Italian nobility

[Aragonesi]

Is there a place to go on the web to find out the real history of coats of arms for Italian and Maltese nobility? My family name is Farruggia, from Aragona. From talking and corresponding with a number of people with that surname and the surname Farrugia (with one 'g') who are from Sicily and Malta, I am under the impression that the family began on Malta as Arabs during the time of Saracen rule, converted to Christianity after the first crusades, Westernized their name and served the princes of Aragon, particularly the Nasselli family, for several centuries, and thus their emigration to Sicily to the area around Aragona, founded by Baldassare Nasselli. I have also seen a number of variations of the supposed Farruggia/Farrugia coat of arms on the Internet. The crest contains a bantam rooster on it, because the name Farruggia/Farrugia is supposedly (I am told) derived from an Arab name "Faruq" which means "turkey" (referring to a rooster) in Arabic. I do not know if I am in line to claim the crest or any title associated with it. How does one research this topic?

[sylogician]

Aragonesi,

The website below has some information. It restates what you already believe, and may point to some more concrete places to find the information you want. Bear in mind, symbols and colors in heraldry do not always follow a logical derivation. Sometimes they refer to specific events, anecdotes or relationships to other noble houses. Understanding the circumstances under which something was granted is important.

http://www.cognomiitaliani.org/cognomi/ ... 0006ap.htm

As far as determining which coat of arms may have been borne by your ancestors, that comes down to tracing your own roots through documentary evidence. How far back can you go with what you know, and to what city or town in Italy/Sicily/Malta does it lead you?

I highly recommend using a Family History Center near you to order microfilmed documents from your place of origin to trace your lineage.

Best of luck and good hunting.

[Aragonesi]

Sylogician,
Thanks and I will check out this link. Ciao!