALTI E PELLICCE
INSOLITI

Smalti: 1.Tanné (bruno-giallastro) - 2.Sanguigno (rosso-bruno)

Pellicce: 3."Pean" - 4."Erminois" - 5."al naturale" (o "del suo colore") -6. Vajo patente

Pellicce: 7.Vajo patente contro-patente - 8. Vajo in punta - 9.Vajato - 10.Vajo antico

NB. Gli smalti tanné e sanguigno sono peculiari dell'araldica scozzese e in minor misura di quella inglese.

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English

TAV.II

UNUSUAL TINCTURES AND FURS

Tinctures: 1. Tenné (brownish-yellow) - 2. Sanguine (reddish-brown)

Furs: 3. "Pean" - 4. "Erminois" - 5. "Proper" (or "of its natural colour") - 6. Potent Vair

Furs: 7. Potent counter-potent - 8. Vair in point - 9. Vairy - 10. Ancient Vair

N.B. The tinctures tenné and sanguine are peculiar to Scottish heraldry and to a lesser extent to English heraldry.

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Page 7 of Italian heraldry guide showing shield divisions and terminology. Contains explanatory text defining the campo (field) and arme (coat of arms), followed by a diagram of a shield divided into nine labeled sections (D, B, E, F, A, G, H, C, I) illustrating the principal parts: capo (chief), corpo (body), and punta (base), along with additional canton and flank positions.
Italiano

TAV.III

PARTI E PARTIZIONI DELLO SCUDO

La superficie dello scudo si dice campo. Lo scudo completo dei suoi simboli,disegnati o dipinti,è detto arme o arma.

Poichè l'arma è posta di fronte a chi legge,il suo lato destro si trova a sinistra e il sinistro viceversa.

Lo scudo è diviso in tre parti principali (fasce di uguale lar ghezza): capo (DBE),corpo (FAG),punta (HCI). Altre parti sono:

canton destro del capo (D)
canton sinistro del capo (E)
punto del capo (B)
cuore o centro o abisso (A)
punta (C)

fianco destro (F)
fianco sinistro (G)
canton destro della punta (H)
canton sinistro della punta (I)

Le figure araldiche hanno una ben precisa posizione nello scu do rispetto alle parti in cui esso è diviso. Una maggiore pre cisione si ha dividendo lo scudo in 16 parti,secondo lo schema

English

PLATE III

PARTS AND DIVISIONS OF THE SHIELD

The surface of the shield is called the field. The complete shield with its symbols, drawn or painted, is called arms or coat of arms.

Since the coat of arms is placed before the viewer, its dexter side is found on the left and the sinister side conversely on the right.

The shield is divided into three principal parts (fesses of equal width): chief (DBE), fess (FAG), base (HCI). Other parts are:

dexter canton of the chief (D)
sinister canton of the chief (E)
point of the chief (B)
heart or center or abysm (A)
base (C)

dexter flank (F)
sinister flank (G)
dexter canton of the base (H)
sinister canton of the base (I)

Heraldic figures have a well-defined position on the shield with respect to the parts into which it is divided. Greater precision is obtained by dividing the shield into 16 parts, according to the scheme

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Table IV (TAV. IV) from an Italian heraldry guide showing the nomenclature of points and divisions of the heraldic shield (scudo). The upper portion contains a grid identifying 16 labeled points (A through Q, with J omitted following Italian heraldic convention) on the shield including the chief point, honor point, heart, flanks, base, and corners. The lower section displays six numbered diagrams of heraldic shields illustrating different types of partition lines used to divide shields: straight/crenellated, wavy, zigzag, indented, undulating, and embattled patterns.
Italiano

TAV. IV

B A C
E D F
H G I
L K M
O N P
Q

in cui i punti sono così denominati:
punto del capo (A)
canton destro del capo (B)
canton sinistro del capo (C)
punto d'onore (D)
punto destro del punto d'onore (E)
punto sinistro del punto d'onore (F)
cuore o centro o abisso (G)
fianco destro dello scudo (H)
fianco sinistro dello scudo (I)
bellico (K)
punto destro del bellico (L)
punto sinistro del bellico (M)
punta dello scudo (N)
canton destro dello scudo (O)
canton sinistro dello scudo (P)
punta bassa dello scudo (Q)

Lo scudo viene diviso in parti per mezzo di linee dette partizioni. Tali linee sono o rette,o curve o spezzate e vanno accuratamente descritte:

English

TAV. IV

B A C
E D F
H G I
L K M
O N P
Q

in which the points are thus denominated:
point of the chief (A)
dexter canton of the chief (B)
sinister canton of the chief (C)
point of honour (D)
dexter point of the point of honour (E)
sinister point of the point of honour (F)
heart or centre or abyss (G)
dexter flank of the shield (H)
sinister flank of the shield (I)
nombril point (K)
dexter nombril point (L)
sinister nombril point (M)
base point (N)
dexter base point (O)
sinister base point (P)
base (Q)

The shield is divided into parts by means of lines called partitions. Such lines are either straight, curved, or broken, and must be accurately described:

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Page 9 of a Italian heraldry guide (TAV. V - Parts and Partitions of the Shield), showing two sets of heraldic illustrations. The upper section displays six shield tops with different edge line treatments (merlated, spiky, dentated, scalloped, nebuly, etc.), followed by two additional variations. The lower section illustrates six complete heraldic shields demonstrating various partition methods (party, truncated, trinciated, quartered in different configurations). Typewritten Italian captions and a footnote about partition lines and heraldic pieces are interspersed throughout.
Italiano

TAV. V

1.Merlato - 2.Spinato - 3.Dentato - 4.Scanalato - 5.Ondato -
6.Nebuloso

7.Increspato - 8.Cuneato - 9.Nebuloso allargato - 10.Merlato
alla ghibellina

11.A coda di rondine - 12.Potenziato.

NB. Le linee di partizione sono talvolta raddoppiate come il
Merlato (1),che diventa Contro Merlato se le merlature hanno
lo stesso verso oppure diventa Doppio Merlato se le merlatu_
re hanno verso opposto.

Anche le pezze araldiche possono assumere linee di contorno corrispondenti a linee di partizione: una banda,una fascia un- palo,una croce possono essere 'spinati' (2).

Le linee di partizione,dunque,delimitano le partizioni dello
scudo:

1.Partito - 2.Troncato - 3.Trinciato - 4.Inquartato in decusse
5.Inquartato - 6.Interzato in pergola

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English

TAV. V

1. Embattled - 2. Engrailed - 3. Indented - 4. Invected - 5. Wavy -
6. Nebuly

7. Dancetty - 8. Cuneato † - 9. Nebuly, enlarged ‡ - 10. Embattled à la
Ghibelline

11. Dovetailed - 12. Potenty.

NB. The partition lines are sometimes doubled, as in the Embattled
(1), which becomes Counter-embattled if the embattlements face the
same direction, or becomes Double Embattled if the embattlements
face opposite directions.

Likewise, the heraldic charges may assume outline lines corresponding
to partition lines: a bend, a fess, a pale, a cross may be 'engrailed'
(2).

The partition lines, therefore, delimit the divisions of the
shield:

1. Party per pale - 2. Party per fess - 3. Party per bend - 4. Quarterly
in saltire - 5. Quarterly - 6. Tierced in paly

Translator's note: † Item 8, "Cuneato" — from Latin cuneus (wedge): a partition line with wedge- or chisel-shaped projections. No single established English equivalent exists. The plate image shows a pattern more deeply pointed than Indented (item 3) but distinct from both Dovetailed (item 11) and Dancetty (item 7). Some English sources use "Urdy" for a wedge-tooth line, but Urdy is also used for a different form in other traditions. The closest descriptor may be a steeply-angled variant of Indented, sometimes rendered in blazon as "deeply indented." Identification uncertain — specialist review recommended.
Translator's note: ‡ Item 9, "Nebuloso allargato" — "nebuloso" is the standard Italian for Nebuly (item 6, the cloud-shaped wavy line); "allargato" means enlarged or widened, describing a larger-scale variant with broader, more widely-spaced cloud cusps. English heraldry has no established single-word term for this variant. A blazon would specify scale relative to ordinary nebuly, e.g. "nebuly of a larger size." The translation "Nebuly, enlarged" is descriptive rather than terminologically canonical — the exact English rendering awaits specialist confirmation.
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Page TAV. VI from a Italian heraldry guide, titled "Parti e Partizioni dello Scudo" (Parts and Partitions of the Shield). The page contains a diagram showing six shield variations numbered 7-12 illustrating different partition types (split, spaced, crossed, and divided patterns), followed by dense Italian text explaining heraldic terminology, complex shield partitions, and the historical and genealogical significance of quartered arms in noble families.
Italiano

7.Partito e semispacato - 8.Spacato e semipartito - 9.Grem biato di 6 pezzi - 10.Interzato in fascia - 11.Interzato in pa lo - 12.Interzato in banda.

