Question We recently were given our family coat of arms after an elderly relative passed on. Under the crest it says: ARMA TESSANDORO (the family name is Tessandori)
Below the crest is the following which is handwritten:
Questa Famiglia e' disciesa di Lucca Nel (or Del?) 1199 Il primo Fiu Pasquale Negoziante, Nel 1207 Fu Stefano Fu Cilla Sacra impresa di ECerra Santa Contro; Munsulmani e Fu Elelto Cavaliere; Nel 1261 Fiu Glacido Gasso' in Venezia Come Capitano Venturiero; Suo Fratello Lorenzo Scultore, Fi Neco' in Roma e Gu Nominato Capo Ti Arte--------Copiata in milano Nell' Opere di Buonacina Il Blasonista LMari
Answer Hello,
the inscription “ARMA TESSANDORO” means “coat of arms of the Tessandoros”.
In fact ARMA is the nominative neuter plural of a Latin noun which in this context means just “shield” as a “coat of arms”, while TESSANDORO is simply the Italian family surname which can be either Tessandoro or Tessandori.
As for what is handwritten below the crest, here’s the correct passage in standard Italian and its meaning in English:
“Questa Famiglia è discesa (i.e. ‘proviene’) da Lucca. Nel 1199 il primo fu Pasquale, negoziante. Nel 1207 ci fu Stefano che fu in quella Sacra Impresa di Terra Santa contro i Mussulmani e fu nominato Cavaliere; Nel 1261 ci fu Placido che andò a Venezia come Capitano di ventura; suo fratello Lorenzo , scultore, si recò a Roma e fu nominato Capo d’Arte--------Copiata in Milano Nell' Opera di Buonacina il Blasonista”
“This family comes from Lucca(Tuscany). In 1199 the founder of this family was Pasquale, who was a merchant. In 1207 there was Stefano who took part in that Holy Campaign in the Holy Land against Muslims and was appointed Knight; in 1261 there was Placido who went to Venice as a captain of fortune; his brother Lorenzo, who was a sculptor, went to Rome and was designated as a Master sculptor. This passage has been copied in Milan from the Work of Buonacina, the expert in Heraldry.”
