Though related to the Catholic Church it’s in this forum as it’s about personal/familial arms.
I was wondering what the rules are for the inclusion of the keys & ombrellino in an achievement.
It came up in a conversation with a friend and we were disagreeing on the rules.
As far as I recall, these attributes within a field either corresponded to the office of the Standard-Bearer of the Church or, if borne in a chief, constitute a "capo della Chiesa", a specific augmentation (for some of the families of Popes and for some other prominent Roman nobles); it also seems to me that as external attributes, they were (apart of constituting the insignia of the Cardinal Camerlengo) incorporated into arms of certain Roman noble families (the Ferretti di Castelferretto if I am not mistaken, etc).
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_sPiVp5N3GVk/TSxsYd0VwWI/AAAAAAAABd0/aECv_2KPxSE/Ферретти.jpg
- A famous usurpation was committed by Napoleon who bore the charges in question as a King of Italy, in one of his quarterings.
According to the publications of the Roman [Pontifical] Nobility issued in various years, there are certain prominent lineages, all ducal or princely (namely, Aldobrandini, Borghese, Altieri, Barberini, Boncompagni Ludovisi, Caetani, Chigi, Colonna di Paliano, Colonna di Sciarra, Corsini, Doria Pamphili, Ludovisi Boncompagni, Odescalchi, Orsini, Ottoboni, and Rospigliosi), which may adorn their arms with the attributes proper to the basilicas; it seems that some of them bear, or bore sometime, the elements in question within their shields. There are also Papal marquises "di Baldacchino" (Afan de Rivera Costaguti, Patrizi, Sacchetti, Serlupi, Soderini, and Theodoli) who all are entitled to the "Capo della Chiesa".
The official manual or "Massimario" of the Royal Italian Consulta araldica (art.83) says: “le famiglie che dettero Sommi Pontefici alla cattolicità, od ebbero il Vicariato od il Generalato della Romana Chiesa, o ne furono privilegiate, possono usare l’ornamentazione araldica della così detta Basilica; cioè: il gonfalone della camera Apostolica accollato con le chiavi pontificie, cimandone lo scudo, e ponendolo in capo, secondo la tradizione, previo riconoscimento, caso per caso, preceduto dal parere della Commissione araldica romana”. That is, the ornaments of a Basilica may be borne by the families of Popes, by descendants of Vicars and Generals of the Church, or by those who were specifically elevated to that honour.
Thank you Michael! That’s pretty much what I thought too.
However, I do have a question on this:
Quote:
That is, the ornaments of a Basilica may be borne by the families of Popes, by descendants of Vicars and Generals of the Church
I assume this means those who are still of the family (i.e. same name) and not just anybody that is (blood) related after n generations, right?
Actually, while most of these may be tolerated by Italian heraldry it would be considered incorrect to use this as far as the Church is concerned. As an external ornament the ombrellino and keys are used by basilicas and by the Camerlengo. Even in the case of the former it is not correct for him to use them except during the Sede Vacante. On the shield the ombrellino and keys may be used by family members of a pope. However, in some cases families of popes have incorporated the tiara and keys into the design of the arms as an augmentation of honor.
As for all the other noble titles (papal marquises, etc.) the Church no longer creates them but that is not to say that they no longer recognize them or that the Church would take any specific action to assert heraldic regulations. It never does.
Michael Y. Medvedev;81082 wrote:
“le famiglie che dettero Sommi Pontefici alla cattolicità, od ebbero il Vicariato od il Generalato della Romana Chiesa, o ne furono privilegiate, possono usare l’ornamentazione araldica della così detta Basilica; cioè: il gonfalone della camera Apostolica accollato con le chiavi pontificie, cimandone lo scudo, e ponendolo in capo, secondo la tradizione, previo riconoscimento, caso per caso, preceduto dal parere della Commissione araldica romana”. That is, the ornaments of a Basilica may be borne by the families of Popes, by descendants of Vicars and Generals of the Church, or by those who were specifically elevated to that honour.
I’m confused. The "gonfalone of the Apostolic Camera" would correspond to the Banner of the Apostolic Chamber. That is not the same as the ombrellino. Yet the ombrellino, not the Banner of the Holy Roman Church, or the Banner of the Apostolic Camera, is the insignia of a basilica. This article says the insignia of a basilica but then goes on to describe an ornament that is not part of the insignia of a basilica. Perhaps someone involved with writing the Massimario is misinformed?
Dear Father, AFAIK the attributes for Basilicas were established by a custom rather than by a decree, and there is no formal reason for seeing them as strictly exclusive. Why cannot they enjoy a different meaning and "live a different life" within the context of family heraldry?
As to banner/ombrellino issue, there is an old practice (maybe underjustified, but quite old and common) to call the ombrellino "il gonfalone", that is, "the Banner" (of the Roman Church, or, metonymically, Papal, or… - here the Chamber could drop in, just in a conventional way, by further "metonymisation").