Vi sono altre partizioni dello scudo come:

Semipartito e spacato, che è l'inverso dello spacato e semi_ partito (8)

Semispacato e partito, che è l'inverso del partito e semispac_ cato (7)

Interzato in sbarra, che è l'inverso dell'interzato in banda (12)

Tagliato, che è l'inverso del trinciato (3)

Le armi più complesse hanno partiture altrettanto complesse:

partito di due spacato di uno, in cui lo scudo è diviso da due linee verticali e da una orizzontale ( 6 quarti )

partito di uno spacato di due, in cui è diviso da una verticale e da due orizzontali ( 6 quarti )

partito di tre spacato di uno, ove lo scudo è diviso da tre li nee verticali e da una orizzontale (8 quarti)

partito di due spacato di due, diviso da due linee verticali e da due orizzontali (9 quarti)

partito di tre spacato di tre, diviso da tre verticali e da tre orizzontali(16 quarti).

I quarti sono, però, parti dello scudo delimitate da linee di partizione: ciascuno di essi è un'arma. Un'arma composta di più quarti si può dire che rappresenti il 'manifesto' storico del_ la Famiglia o della Casa che l'innalza; indica, infatti, matrimo_ ni, feudi, concessioni, pretensioni, non ultima cosa, l'arma del primo detentore, del fondatore della nobile Casa.

Naturalmente i quarti non vengono ordinati a caso in seno al l'arma. Si seguono, in genere, criteri cronologici, storici, onori fici, genealogici, sicché dell'arma di una Casa si possono avere più edizioni a seconda di quel che essa deve 'manifestare'.

English

7. Party per pale and party per fess - 8. Party per fess and party per pale - 9. Chequy of 6 pieces - 10. Tierced in fess - 11. Tierced in pale - 12. Tierced in bend.

There are other divisions of the shield, such as:

Party per pale and party per fess, which is the reverse of party per fess and party per pale (8)

Party per fess and party per pale, which is the reverse of party per pale and party per fess (7)

Tierced in bend sinister, which is the reverse of tierced in bend (12)

Party per bend, which is the reverse of party per bend sinister (3)

The most complex arms have equally complex divisions:

party per pale of two, party per fess of one, in which the shield is divided by two vertical lines and one horizontal line (6 quarters)

party per pale of one, party per fess of two, in which it is divided by one vertical line and two horizontal lines (6 quarters)

party per pale of three, party per fess of one, wherein the shield is divided by three vertical lines and one horizontal line (8 quarters)

party per pale of two, party per fess of two, divided by two vertical lines and two horizontal lines (9 quarters)

party per pale of three, party per fess of three, divided by three vertical and three horizontal lines (16 quarters).

The quarters are, however, divisions of the shield delimited by lines of partition: each of them constitutes an arm. A coat of arms composed of multiple quarters may be said to represent the historical 'manifesto' of the Family or House that bears it; it indicates, indeed, marriages, fiefs, grants, claims, and not least, the arms of the first holder, the founder of the noble House.

Naturally the quarters are not arranged haphazardly within the arms. One generally follows chronological, historical, honorific, and genealogical criteria, so that the arms of a House may have multiple versions depending on what it must 'display'.

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Plate TAV.VII, headed "Ordine delle Parti" (Order of the Parts), presents three horizontal rows of outline shield diagrams, each shield subdivided into numbered sections to demonstrate the conventional sequence for blazoning the parts of a divided or quartered field. The top row of five shields shows progressively more complex divisions including vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines of partition, with sections numbered 1 and 2 or 1, 2, and 3. The middle and bottom rows continue this progression, culminating in a nine-cell quartered shield in the bottom-right corner, illustrating the standard heraldic numbering order for a field divided into nine quarters.
Italiano

TAV.VII

ORDINE DELLE PARTI

English

PLATE VII

ORDER OF THE PARTS

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Plate TAV.VIII, titled "Figure Araldiche" in underlined capital letters, presents fifteen heraldic ordinaries arranged in three rows of five labeled shield outlines each, rendered in black-and-white line engraving with hatching to indicate tinctures. The first row illustrates five first-order honourable ordinaries: chief, fess, pale, bend, and bend sinister. The second row shows cross, saltire, chevron, base, and pall (per the Italian terms Croce, Croce di S.Andrea, Capriolo, Campagna, and Pergola). The third row depicts gyronny, canton (frank quarter), nombril point area, point, and pile. A note in monospaced typewriter text between the first and second rows states that the heraldic figures on this plate are called "pezze onorevoli di 1° ordine" (honourable ordinaries of the first order).
Italiano

TAV.VIII

FIGURE ARALDICHE

Capo
Fascia
Palo
Banda
Sbarra

NB. Le figure araldiche comprese in questa tavola si dicono pezze onorevoli di 1° ordine.

Croce
Croce di S.Andrea
Capriolo
Campagna
Pergola

Gherone
Quarto Franco
Grembo
Punta
Pila

---

English

PLATE VIII

HERALDIC ORDINARIES

Chief
Fess
Pale
Bend (Dexter)
Bend Sinister

NB. The heraldic ordinaries comprised in this plate are called honorable charges of the first order.

Cross
Saltire
Chevron
Paly
Trellis

Flank
Frankquarter
Inescutcheon
Point
Pillar

---

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Tavola IX presents three labeled rows of heraldic shield illustrations across a single page, demonstrating second-order honourable ordinaries, standard ordinaries, and additional ordinary charges. The first row contains five shields showing composite ordinaries (Capo Palo, Cantone, Colmo, Terrazzo, and Cinta), the second row five shields illustrating geometric charges (Losanga, Losanga forata, Fuso, Bisante, and Torta), and the third row five shields depicting further ordinary charges (Lambello, Plinto, Crescente, Stella, and Gelosia). Each shield is captioned with its Italian name, and brief Italian captions below the first two rows identify their respective categories; the third row is introduced by the heading "Altre figure ordinarie."
Italiano

TAV. IX

Capo Palo
Cantone
Colmo
Terrazzo
Cinta

Queste cinque figure araldiche sono dette pezze onorevoli di 2°
ordine.

Losanga
Losanga forata
Fuso
Bisante
Torta

Queste figure araldiche sono dette ordinarie.

Altre figure ordinarie:

Lambello
Plinto
Crescente
Stella
Gelosia

---

English

TAV. IX

Chief Pale
Canton
Chevron
Terrace
Orle

These five heraldic figures are called charges of the 2nd order.

Lozenge
Voided Lozenge
Fusil
Bezant
Roundel

These heraldic figures are called ordinaries.

Other ordinaries:

Label
Plinth
Crescent
Star
Fret

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Tavola X is a typewritten instructional page from an Italian heraldry guide presenting five shield illustrations across two pedagogical sections. The upper section demonstrates "Convenevoli Partizioni" (repeated heraldic field divisions) with three labeled examples: a combined chevronny-and-paly shield, a fusilly shield, and a bezanty shield. The lower section introduces two compositional conventions—"dell'uno nell'altro" and "dell'uno e dell'altro"—each illustrated by a single shield example, explaining how a charge may interact with a per pale or quartered field in contrasting tinctures.
Italiano

TAV. X

Quelle figure araldiche che riempiono tutto lo scudo essendo ripetute si chiamano Convenevoli Partizioni: fasciato, bandato, palato, sbarrato, gheronato, fusato, losangato, scaccato, ecc.

Qualche esempio di Convenevoli Partizione:

Scaglionato – Palato

Fusato

Bisantato

Particolari composizioni: Quando lo scudo è partito, inquartato, troncato, ecc. e sopra uno smalto porta una figura intiera dello smalto opposto e viceversa per l'altro campo, si dice:

dell'uno nell'altro:

Se, invece, lo scudo è partito e una figura intera è posta sulla partizione e partecipa per ciscuna metà del metallo o dello smalto del campo opposto, si dice

dell'uno e dell'altro:

---

English

PLATE X

Those heraldic figures that fill the entire shield, being repeated, are called Suitable Partitions: fessywise, bendwise, paleise, bendy sinister, gyronny, fusilly, lozengy, checky, etc.

Some examples of Suitable Partition:

Chevronny – Paleise

Fusilly

Billetty

Particular compositions: When the shield is party per pale, quarterly, party per fess, etc. and over one tincture it bears an entire figure of the opposite tincture and vice versa for the other field, it is said:

of the one in the other:

If, instead, the shield is party per pale and an entire figure is placed upon the partition and participates for each half of the metal or tincture of the opposite field, it is said

of the one and the other:

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Tavola XI of a Italian heraldry guide presents fifteen heraldic shields arranged in three rows of five, illustrating "Figure Naturali" (Natural Figures). The first row shows: a crowned queen's bust (Busto di Regina), a raised forearm and fist (Cubito), a rampant lion (Leone rampante), a rearing horse (Cavallo inalberato), and a displayed eagle with spread wings (Aquila spiegata). A brief body text notes that natural figures (and fantastic ones) should cover as much of the field as possible. The second row depicts: a rooster (Gallo), a rooted tree in full leaf (Albero), a heraldic rose (Rosa), a radiant sun with a face (Sole), and a crescent moon (Luna). The third row shows: a scallop shell (Conchiglia), a pair of ox horns (Corna di uro), a crenellated tower (Torre), a hunting horn (Corno da caccia), and a sword (Spada). Each figure is rendered in black-and-white line art within a pointed heraldic shield outline, with the Italian name of the charge printed beneath each shield.

