ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 880 http://www.s-gabriel.org/880 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* From: 5 Apr 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked us about the appropriate spelling of or for an Italian woman in the 14th through 16th centuries. You also asked us for an appropriate form of "Land of Mary" (Maryland) as a second name, and about the use of grapes and trees in Italian armory. We found the spelling recorded in Florence in the 13th or 14th century [1], but the standard spelling seems to have been the more common in your period [2]. A second name element meaning "land of Mary" would be inappropriate for an Italian name, as Italian didn't form place names that way. However, you could use , meaning that you are from one of several Italian towns called 'Santa Maria'" would thus be a fine Italian name, suitable for the entire period about which you inquired. A bunch of grapes is a plausible charge for Italian armory, though we were unable to find any specific examples -- the only fruit we found were pears in the arms of Peruzzi, which is a play on words in Italian. As for trees, we found only five examples: three sets of arms with generic trees, one with an oak, and one with palm fronds [3]: "Or, a tree proper" "Azure, on a bend Or three trees proper" "[field] a tree proper with a chief charged with the word 'VERITAS'" "Argent, an oak tree eradicated in bend proper" "Gules, two palm branches in saltire vert between as many lions combatant Or" This same book [3] says the following about the use of trees and plants in Italian armory: "Trees and plants are likewise borne, as well as parts of them couped, slipped, eradicated, rooted= _piantati_ or _terrazzati_. When the term Albero occurs without further description, it is understood to mean the poplar, but the beech, the mountain ash, and the almond tree occur frequently, above all the oak... whilst the famous and most ancient house of Peruzzi exhibits equally canting arms, the pear being the principal charge, varying in number and position in the different branches of the family." Given the rarity of both trees and grapes in Italian armory, we recommend using one or the other as a charge, but not both in the same device. We hope this has been helpful, and that we can continue to assist you. Arval Benicoeur, Zenobia Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, Margaret Makafee, and Lothar von Katzenellenbogen contributed to this letter. In service, --Walraven van Nijmegen Academy of S. Gabriel [1] Rhian Lyth's, _Italian Renaissance Women's Names_ (WWW, 1996) http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/italian.html [2] Emidio De Felice, _Dizionario dei Nomi Italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori Editori, Milan, 1986) [3] Howel Wills, _Florentine Heraldry: A Supplement to the Guide-books_ (London: Dean and Son Ltd, 1900)