La famiglia Cavallaro assai antica e nobile, è originaria di Messina. I nomi dei suoi componenti, si trovano soprattutto ricordati in contratti di acquisto di terre e case. Annovera questa illustre casata personaggi di elevate virtù, ma la penuria delle scritture in quegli antichi secoli ci priva di quelle curiosità più nobili, che si possono desiderare. Ci sono notizie di un Gioacchino Cavallaro, da Milazzo, che ebbe, con privilegio 16 gennaio 1788, il titolo di nobile. La presenza dell’arma e del motto nella bibliografia documentata della famiglia Cavallaro, ci conferma l’avita nobiltà raggiunta dalla casata. Infatti l’origine del motto risale a circa il XIV secolo e deve essere ricercata in quei detti arguti che venivano scritti sui vessilli o bandiere dei cavalieri, esposti alle finestre delle locande in cui questi alloggiavano, in occasione dei tornei, e durante i tornei stessi. Il motto era un pensiero espresso in poche parole facente allusione a un sentimento palese o nascosto, a una qualità, a un ricordo storico, per stimolo al coraggio o onore. Era scelta dal capo della famiglia, dal cavaliere entrante in lizza o data dal sovrano al proprio uomo ligio. Motto della famiglia: in aduersis festior. . Riguardo a questo cognome abbiamo ritrovato ulteriori informazioni storiche in altri archivi. Purtroppo in lingua originale Inglese. : This Italian and Spanish Last Name of CAVALLARO was a metonymic occupational name for a man in charge of the horses, primarily rendered in the Latin form CABALLUS. Occupational last names primarily denoted the actual occupation followed by the individual. At what period they became hereditary is a difficult problem. Many of the occupational names were descriptive and could be varied. In the Middle Ages, at least among the Christian population, people did not usually pursue uniqueized occupations exclusively to the extent that we do today, and they would, in fact, turn their hand to any form of work that needed to be done, particularly in a large house or mansion, or on farms and smallholdings. In early documents, last names frequently refer to the actual holder of an office, whether the church or state. The origins of Italian last names are not clear, and much work remains to be done on medieval Italian records. It seems that stable bynames, in some cases hereditary, were in use in the Venetian Republic by the end of the 10th century. The typical Italian Last Name endings are ‘i’ and ‘o’, the former being characteristic of northern Italy. The singular form ‘o’ is more typical of southern Italy. In the 8th century, Spain fell under the control of the Moors, and this influence, which lasted into the 12th century, has also left its mark on Hispanic last names. A few names are based directly on Arabic personal names. The majority of Spanish occupational and nickname last names, however, are based on ordinary Spanish derivatives. The name is also spelt as Cavalli and Cavallo. A noble member of the name was Francesco CAVALLI (1602-76) the Italian composer, born in Crema. He was organist and ‘maestro di capella’ of St. Mark’s in Venice. As an opera and church composer he prepared the way for Alessandro Scarlatti. The associated coat of arms is recorded in Rietstaps Armorial General. Registered in Italy. (Cavalli). In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armoured warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry started in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several states of Western Europe….
Noble title: Nobili
Coat of arms: D’azzurro, al cavallo inalberato d’oro, alato dello stesso…