---
Italiano

TAV. XI

FIGURE NATURALI
==============

Busto di Regina

Cubito

Leone rampante

Cavallo inalberato

Aquila spiegata

Le figure naturali (ma anche quelle fantastiche) dovrebbero coprire, quanto più possibile, il campo.

Gallo

Albero

Rosa

Sole

Luna

Conchiglia

Corna di uro

Torre

Corno da caccia

Spada

English

TAV. XI

NATURAL FIGURES
===============

Bust of a Queen

Arm

Lion rampant

Horse reared

Eagle displayed

Natural figures (but also fantastic ones) should cover the field as much as possible.

Cock

Tree

Rose

Sun

Moon

Shell

Aurochs' horns

Tower

Hunting horn

Sword

16
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Plate XII (TAV. XII) from an Italian heraldry guide titled "Figure Chimeriche" (Chimeric Figures), displaying nine heraldic creatures arranged in three rows of three illustrations each. The top row shows a Sirena (mermaid), Ippogrifo (hippogriff), and Pellicano (pelican); the middle row depicts an Unicorno (unicorn), Grifone (griffin), and Fenice (phoenix); the bottom row illustrates a Dragone (dragon), Leone marino (sea lion), and Cavallo marino (sea horse). A note explains that chimeric figures are depicted in their natural color unless otherwise indicated.
Italiano

TAV. XII
FIGURE CHIMERICHE
================

Sirena Ippogrifo Pellicano

Nota: Le figure chimeriche, a meno che non sia indicato diver_
samente, sono 'del loro colore' ossia al naturale.

Unicorno Grifone Fenice

Dragone Leone marino Cavallo marino

English

TABLE XII
CHIMERICAL FIGURES
================

Mermaid Hippogriff Pelican (in her piety)

Note: Chimerical figures, unless otherwise indicated, are 'of their natural colour' that is to say depicted naturally.

Unicorn Griffin Phoenix

Dragon Sea-Lion Sea-Horse

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Plate XIII ("Croci") of this Italian heraldry guide presents fifteen shield-shaped illustrations arranged in three horizontal rows of five, each shield charged with a differently formed cross, labeled in Italian below. The plate demonstrates the principal heraldic cross varieties, ranging from ornate floriated and ecclesiastical forms in the upper row, to geometric and military forms in the middle row, to full-field and composite cross types in the lower row. A printed note between the first and second rows explains that all crosses with straight-cut arms normally touch the edges of the shield. The illustrations are rendered in black-and-white line art typical of a typeset pedagogical reference work.
Italiano

TAV. XIII

CROCI

Croce del Calvario | Patriarcale | Trilobata | Fiordalisata | Gigliata

NB. Tutte le croci che hanno il taglio dritto dei bracci di solito toccano i margini dello scudo.

Ancorata | Patente appuntita | Ricrociata | Patente | Potenziata

Piana | Greca | Gemellata | Inquartata | Frecciata

---

English

TAV. XIII

CROSSES

Cross of Calvary | Patriarchal | Trilobate | Flory | Fleur-de-lis

NB. All crosses which have straight-cut arms usually touch the edges of the shield.

Anchorée | Pointed patonce | Cross crosslet | Patonce | Potent

Plain | Greek | Gemelled | Quarterly | Cross fléchée

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Heraldic illustration plate TAV. XIV showing "Croci di Ordini Cavallereschi" (Crosses of Chivalric Orders). The page displays six numbered heraldic crosses representing different military and religious orders: ancient and modern Temple of Jerusalem, eight-pointed stars, and the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem, Teutonic Order, Holy Sepulcher, and Saint Lazarus. Each illustration is accompanied by heraldic tincture descriptions (colors: black, red, and green).
Italiano

CROCI DI ORDINI CAVALLERESCHI TAV. XIV

1. 2.

Ordine del
Tempio di
Gerusalemme
1.antica
2.moderna

Nastri: 2. Nero - 3. Nero (ma anche rosso: OSJ).

3.Ordine di
3. 4. S.Giovanni
di Gerusalemme
4.Ordine Teutonico

Nastri: 4. Nero - 5. Nero - 6. Verde

5.Ordine del
5. 6. S. Sepolcro
6.Ordine di
S.Lazzaro

---

English

CROSSES OF CHIVALRIC ORDERS TAB. XIV

1. 2.

Order of the
Temple of
Jerusalem
1. ancient
2. modern

Ribbons: 2. Black - 3. Black (but also red: OSJ).

3. Order of
3. 4. St. John
of Jerusalem
4. Teutonic Order

Ribbons: 4. Black - 5. Black - 6. Green

5. Order of the
5. 6. Holy Sepulchre
6. Order of
St. Lazarus

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Plate TAV. XV from an Italian heraldry guide presents six line-drawn crosses of chivalric orders, numbered 7 through 12, arranged in three rows of two illustrations each. The plate continues a sequence from a preceding plate and identifies each cross with its order name and tincture. Figures 7 and 8 show elaborate floriated and fleur-de-lis-terminated crosses; figures 9 and 10 show a plain cross patée and an eight-pointed Maltese-style cross; figures 11 and 12 depict ornate floriated crosses associated with the Orders of Calatrava and Alcantara. The plate serves as a pedagogical reference for distinguishing the distinctive cross forms used by specific historical chivalric orders.
Italiano

TAV. XV

7.

8.

7.Ordine
Costantiniano
di S.Giorgio

8.Militare
Ordine del
Collare

7. Celeste 8. Rosso orlato di giallo

9.

10.

Ordine di
Montesa
1. antica
2. moderna

9. Rosso – 10. Rosso – 11. Rosso – 12. Verde

11.

12.

11.Ordine di
Calatrava

12.Ordine di
Alcantara

---

English

TAV. XV

7.

8.

7. Constantinian
Order
of St. George

8. Military
Order of
the Collar

7. Celeste 8. Gules semé of Or

9.

10.

Order of
Montesa
1. ancient
2. modern

9. Gules – 10. Gules – 11. Gules – 12. Vert

11.

12.

11. Order of
Calatrava

12. Order of
Alcántara

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Tavola XVI, headed "Scudi: Forme d'Epoca" (Shield Shapes by Period), presents approximately seventeen outline drawings of heraldic shield forms arranged in chronological rows across the plate, ranging from a Norman kite shield through examples dated to the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th–17th centuries. Each shield silhouette is labelled with a century designation in Italian (e.g., "13° sec."), and two named examples — the Machiavelli arms and the civic arms of Messina — are rendered with internal hatching to show tinctures. The plate serves as a typological reference for the evolution of European shield shapes used in heraldry.
Italiano

TAV. XVI

SCUDI : FORME D' EPOCA

Normanno

13°
sec.

13°
sec.

13° sec.

13°
sec.

13°
sec.

13°
sec.

14°
sec.

14°
sec.

14° sec.

Machiavelli, 15° sec.

15° sec.

MESSINA
15° sec.

16°

16°

16°

17°
18°

---

English

PLATE XVI

SHIELDS: PERIOD FORMS

Norman

13th
cent.

13th
cent.

13th cent.

13th
cent.

13th
cent.

13th
cent.

14th
cent.

14th
cent.

14th cent.

Machiavelli, 15th cent.

15th cent.

MESSINA
15th cent.

16th

16th

16th

17th
18th

---

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Tavola XVII presents three illustrations demonstrating shield shapes across different historical periods, arranged on a single page with Italian captions and a typeset explanatory note below. At upper centre is a large 20th-century shield bearing a displayed eagle; at lower left is a Renaissance shield with complex armorial charges; at lower right is a lozenge outline labelled as the feminine shield form in use from the 17th century onward. The page's pedagogical purpose is to illustrate the evolution of shield forms and to introduce a working classification of shield types (triangular, rounded, notched, oval, and horse's-head) used throughout the guide.
Italiano

TAV.XVII

sec.XX

Rinascimento

dal 17° sec.
"femminile"

Nota: Non c'è una nomenclatura universalmente accettata degli scudi.Per non accrescere la confusione noi li distingueremo in:

triangolari: tutti quelli che,almeno dalla metà della loro lunghezza verso il basso acquistano una definita forma triangolare.

rotondati: quando nel lato inferiore sono conclusi da un arco di cerchio (sono detti da qualcuno "gotici").

incavati:scudi usati per lo più nei tornei,hanno un incavo per l'appoggio della lancia (hanno forme diverse).

ovali: inclusi o meno in 'cartocci'.

a testa di cavallo,rinascimentale.

English

TAV.XVII

20th century

Renaissance

from 17th century
"feminine"

Note: There is no universally accepted nomenclature for shields. To avoid adding to the confusion, we shall distinguish them as follows:

triangular: all those that, at least from the midpoint of their length downwards, acquire a definite triangular shape.

rounded: when the lower side is concluded by a circular arc (some call them "gothic").

bouché: shields used mostly in tournaments, they have a notch (bouché) for the support of the lance (they have various forms).

oval: enclosed or not in cartouches.

horsehead, Renaissance.

