As stated on the handwritten title page of the work, dated 1875 and compiled in Marseille by C.te Edgardo Mattei, it is a collection of 6000 Italian family coats of arms, taken from ancient parchments, monuments, and more specifically from churches, etc., etc. The author then specifies that in collecting these arms, those were chosen which are difficult to find in other works of the kind, both ancient and modern.

The original armorial consists of 240 plates, each depicting 25 coats of arms, all in full color, for a total of no less than 6000 coats of arms. It is a vast repertoire, which would certainly have been of greater utility had the author indicated the source for each coat of arms, which is unfortunately not declared. The armorial, which therefore remains a starting point for further research, is accompanied by an alphabetical index for ease of consultation