In September 1965, nature unleashed its fury in Batangas when Taal volcano erupted. This news was broadcasted worldwide with an appeal from then Governor of Batangas, Feliciano (Sanoy) Leviste for humanitarian aid. Curiously, a Monsignor based in Paris whose surname was Leviste wrote in French to Sanoy. He volunteered to help the victims of the Taal eruption and wanted to know more about the Leviste in the Philippines. This led us to ponder what a Leviste was doing in France.

A research on the web (http://www.io.com/~tapestry/archiveX.html *note: link nonexistent) and other materials brought us to a series of tapestry known as The Lady and the Unicorn. It was said that in 1489, Jean IV Le Viste, Lord of Arcy was named President of the Court of Aids of Charles VIII of France. It was theorized that he invested a fortune to buy eternal beauty for a woman through these tapestries. These tapestries were said to be executed in 1484 when Jean IV Le Viste gained the right to bear the full arms of his family after his father’s death, and in 1500, the date of his own death. It advertised to the world the ascension of Le Viste in the Royal Administration. The Le Viste coat of arms – red with a blue band set with three silver crescent moons – appears in all panels of the tapestry series. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries became known as the Cluny tapestries and is in the catalogue of the Cluny Museum in Paris.

From the region of Lyon, the Le Viste family spread rapidly over Burgundy, the Bourbonnais and the Ile-de-France. Like many middle-class families of the 15th century, they came to seek their fortune in Paris and entered the Royal Administration where they soon distinguished themselves. Barthelemy Le Viste became Councilor to Parliament in 1440. His son Ayme succeeded him to this post in 1474. He died in 1484, leaving two sons. The elder, Jean, was appointed a Councilor to Parliament between 1468 and 1469. His nomination by Louis XI in 1471 as seventh master of the Court of Petitions roused a storm of protest. Jean Le Viste was President of the Court of Aids when he died on June 1st 1500. Jean has only one daughter, Claude who married Geoffroy de Balzac. His younger brother, Aubert who died in 1493, was less brilliant and was appointed a councilor only in February 1492, a year before his death. He had two children, a daughter and a son named Antoine who was the last to bear his name. Since Antoine was the last to bear the Le Viste surname in this line, we can attribute only the source of the name to these families and not on their biological roots.

The Historical Research Center has classified this French family name as being of habitation origin. The appellation developed from the old French word viste signifying view. The initial bearer of the name would have been dwelled in a location that offered a commanding view of the surrounding territory. There is a town called La Viste which lies northeast of Marseille, on a hill from which one can easily view the Mediterranean.

One of the earliest references to this name is a record of a noble family Leviste from the region of Lyon, first mentioned in documents in the year 1386. A member of this family was created Count of Montbrian in 1756. Another notable bearer of the name is a politician Jacques Gabriel Leviste (1773-1854). Surfing through the net has brought this author to a Louisiana census database that lists a Frenchman by the name Hypolyte Leviste in the early 1800. Marciano Leviste is also listed in the US census as living in California in the early 1930’s. Philippine genealogical research show that the first known ancestor of the Leviste line was Juan Leviste (about 1810) who lived in the Province of Batangas around the town of Lipa.

On November 21, 1849, the Spanish Govenor-General Narciso Claveria (1844-1849) issued a gubernatorial decree ordering all Filipino families to adopt their surnames from a catalogue of surnames, copies of which he previously sent to all head of the provinces. In this catalogue were listed in alphabetical order, hundreds of proposed surnames or family.

Whether through typographical error, ease in spelling or maybe a thoroughly different family, the transformation of the name Le Viste into Leviste remains a mystery. It is also not known whether Juan Leviste underwent the process of assimilating the name through the Claveria catalogue or originally migrated to the Philippines from Europe. What we know is that the family has undertaken this research to task. (Researched by Victoriano “Vic” Borbon Leviste – 11/08/98)

Content taken from The Leviste Webpage.

Le Viste Coat of Arms

A red shield with three silver crescents on a blue bend.