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Plate XVIII ("Elmi: Fogge d'Epoca" — Helmets: Period Styles) presents approximately fifteen pen-and-ink drawings of European helmets arranged across the page, each labelled with a date or date range spanning from circa 1000–1100 through circa 1550, covering both medieval and early Renaissance helm types. The illustrations include varieties such as the nasal helm, great helm, bascinet, armet, sallet, and close helm, several of which are marked with an asterisk indicating they were historically fitted with a heraldic crest. A printed note at the foot of the page explains in Italian that helmets marked with an asterisk were sometimes surmounted by crests ("cimieri") — heraldic figures modelled in wood, fabric, or other light, suitable material. The plate serves as a comparative typological reference for the chronological development of the helmet in heraldic and armorial contexts.
Italiano

ELMI: FOGGE D'EPOCA

circa 1000-
1100

1310

1280
*

circa 1250

1370
GERMAN
*

1385 ENGLISH

1430

circa
1450

1480

1530

1460

circa
1350
*

14th cent.

Note: Sugli elmi segnati con asterisco si ponevano, talvolta, i
'cimieri', figure araldiche modellate in legno, stoffa ed altro
materiale, leggero e adatto.

---

English

HELMS: PERIOD STYLES

circa 1000-
1100

1310

1280
*

circa 1250

1370
GERMAN
*

1385 ENGLISH

1430

circa
1450

1480

1530

1460

circa
1350
*

14th cent.

Note: Upon the helms marked with an asterisk were sometimes placed
'crests', heraldic figures modelled in wood, fabric and other light
and suitable materials.

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Tavola XIX, headed "Elmi Araldici" (Heraldic Helms), presents nine numbered line-drawn illustrations of heraldic helmets arranged in three rows of three across a white page, with the plate number "TAV. XIX" printed in the upper right corner. The drawings depict a range of helm types used in heraldry, from medieval great helms and closed helms to a barred tilting helm, a visored burgonet, and a jousting helm, demonstrating the variety of heraldic headpieces associated with different ranks and periods. Each illustration is numbered 1 through 9 and rendered in black ink with cross-hatching and stippling to indicate surface texture and depth.
Italiano

ELMI ARALDICI

English

HERALDIC HELMS

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Plate XX (TAV. XX) from a Italian heraldry guide showing heraldic helmets (Elmi Araldici). The page contains a dense Italian text block discussing tournament helmets, royal and noble helmet styles across different European regions, and rules for heraldic composition, followed by three detailed engravings of ornate heraldic helmets numbered 10, 11, and 12, arranged horizontally and showing frontal and profile views with crowns and decorative elements.
Italiano

L'elmo da torneo (Turnierhelm,tav.XVIII,3 e 4) in Germania ed Austria è quello usato per le armi dei titoleti,mentre nel Re gno Unito è usato dal Sovrano e dai principali del sangue (però dorato e affrontato).In Italia ed in Spagna,come pure in Fran cia i Sovrani usarono l'elmo con la visiera aperta,affrontato e dorato,mentre i Principi usano,generalmente,lo stesso elmo, però argentato e filettato d'oro (Tav.XVIII,5 e 8). I titola_ ti di questi Paesi usano l'elmo grigliato (Tav.XVIII,7;XIX,10 11,12) affrontato per Principi e Duchi;posto di 3/4 per Marche si,Conti,Visconti,Baroni;di profilo per Nobili e Patrizi. Il numero delle griglie indica il grado;9 per i Duchi;7 i Marche si,i Conti e i Visconti;5 i Baroni;3 gli altri.

L'elmo a pentola (Tav.XVIII,1 e 2) è il più antico,tanto che in Germanie viene usato nelle armi della 'noblesse de race', Uradel,risalente a prima del 13º secolo.

L'artista che vogliaacomporre delle armi coerenti dovrà attenez si strettamente allo stile in uso all'epoca della concessione. Allo stile appropriato dovrà adeguare non solo la forma dello scudo ed il disegno dell'arma,ma anche gli ornamenti esteriori,elmo,corona,lambrecchini,mantello,cimiero, eco.

English

The tournament helm (Turnierhelm, pl. XVIII, 3 and 4) in Germany and Austria is that used for the arms of titled persons, while in the United Kingdom it is used by the Sovereign and the principal members of the blood royal (however gilded and affronty). In Italy and in Spain, as well as in France, the Sovereigns used the helm with the visor open, affronty and gilded, while the Princes use, generally, the same helm, however silvered and fimbriated of gold (Pl. XVIII, 5 and 8). The titled persons of these countries use the grilled helm (Pl. XVIII, 7; XIX, 10, 11, 12) affronty for Princes and Dukes; placed at three-quarters for Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, Barons; in profile for Nobles and Patricians. The number of grilles indicates the rank; 9 for the Dukes; 7 for the Marquises, the Counts and the Viscounts; 5 for the Barons; 3 for the others.

The pot helm (Pl. XVIII, 1 and 2) is the most ancient, so much so that in Germany it is used in the arms of the 'noblesse de race', Uradel, dating back to before the 13th century.

The artist who wishes to compose arms coherent must adhere strictly to the style in use at the time of the grant. To the appropriate style he must adapt not only the form of the shield and the design of the arms, but also the exterior ornaments, helm, crown, mantling, mantle, crest, etc.

25
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Tavola XXI of this Italian heraldry guide is headed "CORONE" (Crowns) and contains a brief introductory text in Italian followed by twenty numbered line-drawn crowns arranged in five rows of four. The crowns range from closed imperial and royal forms with arches, orbs, and crosses, through open coronets adorned with fleurs-de-lis, strawberry leaves, and pearled points, to simpler civic and baronial coronets with plain points or pearls on stems. The plate serves as a comparative typological reference for the crown forms customarily used in Italian and Spanish heraldry.
Italiano

TAV.XXI

C O R O N E

L'uso di porre la corona sullo scudo è invalso nel 14° secolo.
La foggia delle corone è stata regolamentata solo a partire
dal 17° sec. Qui saranno riprodotte soltanto le corone usuali
in Italia ed in Spagna.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

---

English

PLATE XXI

C O R O N E T S

The practice of placing a coronet above the shield became established in the 14th century.
The form of coronets was regulated only from the 17th century onwards. Here only the coronets
commonly used in Italy and Spain will be reproduced.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

---

26
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Plate XXII (TAV. XXII) is a text-only reference page from an Italian heraldry guide, presenting a numbered key of 22 rank-specific coronet and crown types used in Italian, Spanish, and Sicilian heraldry, followed by two small line-drawn coronet illustrations (numbered 21 and 22) at the bottom of the list. The numbered entries range from the modern royal crown (Corona reale moderna) down through ranks of Prince, Duke, Marquess, Count, Viscount, Baron, Noble, Hereditary Knight, and Patrician, with national jurisdictions noted in parentheses. A concluding editorial note in Italian discusses the abolition of the Sicilian feudal system in 1812 and the historical use of the title "Cavaliere" for cadets of titled families. The two illustrated coronets at the foot of the list represent the Hereditary Knight (Cavaliere Ereditario, Italy) and the Patrician (Patrizio, Italy).
Italiano

TAV. XXII

1. Corona reale moderna
2. Principe del Sangue,moderna
3. Principe - Pari del Regno (Sicilia)
4. Principe (Italia,Sicilia)
5. Duca (Italia,Spagna,Sicilia)
6. Marchese (Italia,Spagna,Sicilia)
7. Marchese (Spagna)
8. Conte (Italia,Spagna,Sicilia)
9.10.11. Conte (Italia)
12. Visconte (Spagna)
13. Visconte (Italia)
14. Barone (Italia)
15. Barone (Italia)
16. Barone (Italia)
17. Barone (Italia,Spagna,Sicilia)
18. Barone (Spagna)
19. Nobile (Spagna)
20. Nobile (Italia,Sicilia)
21. Cavaliere Ereditario (Italia)
22. Patrizio (Italia)

NB. Richiamiamo alla mente del Lettore che in Sicilia il siste_
ma feudale fu abolito per rinunzia dei Pari solamente nel 1812.
I grandi feudatari siciliani godevano di ampi privilegi,tra cui
quello dell'esercizio dell'alta e bassa giustizia.

I cadetti delle famiglie titolate,che in Italia sono indi_
cati come "Nobili dei...." in Sicilia erano (e nel contado an_
cora lo sono) indicati come "Cavalieri",secondo l'antico uso
medievale,che voleva i cadetti essere indirizzati o alla mili_
zia cavalleresca o alla religione.

