These are three versions of a coat of arms we have seen circulated for the Leonardi family who came to Florida through New Smyrna and St Augustine.
This version of the Leonardi coat of arms comes from Philip Beasley who states:
“A Mrs. Pons was given this coat of arms to give to Philip Martin Leonardi (1836-1905). But she kept it, and later in life she gave it to his oldest living son, John George Leonardi (1877-1958) in the 1920’s or 30’s. By then she was an old woman. Perhaps she was to give it to Philip because he would have been the oldest living male relative about the year 1900. Copies were made of the original given to John George Leonardi. The original seems lost.” I was told the original was from Florence.
It’s possible this is the same coat of arms used in a 1924 newspaper article. Follow this link to see the article. (Also see end notes 1-4.)
Leonardi coat of arms contributed by Herbie Greenleaf: He writes: I have Coat Of Arms for several hundred Minorcan Families but only color schemes for half of them. My goal is to continue working on the unfinished ones and have them posted to the site. Each Coat Of Arms represents a family and holds specific meaning. Should you care to know their meaning you can contact me at my e-mail address With time I will get back with you,–I hope you enjoy viewing the Coat Of Arms.
Follow this link to view Herbie Greenleaf’s complete list.
This version of Leonardi coat of arms was done by a heraldry company (2002) for a fee. We are suspicious concerning its authenticity. –halsema.org editors. (See end note 5.)
End Notes:
1. Armorial General: Dictionnaire Des Termes du Blason, Tome II, reproduced form 2nd Edition 1887, J.B. Rietstap, Heraldry Today, London.
Leonardi: Milan. De gu. au lion d’or, cour. du meme. C. un lion iss. d’or. D.: Soli Domino Gloria.
2. Libro D’Oro Della Nobilta Italiana, Edizione XII, Vol. XIII, 1958-1961, Collegio Araldico, Roma, 1959.
Leonardi: Fam. orig. di Novara, resid. Roma e Ternate (Varese). Co. (m.) sign, di Casalino e Pisnengo (mpr), nob. (mf), trattamento di don e donna. Arma: di rosso al leone d’oro coronato dello stesso. Motto: Soli Deo Gloria.
3. Libro D’Oro Della Nobilta Italiana, Edizione XVI, Vol. XVII, 1973-1976, Collegio Araldico, Roma.
Leonardi: Fam.di Novara, resid. Gattico, Casalino (Novara) e Roma (di Novara) (mf.) sign, di Casalino e Pisnengo (mpr), co. (m), march. di Villacortese (mpr), trattam di don e donna. Arma: di rosso al leone d’oro coronato dello stesso. Motto: Soli Domino Gloria.
4. If the first Leonardi crest above is authentically from this Leonardi family, it seems possible they added the sailing ship after arriving in either Menorca or Florida as part of telling their story of travel over seas. The ship does not seem to appear in any depictions of Leonardi coats of arms from Italy.
5. Several crests for Leonardi are displayed in: V. & H. V. Rolland’s Illustrations to the Armorial General by J.B. Rietstap II, Heraldry Today, London, 1967. The third crest above is displayed in this publication as coming from Bologna which it also states on the document above. The lion in the other crests is displayed in this article as coming from Milan.