Heraldry emerged in France in the mid-12th century, beginning with the knights and nobility choosing coats of arms for themselves. It was not much later that the other social classes such as the bourgeois and even peasants were assuming arms. By the 16th century, the French Kings had begun attempts to register and regulate coats of arms under their authority. Following the French Revolution, in 1790, nobility, orders of knighthood and heraldry were abolished in France. The display of coats of arms was banned, until
Napoleon reestablished heraldry and titles in 1814. Today, there is no French Heraldic authority granting or registering arms: anyone is free to assume arms. In France, a coat of arms in considered property of the family in the same way as the family name, and enjoys the same legal protection.

RED SHIELD Gules, derived from an Old French word goules or gueules meaning “throats” translates into modern English as “red” and is the military color of excellence and fortitude. It is symbolic of nobility, boldness and ferocity, and can also represent fire and summer. Some ancient laws restricted its use to princes and their families. Red corresponds to the metal copper and is denoted in engravings by numerous perpendicular lines.

Symbolic Virtues: Red denotes the virtues of charity and courage, and indicates the qualities of valor, patriotism, and creative power. Those who bear a red insignia are obliged to right wrongs and win fame in arms.

Precious Stone: Carnelian, Ruby
Planet: Mars
Obligations: To right wrongs and win fame in arms

THREE “Three” devices, beasts or ordinaries of the same have a special significance in heraldry. First of all, there is the obvious reference to the Trinity in the design that would signify observance of the Christian doctrine. Secondly, with many Arms it brings balance that is steeped in tradition. To better understand this latter scenarios, we must look at the evolution of shield in personal armory. Kite shields that were the most popular from the 10th – 14th century evolved into Heater shields that had flat tops c. 1250. This was the time of heraldry’s beginnings and when “three” objects were used for balance in each corner of the shield. Later, with the advent of the “chief”, “chevron” and “bend” three devices brought balance to these ordinaries too.

SILVER Argent (from the French for silver), or silver is one of the two metals used in heraldry. It is usually represented on a shield by the colors gray or white. This metal represents nobility, peace and serenity. It is associated with the qualities of purity and chastity, because the metal withstands the test of fire.

CRESCENT The crescent stands for one who has been “enlightened and honored by the gracious aspect of his sovereign”. It is also borne as a symbol of the hope of greater glory. Knights returning from the crusades introduced the crescent, the badge of Islam, into the language of heraldry. The heraldic crescent has a very deep based and curving horns that quickly sharpen to points close together. Crescents also represent the moon that lights the night sky for travelers, though it does not resemble the shape of crescent moon very closely. In English arms it was also a mark of cadency signifying the second son. The reversed crescent is a crescent with the horns turned down. The term increscent indicates a crescent with the horns facing the observer’s left, and decrescent is a crescent facing the observer’s right.

BLUE Azure (derived from the French word for “blue”) represents the color of an eastern sky on a clear day. It also corresponds to the metal tin. The word, “azure” was introduced from the east during the Crusades. It signifies piety and sincerity, and is equated with autumn. In engravings it is represented by horizontal lines.

BEND The bend is a broad, diagonal band across the shield representing either a scarf worn like a sash, or the shield suspender of a knight or military commander. It has often been granted to those who have distinguished themselves as commodores. The bend signifies defense or protection, and is a bearing of high honor. Unless it is specified otherwise the bend is assumed to go from the upper left corner (dexter, chief in heraldic terms) of a shield to the lower right (sinister base). The bend sinister follows the opposite diagonal. According to old theorists the bend should occupy one third of the surface of a shield, though it is usually drawn slightly more narrowly than this. A charge half the width of a bend is termed a bendlet, and if six or eight of these pieces occurs on a shield it is termed “bendy”. The bend sinister has been used occasionally as a mark of illegitimacy though this is not commonly the case. More often a bendlet sinster is used, or a baton sinister, which is a bendlet that does not extend to the very edges of the shield.

All charges placed upon a bend, should stand bendwise, such that if the bend were rotated to the perpendicular, the charges would then be in their normal horizontal position.

Many believe that the bend was one of the first ordinaries used in heraldry and dates back to the time when they were used in battle.

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