---

English

PLATE XXII

1. Modern Royal Crown
2. Prince of the Blood, modern
3. Prince - Peer of the Realm (Sicily)
4. Prince (Italy, Sicily)
5. Duke (Italy, Spain, Sicily)
6. Marquess (Italy, Spain, Sicily)
7. Marquess (Spain)
8. Earl (Italy, Spain, Sicily)
9.10.11. Earl (Italy)
12. Viscount (Spain)
13. Viscount (Italy)
14. Baron (Italy)
15. Baron (Italy)
16. Baron (Italy)
17. Baron (Italy, Spain, Sicily)
18. Baron (Spain)
19. Noble (Spain)
20. Noble (Italy, Sicily)
21. Hereditary Knight (Italy)
22. Patrician (Italy)

N.B. We call to the Reader's mind that in Sicily the feudal sys-
tem was abolished by renunciation of the Peers only in 1812.
The great Sicilian feudatories enjoyed extensive privileges, among
which was that of the exercise of high and low justice.

The younger sons of titled families, who in Italy are desig-
nated as "Nobles of...." in Sicily were (and in the countryside
still are) designated as "Knights," according to the ancient
medieval usage, which held that younger sons be directed either to
chivalric warfare or to religion.

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Tavola XXIII of this Italian heraldry guide is headed "Ornamenti Esteriori" and presents three line-drawn heraldic achievements arranged on the lower half of the page to illustrate exterior ornaments of the shield, with the body text explaining the nature and origin of mantling (lambrecchini) and the wreath (cercine). The central and largest achievement displays a closed helm with elaborate mantling and a crest of stylised flames or feathers above a torse, set over a plain shield. The lower-left achievement shows a full human figure supporter (a wild man or savage) beside a plain per-bend shield, while the lower-right achievement depicts a lion rampant as a supporter beside a per-pale shield. Together the three examples demonstrate different forms of exterior ornament—crest, mantling, and supporters—as discussed in the accompanying text.
Italiano

TAV. XXIII

ORNAMENTI ESTERIORI
==================

Sono ornamenti esteriori dello scudo: il manto,i lambrecchini
il cimiero,i supporti o i tenenti,il motto,gli Ordini.

I lambrecchini:sono il frutto della deviata fantasia di tanti
artisti i quali hanno scambiato le dentellature ornamentali di
un paranuca per piume o foglie che escono da dietro l'elmo.In
effetti i Cavalieri per impedire che il sole arroventasse l'el_
mo si proteggevano facendo pendere da un cercine una specie di
mantelletto paranuca (v. Ornamenti di foggia spagnola) che era
dentellato anche profondamente per motivi estetici. Il Cercine
inoltre,venne rappresentato come un elemento a se stante con
la funzione di sostenere sia la corona,sia il cimiero.

---

English

TAV. XXIII

EXTERIOR ORNAMENTS
==================

The exterior ornaments of the shield are: the mantling, the lambrequins,
the crest, the supporters or tenants, the motto, and the Orders.

The lambrequins: are the result of the wayward imagination of many
artists who mistook the ornamental dentilation of a mail-hood for feathers
or leaves emerging from behind the helm. In fact, Knights protected themselves
from the sun heating the helm by having a kind of mail-hood (v. Spanish-style
Ornaments) hang from a circlet, which was dentilated quite deeply for aesthetic
reasons. The circlet, moreover, came to be represented as a separate element
with the function of supporting both the crown and the crest.

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Plate XXIV of this Italian heraldry guide presents three distinct illustration groups demonstrating exterior ornaments: a helm with mantling (lambrequin) over a shield, a blank escutcheon enclosed within a mantled surround topped by a royal crown, and a bottom row of three side-by-side achievements each illustrating a different crest atop a helm and shield. The page uses Italian text to explain that lambrequins bear the tinctures of the principal metal and tincture of the arms, that the mantle is the prerogative of kings, princes, and dukes, and that the crest reproduces the principal charge of the arms. All illustrations are rendered in black-and-white line engraving.
Italiano

TAV. XXIV

Di solito i lambrecchini recano il colore del metallo (nella
soppannatura -fodera-) e dello smalto (nel dritto) principa_
li figuranti nell'arma.

Il manto: E' prerogativa dei Re, Principi, Duchi. Generalmente è
scarlatto soppannato d'ermellino. Il mantelletto era usato un
tempo dagli Hidalgos senza titolo specifico. Come sappiamo l'Hi_
dalgo apparteneva all'antica nobiltà ispanica (v. Ornamenti
esteriori di foggia spagnola).

Il cimiero: riproduce la principale figura dell'arma. La sua
collocazione sull'elmo dà luogo, spesso, a storture, come quan_
do è posto di fronte su un elmo girato di 3/4.

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English

PLATE XXIV

The mantling usually bears the color of the metal (in the lining) and of the tincture (in the outer surface) that are the principal ones appearing in the arms.

The Mantle: It is the prerogative of Kings, Princes, and Dukes. Generally it is scarlet lined with ermine. The mantlet was used in former times by Hidalgos without specific title. As we know, the Hidalgo belonged to the ancient Hispanic nobility (see Exterior Ornaments of Spanish Fashion).

The Crest: it reproduces the principal figure of the arms. Its placement upon the helm often gives rise to distortions, such as when it is positioned facing forward upon a helm turned three-quarters.

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This is a combination plate (TAV. XXV) from an Italian heraldry guide, presenting the topic of exterior ornaments known as supporters and tenants. The page opens with a typewritten paragraph in Italian that defines "tenenti" as human figures and "supporti" as animals or chimeric creatures that hold or flank a heraldic shield, noting that there may be two such figures or rarely one, and that they may be identical or different. Below the text are two black-and-white heraldic illustrations: the first shows a single angelic figure with wings (a tennant) holding a shield charged with fleurs-de-lis; the second shows a blank shield flanked by two different heraldic beasts (a winged lion on the left and a lion on the right), each crowned, with an additional crown displayed centrally above the shield, demonstrating the use of paired but dissimilar supporters.
Italiano

TAV. XXV

I supporti e i tenenti:sono figure (umane i tenenti,anima_
li o chimeriche i supporti) che sostengono lo scudo. De_
gli uni o degli altri,come ornamenti esteriori dello scu_
do ce ne possono essere due oppure una sola (raramente).
Possono essere uguali o diversi.

English

TAV. XXV

Supporters and supporters: these are figures (human ones are supporters, animals or chimeric creatures are supporters) that bear the shield. Of one or the other, as exterior ornaments of the shield, there can be two or just one (rarely). They can be identical or different.

---

**Note:** There appears to be a terminology issue in the original Italian text itself—both "i tenenti" and "i supporti" are being defined somewhat inconsistently. A more precise translation reflecting the intended heraldic distinction would be:

Supporters and supporters: these are figures (human figures are called supporters, while animals or chimeric creatures are called supporters) that bear the shield. Of one or the other, as exterior ornaments of the shield, there can be two or just one (rarely). They can be identical or different.

However, if the original text intended to distinguish between "tenenti" (supporters—typically human) and "supporti" (supporters—typically animals/chimeras), the translation would need clarification from the source material.

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Tavola XXVI of this Italian heraldry guide presents two black-and-white illustrations demonstrating the concept of the motto as an exterior ornament of a coat of arms. The upper illustration shows a fully composed achievement with a shield, coronet, mantling, and two supporters — a horse on the dexter side and a lion on the sinister side. The lower illustration shows a template achievement with a blank shield, a helmet and mantling above, and a scroll beneath bearing the word "MOTTO," accompanied by a block of Italian text explaining that the motto is a word or brief phrase placed on a fess beneath the shield to express the animating principle of those who bear the arms.
Italiano

TAV. XXVI

Il motto: è una parola o una breve sentenza che si pone
in fascia sotto lo scudo. Esprime il principio animatore
di coloro che innalzano l'arma cui esso si riferisce.

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English

TAV. XXVI

The motto: is a word or a brief sentence that is placed
in a fess beneath the shield. It expresses the animating principle
of those who bear the arms to which it refers.

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This is a combination text-and-illustration plate from an Italian heraldry guide, numbered TAV. XXVII, covering the topic of chivalric orders as external ornaments to coats of arms. The page is divided into two sections: the upper section contains a paragraph of typewritten Italian text defining "Gli Ordini" (Orders) and explaining how decorations hang from the base of the shield while the collar or ribbon accompanies its sides, illustrated by two examples — one showing a quartered shield with a collar and pendant decoration, and another showing a shield encircled by a large order collar with a Maltese cross pendant. The lower section contains a further paragraph explaining that Knights of Justice of certain orders "accolle" (superimpose) their arms upon the Cross of the Order, illustrated by two smaller drawings showing shields accolled upon stars or order crosses.

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Italiano

TAV. XXVII

Gli Ordini:sono le decorazioni o le Croci degli Ordini
cavallereschi dei quali è membro chi innalza l'arma op_
pure degli Ordini ereditari (sia dinastici che di con_
cessione).Generalmente le decorazioni pendono sotto la
punta dello scudo,mentre il collare o il nastro ne ac_
compagnano i lati.

I Cavalieri di Giustizia di taluni Ordini 'accollano' os_
sia sovraimpongono la loro arma alla Croce dell'Ordine.Lo
stesso per i membri ereditari di altri.

