Italian heraldry
In the Italian heraldry the French and German influence of the heraldic art is present.
Distinctive helmet decorations with feathers instead of helmet covers dominate the coat of arms . The coats of arms increasingly show ancient, mythological and allegorical coats of arms , which can also be found on the shield holders . Architectural coats of arms have been popular since the early days of heraldry . The development of heraldry in Italy over the centuries has always been based on the power of the nobility. The many small states, or the city-states, were at the mercy of the heraldic predilection of the popes and cardinals. As a result, ecclesiastical heraldry was able to develop fully and experience its highest perfection.
Many coats of arms differ only slightly. This is due to the lack of control by Italian official bodies such as the Herald's Office. Wolfgang Leonhard writes in his book on Wappenkunst: "The result is the accumulation of simple, very similar, even identical coats of arms with simple shield divisions, crosses and simple figures in different, but occasionally the same colors, but without additional and differentiating secondary figures."
The specific shape of the shield is a special feature. The tartsche (traceable as early as the 14th century) and the pavese were often used. The Ross front shield has also been the bearer of the coat of arms for the longest time. Heraldic shields are also stretched in order to insert a shield head on which the so-called party mark was placed as evidence of sympathy.
From the royal crown to the wall crown , as well as other rank crowns are placed over the shield on the city coat of arms. Two rank crowns can also be used simultaneously and differently. The helmet is subordinate and the different types of helmets define a certain hierarchy, but without a system. Used-face helmets and iron helmets in metal tinged be.
The helmet covers are shown lively. Rank crowns are placed on a helmet bulge on the helmet . The high nobility discovered the coat of arms with a crown for themselves.
With the municipal coats of arms a branch is often placed to the left and right of the shield or a wreath around the shield. It is adorned with a ribbon. Many Italian coats of arms have a cross bar on the upper edge of the shield, to which the wreath of leaves surrounding the shield is attached to the right and left with hanging ribbons.
The Georgskreuz is often found in Italian urban heraldry . Some heraldists refer to it as the "Savoyard Herald's Cross". The specialty is that many city coats of arms with the cross are designed the same. Genoa , Milan and Padua have the red cross in silver, but Modena and Parma use a blue cross in gold.
See also
literature
- G. de Crollolanza: Enciclopedia araldico-cavalleresca . Pisa 1876.
- G. Comojani: Dizionario Araldico . Milan 1921.
- Gert Oswald : Lexicon of Heraldry . VEB Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1984.
- Wolfgang Leonhard : The great book of heraldic art . Georg DW Callwey, Munich, 1978/2001.
Individual proof
- ^ Milan boys : Heraldry. Albatros, Praha 1987, DNB 206884745 .