Ricci Coat-Of-Arms

In this blog we will discuss the history of Heraldry and all its symbolism. Each week we will showcase a Coat-Of-Arms. Give a written description (blazon) of the coat, it's particulars and where we obtained the information for that coat.

This weeks showcased coat-of-arms will be the surname 'Ricci' from Italy. Information for this coat-of-arms was found in 'Rieistap's Armorial General, Book 2, page CLVI, 1st row and 1st plate'.

ARMS: Argent (silver) on a terrace vert (green) a hedgehog proper on a chief or (gold) three roses gules (red)

CREST: A rose as in the arms

MOTTO: No family motto found

Lets break this down. We will start with the arms:

ARGENT (Silver or White): Sometimes fancifully called Luna in the arms of princes, as also Pearl in those of peers: peace and sincerity.

TERRACE: Having a mount in base, and represented as covered with grass.

VERT (Green); (fr. sinople): The French are said to have called it Sinople, from a town in Asia Minor (Sinope) from which were brought the best materials for dyeing green, or silks and stuffs of a brilliant green color; signifies hope, joy, and loyalty in love.

HEDGEHOG: It collects its stores for the winter with its prickles and is symbolic of a provident provider.

CHIEF: An honorable ordinary occupying the whole of the top and one-third of the total surface of the shield, and it has often been granted as a special reward for prudence and wisdom, as well as for successful command in war. The Chief betoken a senator or honorable personage borrowed from the Greeks, and is a word signifying a ‘head’, in which sense we call capitaneous (so named for caput, the head), a chieftain. And as the head is the chief part of a man, so the Chief in the escutcheon should be a reward of such one, whose high merits have procured them chief place, esteem, or love amongst men.

CHIEF: An honorable ordinary occupying the whole of the top and one-third of the total surface of the shield, and it has often been granted as a special reward for prudence and wisdom, as well as for successful command in war. The Chief betoken a senator or honorable personage borrowed from the Greeks, and is a word signifying a ‘head’, in which sense we call capitaneous (so named for caput, the head), a chieftain. And as the head is the chief part of a man, so the Chief in the escutcheon should be a reward of such one, whose high merits have procured them chief place, esteem, or love amongst men.

ROSE: The early Greeks and the Romans inexorably linked the rose to love, beauty, purity and passion. The Christians adopted the Rose as a symbol of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and hence became a symbol of motherhood and purity.

GULES (Red): The term is probably derived from the Arabic gule, a red rose; introduced by the Crusaders. Some historians feel the word is derived from the Latin gula, which in old French is found as gueule, i.e. the "red throat of an animal." Others, again, have tried to find the origin in the Hebrew word gulade, which signifies red cloth. Symbolizes a warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity. 

Next we will discuss the crest:

It is the rose as in the arms so it has the same meaning as discussed above.

MEANING OF NAME: Nickname for a person with curly hair, from riccio ‘curly’, or from a personal name of the same derivation.

Next week we will showcase the coat-of-arms of 'Lauer'.

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