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English

TAV. XXVII

Orders: these are the decorations or Crosses of chivalric Orders of which the bearer of the arms is a member, or of hereditary Orders (whether dynastic or by grant). Generally the decorations hang below the point of the shield, while the collar or ribbon accompany its sides.

Knights of Justice of certain Orders 'accoll' or superimpose their arms upon the Cross of the Order. The same applies to hereditary members of others.

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Plate XXVIII of this Italian heraldry guide presents four line-drawn armorial achievements illustrating exterior ornaments in the Spanish style ("Ornamenti Esteriori di Foggia Spagnola"), arranged in two rows of two. Each blank escutcheon is shown with the rank-appropriate exterior ornaments for Duke (Duca), Marquess (Marchese), Count (Conte), and Viscount (Visconte), labeled beneath in Italian. The plate demonstrates, in descending order of heraldic elaboration from top-left, how the complexity of exterior ornaments diminishes with rank, with the Duke's achievement being by far the most elaborate.
Italiano

TAV.XXVIII

ORNAMENTI ESTERIORI DI FOGGIA SPAGNOLA

(v. anche gli elmi 10,11,12 della Tav.XX)

Duca

Marchese

Conte

Visconte

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English

TAV.XXVIII

EXTERIOR ORNAMENTS OF SPANISH FASHION

(see also helms 10, 11, 12 of Pl.XX)

Duke

Marquess

Count

Viscount

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Plate XXIX presents three line-drawn illustrations of Spanish heraldic exterior ornaments (*timbres*) arranged vertically on the page, with a block of Italian and quoted Spanish text below. The upper row shows two complete achievements side by side, labeled "Barone" (Baron) and "Hidalgo" respectively, each consisting of a blank escutcheon surmounted by a tilting helmet with mantling but no charges on the shield. Below them, centered and labeled "Visconte" (Viscount), appears an isolated helmet without a shield, notable for its mantelete — a hanging lambrequin attached directly to the helm. The plate demonstrates the Spanish system of exterior ornaments (*timbre*) as rank-indicators, illustrated through three distinct noble grades.
Italiano

TAV. XXIX

Barone

Hidalgo

Visconte.Si noti il 'mantelete'.

Gli ornamenti esteriori dello scudo formano nell'araldica
spagnola il 'timbre' (il timbro) dell'arma,dd quale un
grande araldista,Fernando Mexìa disse:"No es noble o no
parece serlo,quien trae el escudo sin Timbre"
(Non è no_
bile o non sembra esserlo chi innalza lo scudo senza Tim_
bro).

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English

PLATE XXIX

Baron

Hidalgo

Viscount. Note the 'mantelé'.

The exterior ornaments of the shield form in Spanish heraldry the 'timbre' (the achievement) of the arms, of which a great heraldist, Fernando Mexía, said: "No es noble o no parece serlo, quien trae el escudo sin Timbre" (He is not noble, or does not appear to be so, who displays the shield without Timbre).

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Tavola XXX, titled "Il Capo" (the Chief), is a pedagogical plate illustrating the chief as an honourable ordinary in Italian heraldry, arranged in three horizontal rows of five shield outlines each. The first row demonstrates historic and political chiefs — Ghibelline, Guelf, and those of the Empire, Anjou, and Aragon — while the second row shows chiefs associated with chivalric orders including Malta, Santo Stefano, Montesa, the Military Order of the Collar, and San Lazzaro. The third row, partially populated, depicts the chiefs of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem and the Temple (modern form). A brief Italian explanatory paragraph between the first and second rows explains that the chief displays the bearer's sovereign grace, knightly dignity, or political affiliation.
Italiano

TAV. XXX

IL CAPO

Ghibellini
Guelfi
dell'Impero
al 15° sec.
d'Angiò
d'Aragona
d'Aragona
(mod.)
dell'Impero
dal 15° sec.

Il Capo (Tav.8),pezza onorevole di 1° ordine pone in mostra ciò
di cui chi innalza l'arma è orgoglioso:un segno di grazia del
Sovrano,la sua dignità in seno ad un Ordine cavalleresco,la sua
appartenenza alla parte ghibellina o a quella guelfa,ecc.

di Malta
di S.Stefano
di Montesa
del M.O. del
Collare
di S.Lazzaro

di S.Giovanni
di Gerusa-
lemme
del Tempio
(mod.)

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English

PLATE XXX

THE CHIEF

Ghibellines
Guelphs
of the Empire
15th century
of Anjou
of Aragon
of Aragon
(mod.)
of the Empire
from the 15th century

The Chief (Pl. 8), an honorable ordinary of the first order, displays that of which the bearer of the arms is proud: a sign of the Sovereign's grace, his dignity within a knightly Order, his allegiance to the Ghibelline or Guelph faction, etc.

of Malta
of St. Stephen
of Montesa
of the Grand Master of the
Collar
of St. Lazarus

of St. John
of Jeru-
salem
of the Temple
(mod.)

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Plate XXXI on Brisure (heraldic marks of cadency) from a Italian heraldry guide. The page contains a detailed explanation in Italian of the term "brisura," its French etymology from "briser" (to break), and its use in marking junior branches of noble families. Below the text are three numbered examples of heraldic arms (numbered 1, 2, 3), each displaying an eagle crest atop a shield with various heraldic charges including stars and curved charges (possibly roundels or nebuly shapes — exact identification uncertain), demonstrating different applications of brisure modifications.
Italiano

TAV. XXXI

BRISURE

La parola brisura deriva dal francese briser (rompere) e indica quelle figure accessorie di un'arma che stanno a distinguere i rami di una famiglia dal tronco principale, ma anche i cadetti della stessa famiglia.
Sembra che le brisure sieno entrate in uso al tempo di San Luigi,re di Francia,ma bisogna dire che,generalmente se ne è ignorata l'utilità.
Solo il maggiorasco,morto il padre,aveva il diritto di portare l'arma di famiglia nella sua purezza.I cadetti erano in dovere di brisare la loro arma o introducendovi il lam bello,la bordura,la cotissa,i bisanti,gli anelletti,le stelle,i crescenti,le rose,le torte,i plinti,ecc. oppure cambiando gli smalti,cambiando di posizione le pezze,au_mentando o diminuendo il numero delle pezze,inquartando la propria arma con quella della madre,ecc.ecc.
Talvolta,come abbiamo accennato,la brisura indica una ve_ ra e propria 'spezzatura di linea':un cadetto inquarta le proprie armi con quelle della madre o della moglie persignificare che dà inizio ad un nuovo ramo della Casa,spe_ cialmente quando assume un titolo 'jure maritali' o per averlo ereditato dalla madre.

English

PLATE XXXI

BRISURES

The word brisure derives from the French briser (to break) and indicates those accessory figures of an arms which serve to distinguish the branches of a family from the main line, but also the cadets of the same family.

It appears that brisures came into use in the time of Saint Louis, King of France, but it must be said that, generally, their utility was ignored.

Only the heir, upon the death of his father, had the right to bear the family arms in their purity. The cadets were obliged to brisure their arms either by introducing a label, a bordure, a cotise, besants, annulets, stars, crescents, roses, torteaux, plinths, etc., or by changing the tinctures, by changing the position of the charges, by increasing or diminishing the number of the charges, by quartering their own arms with those of the mother, etc. etc.

Sometimes, as we have mentioned, the brisure indicates a true and proper 'breaking of line': a cadet quarters his own arms with those of the mother or of the wife in order to signify that he is founding a new branch of the House, especially when he assumes a title 'jure maritali' or by having inherited it from his mother.

Translator's note: Two translations here are uncertain pending specialist review. "Solo il maggiorasco" (rendered as "the heir") specifically denotes the holder under primogeniture — the majorat or firstborn heir — a legal precision the generic "heir" loses. The verb "brisare" (rendered as "to brisure") more standardly corresponds to "to difference" in English heraldic usage.
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This is a combination text-and-diagram page from an Italian heraldry guide, labelled as plate XXXII (TAV. XXXII), titled "Composizione dell'Arma" (Composition of the Coat of Arms). The page opens with a discursive paragraph discussing the importance of artistic quality in heraldic execution, noting that great artists like Dürer produced masterpieces of heraldic art, but that commissioners often entrust work to non-specialist artists who perpetuate errors and anachronisms, and that the fault lies as much with the commissioner as with the artist. It then transitions to a technical section on shield proportions, explaining that for shields inscribable in a rectangle the width-to-height ratio is 7:8, and that for triangular shields a geometric construction is used to ensure a harmonious ratio. The lower half of the page contains two line-drawn geometric diagrams illustrating these construction methods: the left shows a pointed Gothic-style shield with a 60° angle construction, and the right shows a rounded shield with a 90° angle construction, both with labelled reference points (A, B, C, D) and numbered measurement divisions.

