the Italian nobility, old series in 11 volumes Golden Book of the Italian nobility, new series, in 30 volumes States and cities In addition to the Libro d'oro of Venice, such books had existed in many of the Italian states and cities before the unification of Italy. For example, the Libro d'Oro of Murano, the glass-making island in the Venetian Lagoon, was instituted in 1602, and from 1605 the heads of the Council of Ten granted the title cittadino di Murano to those heads of families born on the island or resident there for at least twenty-five years. A Libro d'Oro was also compiled on each of the Venetian Ionian Islands as a nobiliary of the members of local Community Councils (Zante 1542, Corfu 1572 and Cephalonia 1593). After the Ionian Islands were conquered and annexed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, the Libro d'Oro was ceremoniously burned. In the reformed Republic of Genoa of 1576 the Genoese Libro d'Oro, which had been closed in 1528, was reopened to admit new blood. By extension, a Libro d'Oro is a by-name for any nobiliary directory, as when Al. N. Oikonomides refers to "the recently published 'libro d'oro' of the wealthy ancient Athenians (J.K. Davies, Athenian Propertied Families 600-200 B.C. (Oxford 1971)". See also Annuario della Nobiltà Italiana Burke's Peerage, the UK equivalent analogue Debrett's Consulta araldica Nobility of Italy Almanach de Gotha Carnet Mondain of Belgium High Life de Belgique Powerlist Social Register Kulavruttanta Notes References Libro d'oro at Collegio Araldico (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2010 Heraldry in Italy at Heraldica (in English). Retrieved 11 May 2007 Explanation of Italian noble rank at Regalis (in English. Retrieved 8 July 2007 Biographical dictionaries