What do you know about the Biscione?

[Sir Lancelot]

I'm curious about the origin(s) of the Alfa Romeo symbol and what it means, specifically the serpent or 'Biscione', which apparently dates back to the House of Visconti, and is now also the symbol for the city of Milan. What can you tell me about the history of the badge and the meaning behind the Biscione? There seems to be some confusion as to whether the serpent is devouring or giving birth to a child... which is it?

[alfagtv58]

Great question Alexander....I have wondered this myself before.  I will watch with interest to see the responses.

[Ash Gordon]

While searching for an early Alfa poster I have read the snake is devouring a person but trusty old wikpedia says otherwise.

Biscione
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Biscione (Italian for 'large snake'), also known as the Vipera ('viper' or in Milanese as the Bissa), is a heraldic charge showing in Argent an Azure serpent in the act of giving birth to a human:[citation needed] usually a child and sometimes described as a Moor. It has been the emblem of the Italian Visconti family for around a thousand years. Its origins are unknown. However it has been claimed that it was taken from the coat of arms of a Saracen killed by Ottone Visconti during the crusades.

The biscione appears also in the coats of arms of the House of Sforza, the city of Milan, the historical Duchy of Milan and Insubria. It is also used as a symbol or logo by the football club Inter Milan, by Alfa Romeo and, in a version where a flower replaces the child, by Fininvest.

[Sir Lancelot]

Yes, I've heard both sides of that too. From memory a few sources stated the serpent was devouring either a Saracen/Moor or a child.
I was hoping for some info from a more authorative source than wiki, as that quote isn't cited and I think it may be the only place so far where I've read it's giving birth to a human.

[Anthony Miller]

From the 1990, Number 2 edition of "Alfa Romeo World", the official Alfa magazine with the incredible ES30 aka SZ on the cover.
" The cross occupying the left half of it records an event giong back to the first crusade to the holy land. This event was the corageous act of the Milanese Giovanni da Rho, who was the first of all the crusaders to scale the walls of Jerusalem and to plant the sacred symbol of the Cross there. Undoubtedly, however, greater intest centers on the famous serpent, the Biscione, with it's four coils on the right hand side of the badge which has come to symbolise this Italian automobile House.According to legend, the origin of the family coat of arms goes back to Ottone Visconti, the founder of the noble family from Lombardy. Back in the first crusade, it is said that he fought and killed a Saracen, who had emblazoned on his shield a serpent devouring a man. It was from this that he devised the idea for his own stanard."

I must say thanks for the excuse to rummaging through the "I don't know why you keep those" collection, this edition is full of great stories and pics of achingly beautiful machinery and amusingly wistful talk of a 10cyl rear wheel drive production car.
Cheers to one and  all