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Italiano

TAV. XXXII

COMPOSIZIONE DELL'ARMA

Grandi artisti come il Dürer hanno realizzato capolavori
dell'arte araldica,ma,purtroppo,non sempre si ha la pos_
sibilità di affidare ad un sommo artista l'esecuzione pit_
torica o grafica del proprio stemma. Per lo più ci si af_
fida ad un disegnatore o pittore non specializzato,il qua_
le,nel migliore dei casi,esegue una copia pedissequa del_
l'originale esibitogli e perpetua errori,anacronismi,pre_
giudizi e brutture. La colpa non è sempre dell'artista ,
che può anche esser bravo,ma del committente il quale a
proposito degli stemmi crede,che belli o brutti che sia_
no,devono rimanere quelli che sono perchè sono nati in
quel modo.Pregiudizio rovinoso. Oggi,con disegno attuale,
è possibile comporre armi in cui è riconoscibile lo stile
e l'epoca della loro prima creazione,a patto che il com_
mittente -se non è lui stesso un artista- conosca i fonda_
menti dell'arte blasonica.
Come in ogni componimento pittorico occorre stabilire la
giusta proporzione tra le parti,e tra queste ed il tutto,
una volta stabilita la forma e lo stile d'epoca.
Lo scudo:una proporzione tra larghezza e altezza può es_
ser fissata per gli scudi che si possono inscrivere in un
rettangolo:la prima sta alla seconda come 7 sta a 8. Per
gli scudi riconducibili ad un triangolo si ricorre ad una
costruzione geometrica,che garantisce un rapporto armoni_
co fra le due dimensioni.

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English

PLATE XXXII

COMPOSITION OF THE COAT OF ARMS

Great artists such as Dürer have created masterpieces of heraldic art, but unfortunately it is not always possible to entrust the pictorial or graphic execution of one's coat of arms to a supreme artist. For the most part one relies on a draftsman or painter who is not a specialist, who, in the best of cases, executes a servile copy of the original shown to him and perpetuates errors, anachronisms, prejudices, and defects. The fault is not always that of the artist, who may also be skilled, but of the patron, who concerning coats of arms believes that, beautiful or ugly as they may be, they must remain as they are because they were created that way. A ruinous prejudice. Today, with contemporary design, it is possible to compose arms in which the style and period of their original creation are recognizable, provided that the patron—if he is not himself an artist—knows the fundamentals of heraldic art.

As in every pictorial composition, it is necessary to establish the correct proportion between the parts, and between these and the whole, once the form and style of the period have been determined.

The shield: a proportion between width and height can be established for shields that can be inscribed in a rectangle: the first is to the second as 7 is to 8. For shields that can be reduced to a triangle, one resorts to a geometric construction, which guarantees a harmonious relationship between the two dimensions.

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This is a combination page from an Italian heraldry guide, labelled TAV. XXXIII, presenting written rules about the sizing and placement of heraldic charges. At the top is a geometric construction diagram showing how to draw a heart-shaped heraldic shield, with numerous labelled points marked by letters. Below the diagram, the body text is organised into six underlined thematic sections covering: first-order honourable ordinaries and their proportional widths; second-order honourable ordinaries; ordinary figures; heraldic charges (natural, artificial, and chimerical); inescutcheons placed "sul tutto"; and crowns and their placement on shields or helmets. At the bottom of the page are two hand-drawn shield illustrations: one showing a plain shield topped by a crown, and one showing a quartered or divided shield bearing a small central escutcheon with a cross motif.

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Italiano

TAV. XXXIII

Le pezze onorevoli di 1° ordine:qelle con andamento oriz_
zontale occupano la terza parte dello scudo,quelle con an_
damento verticale la terza parte della larghezza.Le pezze
ripetute (contrafasciato,contropalato,ecc.) sono diminui_
te in proporzione al loro numero.
Le pezze onorevoli di 2° ordine:mentre la Cinta occupa la
12a parte dello scudo,le altre pezze di questo gruppo han_
no misure ridotte,come pure le
Figure ordinarie.
Le figure araldiche:siano esse naturali,artificiali o chi_
meriche occupano la maggior parte del campo.
Gli scudetti:Vi sono armi inquartate che recano sul cuore
(Tav.III,'A') uno scudetto,che è detto "sul tutto".Tale
scudetto ha l'altezza di un terzo dello scudo,ma,se i quar_
ti sono più di quattro,le dimensioni dello scudetto vengo_
no diminuite per non coprire troppo i quarti adiacenti.
Le corone:devono posare completamente sullo scudo ed occu_
pano quasi i 4/5 della larghezza di questo. Se poste sul_
l'elmo occupano tutta la larghezza del Cercine.

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English

TAV. XXXIII

The honourable charges of 1st order: those with horizontal disposition occupy one third of the shield, those with vertical disposition occupy one third of the width. The repeated charges (counter-fesswise, counter-paleways, etc.) are diminished in proportion to their number.

The honourable charges of 2nd order: whilst the Orle occupies the 1/12th part of the shield, the other charges of this group have reduced dimensions, as do the

Ordinary figures.

The heraldic figures: whether they be natural, artificial or chimerical, occupy the greater part of the field.

The escutcheons: There are quarterly arms that bear upon the heart (Plate III, 'A') an escutcheon, which is called "over all". This escutcheon has the height of one third of the shield, but, if the quarters are more than four, the dimensions of the escutcheon are diminished so as not to cover too much the adjacent quarters.

The crowns: must rest completely upon the shield and occupy almost 4/5 of its width. If placed upon the helm, they occupy the entire width of the Wreath.

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This is a combination text-and-illustration page from an Italian heraldry guide, forming plate XXXIV of the series. The page covers three components of heraldic achievement composition: the lambrequins and torse (wreath), the helm, and the crest. Each section is introduced by an underlined heading followed by a brief descriptive paragraph in Italian, and is accompanied by a black-and-white line-art illustration demonstrating the element described. The first illustration shows a simple shield with helm and torse; the second shows a complete achievement with shield, helm, crown, mantling, and armoured supporters; the third shows a heraldic crest of an eagle on a staff. The text is typewritten throughout.

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Italiano

TAV. XXXIV

I Lambrecchini e il Cercine:devono avere gli stessi smal_
ti e metalli. Il Cercine viene rappresentato come un tor_
ciglione di stoffa,che mostra alternandoli un metallo e
uno smalto (v.figura).

L'Elmo: E' alto,generalmente,quanto i due terzi dello scu_
do. Però viene di molto ridotto quando,insieme con lo scu_
do è posto contro il manto (v. figura).

Il Cimiero: Lo sviluppo in altezza del Cimiero dipende
dalla figura rappresentata.Ve n'erano di enormi.

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English

TAV. XXXIV

The Mantling and the Wreath: they must have the same tinctures and metals. The Wreath is represented as a twisted roll of fabric, which displays alternately a metal and a tincture (see figure).

The Helm: It is tall, generally, as two thirds of the shield. However, it is greatly reduced in size when, together with the shield, it is placed against the mantle (see figure).

The Crest: The vertical development of the Crest depends on the figure represented. There were some of enormous size.

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Page 39 (TAV. XXXV) from a Italian heraldry guide on the composition of heraldic arms (Composizione dell'Arma), showing mixed-type heraldry. The page contains explanatory paragraphs about supporters and alliance arms, with two detailed illustrations: a complete coat of arms with crowned shield and supporters, and below it a diagram of two facing helmets with crowns on paired shields representing marital alliance arms.
Italiano

I Tenenti e i Supporti sono sempre più alti dello scudo che sostengono e poggiano piedi o zampe su un fregio ar chitettonico,su un prato,ecc.

Avvertenza: Poichè l'arma era dipinta sullo scudo,pezze e figure erano bidimensionali. E' un grave errore rap presentarle a rilievo. Questo va dato solo -se si vuole- agli ornamenti esteriori dello scudo.

Armi d'Alleanza: sono quelle che mettono in evidenza un matrimonio mediante l'uso di due scudi,l'uno del marito a destra e l'altro della moglie a sinistra.Se la moglie è erede d'un titolo trasmissibile per linea femminile,si ha,pure,l'uso di due elmi e di due corone.In questo caso gli elmi si guardano.

English

Tenants and Supporters are always taller than the shield which they bear, and they rest their feet or paws upon an architectural ornament, a ground, etc.

Note: Since the arms were painted upon the shield, the charges and figures were two-dimensional. It is a grave error to represent them in relief. This should be given only—if desired—to the external ornaments of the shield.

Arms of Alliance: these are arms that highlight a marriage through the use of two shields, that of the husband on the dexter and that of the wife on the sinister. If the wife is an heiress of a title transmissible through the female line, there is also the use of two helms and two coronets. In this case the helms face one another.

