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The
Andriani are an ancient
family traceable to the
13th century and classed
as nobility in Spain,
Italy, and the former
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The family originated in
Greece and probably
immigrated to Italy
through the Greek
city-state of Brindisi.
The earliest Andriani on
record is Roger Andriani
(Rugerium Andrianum de
Coreno). Roger Andriani
owned land in what is
now Corenno Plinio on
the eastern shore of
Lake Como. The
Archbishop of Milan,
Ottone Visconti,
declared Jacopo Andriani
(Roger's son) feudal
Lord of Corenno,
granting him on 30 May
1271 a fief that
included Corenno and
Dervio. Over time, the
family fortified the
town by building a
castle fortress
(Castello Andriani) on
the ruins of a former
Roman fortification.
Situated on a high rocky
prominence, the castle
today offers spectacular
views of Lake Como.
The arms were assumed in
1996 following the
armiger’s induction as a
knight of the Sacred
Military Constantinian
Order of St. George by
HRH Prince Carlos de
Borbon-Dos Sicilias.,
Duke of Calabria, Count
of Caserta, and Head of
the Royal House of
Borbón Dos-Sicilies.
The
lions and fortress come
from the coat of arms
first granted to Jacopo
Andriani as Lord of
Corenno. The phoenix
comes from the coat of
arms of another Jacobo
Andriani of Corenno
Plinio who emigrated to
Spain in 1556.The
predominantly red,
white, and blue colours
of this coat of arms
represents the 1890
arrival of this branch
of the Andriani family
to the United States of
America. The stamped
gold coronet above the
shield signifies
untitled nobility.
The three ostrich
feathers of the crest
signify the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit and the
jewelled circlet
represents the armiger’s
knighthood.
The phoenix, a Grecian
symbol, signifies the
ancient roots of the
Andriani family as well
as Christ's victory over
death.
The Motto: Invictus
Maneo (I Remain
Unconquered) symbolizes
that death is not an
end, but a beginning.
The Argent of the field
signifies, to the
armiger, the truth,
sincerity, peace, and
purity of Christ and the
Azure of the chief
represents the loyalty,
truthfulness, strength
and faith of the
Andriani family.
The
armiger is a retired
Infantry Officer, a 1974
graduate of Virginia
Military Institute, and
the son of Michael
Robert Andriani and his
wife Loretta Ann
Ventricelli. He is a
Knight Grand Cross Jure
Sanguinis of the Sacred
Military Constantinian
Order of St. George
(1996), and a Knight
Grand Cross of the
Equestrian Order of the
Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem (invested
1999). Married to Lera
Lee Champagne (daughter
of Colonel Eduard
Champagne and his wife
Elise Lee), they have
one son, Captain Michael
Robert Andriani III, VMI
2013, Knight, Holy
Sepulchre and Knight
Jure Sanguinis.
Under the full
achievement are the
badges of a Knight Grand
Cross of the Equestrian
Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem
and a Knight Grand Cross
Jure Sanguinis of the
Sacred Military
Constantinian Order of
St. George (Spain).
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