Thursday, January 27, 2011

Heraldry in Florence, Part Eight

I didn’t have to walk around Florence to see this next coat of arms – it actually drove right past me!

This bit of heraldry was painted on the side of one of the Alfa-Romeo automobiles used by the Carabinieri, or more fully, Arma dei carabinieri, which is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both the military and civilian populations. The main charge on the coat of arms is a grenade, a charge which is also used by the French Foreign Legion. The gazelle is presumably related to the organization’s mandate to quickly respond when needed.

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