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This is a text-only page from an Italian heraldry guide, designated as plate XXXVI, covering the topic of blazoning (la blasonatura) — the art of formally describing a coat of arms in heraldic language. The page opens with two framing paragraphs explaining the etymology and meaning of the term 'blasonatura', tracing it from the French 'blason' and 'blasonner', and noting its equivalent in English as 'blazoning'. It then defines blazoning as the reading of an armorial achievement using the proper language of heraldry, situating heraldry among the auxiliary sciences of history alongside diplomatics, sigillography, and genealogy. The bulk of the page is structured as a lettered list (a through f) setting out the sequential steps for blazoning a coat of arms: declaring partitions, describing quarters in order, describing the field's metal/tincture/fur and then charges with their attributes, describing escutcheons and the overall ('sul tutto'), the chief, and finally the timbro (crest elements: crown, helm, mantling, orders, supporters, motto). A closing paragraph notes that complexity of blazoning increases with the complexity of the arms.
Italiano

TAV. XXXVI

LA BLASONATURA
==============

L'insieme formato dallo scudo e dai suoi ornamenti este_
riori è chiamato dai Francesi 'blason'.Il descrivere un
blasone si dice 'blasonner',tradotto dagli araldisti Ita_
liani con 'blasonatura',orribile francesismo che ha oltre_
passato anche la Manica tanto che gl'Inglesi usano l'equi_
valente termine di 'blazing'.
La blasonatura è,quindi,la lettura dell'arma gentilizia
nelle sue varie componenti e va fatta usando il linguag_
gio proprio dell'araldica,che è una delle scienze ausilia_
rie della storia,al pari della diplomatica,sfragistica ,
genealogia.
La lettura comincia dall'arma spiegata nello scudo:
a) se ne enunciano le partizioni,se ce ne sono;
b) se l'arma è composta di quarti si procede nel loro or_
dine,descrivendo il 1° quarto,poi il 2°,il 3° e così
via.Nel caso,frequente,di quarti duplicati,questi si
descriveranno una sola volta con l'indicazione degli
ordinali cui il quarto si riferisce;
c) dell'arma (o del quarto) si descrive il metallo,lo
smalto o la pelliccia del campo,indi si descrivono le
pezze o le figure con i loro attibuti,metalli,smalti,
pellicce,numero e disposizione (sempre seguendo l'or_
dine delle partizioni:Tav.VII);
d) si descrivono gli scudetti,e per ultimo quello "sul
tutto";
e) ed infine il Capo principale,cioè quello che nello
scudo,comprendente due quarti o più,prende tutta la
larghezza dello scudo.
f) Si passa alla descrizione del 'timbro':corona,elmo ,
lambrecchini,Ordini,supporti o tenenti,motto.
E' ovvio che la complessità della blasonatura aumenta con
la complessità dell'arma. Il timbro,infatti,può include_
re insegne di dignità o di carica militare,civile,reli_
giosa,bandiere,stendardi,pennoni,armi,mazze ecc. ecc. e
tutte quante vanno descritte con chiarezza e proprietà.

English

PLATE XXXVI

THE BLAZON
==========

The ensemble formed by the shield and its external ornaments is called 'blason' by the French. To describe a blazon is said to be 'blasonner', translated by Italian heraldists as 'blasonatura', a dreadful Gallicism that has even crossed the Channel, such that the English use the equivalent term 'blazing'.

The blazon is, therefore, the reading of the coat of arms in its various components and must be conducted using the language proper to heraldry, which is one of the auxiliary sciences of history, on a par with diplomatics, sphragistics, and genealogy.

The reading begins with the arms displayed in the shield:

a) its partitions are first stated, if any exist;

b) if the arms are composed of quarters, one proceeds in their order, describing the 1st quarter, then the 2nd, the 3rd, and so forth. In the frequent case of duplicate quarters, these shall be described only once with an indication of the ordinal numbers to which the quarter refers;

c) of the arms (or of the quarter), one describes the metal, the tincture, or the fur of the field, then describes the charges or the figures with their attributes, metals, tinctures, furs, number and disposition (always following the order of the partitions: Plate VII);

d) one describes the escutcheons, and lastly that "over all";

e) and finally the Chief principal, that is to say that which in the shield, comprising two quarters or more, takes the entire width of the shield.

f) One proceeds to the description of the 'achievement': crown, helm, mantling, Orders, supporters, motto.

It is obvious that the complexity of the blazon increases with the complexity of the arms. The achievement, indeed, may include insignia of dignity or of military, civil, or religious rank, flags, standards, pennons, weapons, maces, etc., and all of these must be described with clarity and precision.

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Page TAV. XXXVII from an Italian heraldry guide illustrating blazon notation techniques. The page contains two heraldic shields: the first shows an eagle in the upper field and a lion in the lower field, demonstrating composite arms; the second shows a blank shield supported by a double-headed imperial eagle, illustrating the concept of "accolato" (supported/flanked arms). Below these illustrations, typewritten Italian text explains blazoning conventions for quartered shields, ordinal numbering in complex compositions, and the use of lowercase letters in very intricate heraldic descriptions.
Italiano

TAV. XXXVII

L'arma illustrata in alto si blasona: "d'azzurro,alla testa di leone recisa d'oro;il Capo dell'Impero".

Nell'arma che segue,invece,dopo aver blasonato lo scudo,si dice:lo scudo accollato all'aquila bicipite spie_gata di nero.

NB. Per indicare la successione dei quarti descritti si usano di solito i numeri romani,ma se in un tal contesto vi sono dei quarti a loro volta divisi,per questi ultimi si useranno gli ordinali scritti in cifre arabe. Negli stemmi molto complessi si usano persino le lettere del_ l'alfabeto (minuscole).

English

TAV. XXXVII

The arms illustrated above are blazoned: "Azure, a lion's head couped or; the Chief of the Empire".

In the arms that follow, instead, after having blazoned the shield, it is said: the shield accoled to the double-headed eagle displayed sable.

NB. To indicate the succession of the quarters described, Roman numerals are usually employed, but if in such a context there are quarters that are in turn divided, for these latter Arabic numerals written as ordinals will be used. In very complex coats of arms, even the letters of the alphabet (lowercase) are used.

Translator's note: "testa di leone recisa" — the Italian term "recisa" may correspond to "erased" (torn with a ragged cut) rather than "couped" (clean straight cut) in English heraldry; these are technically distinct charges. "Couped" is used here pending specialist confirmation.
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Plate XXXVIII, headed "Stili e Forme" (Styles and Forms), presents seven line-drawn illustrations arranged across the page to demonstrate heraldic shield and helmet styles associated with specific historical periods and rulers. The upper left shows a fully emblazoned coat of arms labelled "Il Sacro Romano Imperatore" (The Holy Roman Emperor), while the centre features the arms of "I Conti di Savoia" (The Counts of Savoy) surmounted by an elaborate tilting helm with a winged crest. The remaining five illustrations show blank shields each depicted with a different style of helmet and mantling, the group collectively labelled "Sec. XIV" (14th century), illustrating the variety of helmet forms and mantling conventions used in heraldry of that era.
Italiano

TAV. XXXVIII

STILI E FORME
=============

Il Sacro
Romano
Imperatore

I Conti di
Savoia

Sec.XIV

---

English

[PLATE XXXVIII]

STYLES AND FORMS
================

The Holy
Roman
Emperor

The Counts of
Savoy

14th Century

---

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Plate TAV. XXXIX from an Italian heraldry guide presents four armorial compositions illustrating shield and mantling styles, labelled "Sec. XV" (15th century) for the lower three examples. The uppermost illustration shows a complete achievement with a helm, crest, and mantling atop a quartered shield, while the three lower illustrations — arranged as a left, right, and central-bottom grouping — demonstrate varying styles of mantling and wreath treatment without helms, serving a pedagogical purpose of showing the evolution of 15th-century heraldic decorative forms.
Italiano

TAV. XXXIX

Sec. XV

English

TABLE XXXIX

15th Century

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Tavola XL presents two black-and-white pen illustrations of heraldic achievements on a single page, arranged vertically, demonstrating historical shield and helm styles. The upper illustration shows a blank shield surmounted by a full-faced tilting helm with elaborate mantling and a small escutcheon as crest. The lower illustration, labelled "Sec. XVI," depicts a blank shield of distinctly different outline surmounted by a profile tilting helm with mantling, illustrating sixteenth-century stylistic conventions. Both shields are left blank as template examples, emphasising the decorative and structural elements of the achievement rather than armorial bearings.
Italiano

TAV. XL

Sec. XVI

English

# TAV. XL

Sec. XVI

---

*[This appears to be a simple header/title page reference indicating "Table/Plate XL" and "16th Century" - minimal translation needed as these are primarily numerical and chronological designations]*

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Plate TAV. XLI from a heraldry guide presents two illustrations demonstrating the stylistic evolution of achievement design across different centuries. The upper, larger engraving bears the inscription "IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS / DOM. AUSTRIACA" and depicts a complex imperial achievement centred on a displayed double-headed eagle surmounted by a crown, surrounded by numerous subsidiary shields and an ornamental wreath of foliage. The lower illustration, labelled "Sec.XVIII," shows a single cartouche-style escutcheon bearing a rampant lion, flanked by two lion supporters, surmounted by a crown, and adorned with elaborate scrollwork mantling and foliate decoration. Together, the two images serve as comparative examples of heraldic achievement composition across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Italiano

TAV. XLI

T. II. IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS
DOM. AUSTRIACA

TYROL

T. p. 4346.

Sec.XVII

Sec.XVIII

---

English

TAV. XLI

T. II. IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS
DOM. AUSTRIACA

TYROL

T. p. 4346.

17th Century

18th Century

---

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