A coat of arms is a symbolic expression of the history of the family it belongs to. It encompasses both the past and the future of the family bearing the insignia, indicating concessions, marriages and the acquisition of lands.
When Vespasiano was born (6th December 1531) the coat of arms of the lords of Sabbioneta was also used by the first-born family line in Mantua:
- Silver with a red cross potent flanked by four black eagles abaissé (their wings turned down) facing heraldic right;
- On the quartered shield:
- quarters 1 and 4, red with a silver lion with a split tail, armed (clawed) and tongue in gold, crowned and collared also in gold (Kingdom of Bohemia);
- quarters 2 and 3: gold and black bands (six) (the original Gonzaga emblem).
When Vespasiano arrived in Sabbioneta in 1550, bearing his mother's surname Colonna in addition to Gonzaga, the coat of arms he raised was as follows:
- Partitioned (divided in half):
- in half 1: Silver with red cross potent, flanked by four black eagles abaissé facing heraldic right; on the quartered shield: quarters 1 and 4: red with a silver two-tailed lion, claws and tongue in gold, crowned and collared also in gold; quarters 2 and 3: gold and black bands (Gonzaga);
- in half 2: red with a silver column with gold capital and base, antique crowned also in gold (Colonna).
Another coat of arms used by Vespasiano was the following:
Quartered:
- quarters 1 and 4: silver with red cross potent, flanked by four black eagles abaissé facing heraldic right; on the quartered shield: quarters 1 and 4: red with a silver two-tailed lion, claws and tongue in gold, crowned and collared also in gold; quarters 2 and 3: gold and black bands (Gonzaga);
- in quarters 2 and 3: red with a silver column with gold capital and base, antique crowned also in gold (Colonna).
The coat of arms of Vespasiano's first wife, Diana Cardona:
Quartered diagonally or St. Andrew's cross:
- quarters 1 and 4: gold with four red bars (Kingdom of Aragon);
- quarters 2 and 3: silver with small black eagle abaissé, crowned in black (facing each other) (Swabia).
Overall the coat of arms is that of the Kingdom of Sicily.
Following Diana's death, in 1564 Vespasiano married Anna d'Aragona, a descendant of the dukes of Segorbe. Anna's coat of arms was as follows:
Divided vertically in thirds:
- third 1: gold with four red bars (Kingdom of Aragon);
- third 2: split: A red with castle with bricks, towers and crenellations in gold, windows and door in blue (Kingdom of Castile); B silver with red (purpure) lion crowned in gold (Kingdom of Leon);
- third 3: quartered diagonally or St Andrew's cross, Aragon and Swabia (Kingdom of Sicily).
In 1565 Vespasiano, marquess of Sabbioneta, raised a new coat of arms, vertically divided into thirds:
- third 1: Aragon, Castile, Leon and Sicily;
- third 2: Colonna;
- third 3: Gonzaga.
In 1574 Vespasiano was elevated by the emperor to the status of Prince, but his coat of arms remained unchanged; however, in 1577 he acquired the title of Imperial Duke and his coat of arms was as follows:
Split in two:
- half 1: gold with two-headed eagle in black with red tongue;
- half 2: blue with the motto LIBERTAS on a gold band; leaning on the shield, the ermine ducal cap (as a major vassal of the empire) encircled by an antique gold crown.
In 1582 Vespasiano was married for the third time with Margherita dei Gonzaga di Guastalla, whose coat of arms was as follows:
- Silver with a red cross potent flanked by four black eagles abaissé facing heraldic right;
- On the quartered shield: quarters 1 and 4: red with silver two-tailed lion with gold claws and tongue, crown and collar in the same colour; quarters 2 and 3: gold and black bands.
In 1585 Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna was elevated by Philip II, king of Spain, to the Chivalrous Order of the Gonzaga Colonna Golden Fleece, whose emblem he included in his coat of arms:
Split in two:
- half 1: gold with two-headed eagle in black with red tongue;
- half 2: blue with the motto LIBERTAS on a gold band; leaning on the shield, the ermine ducal cap (as a major vassal of the empire) encircled by an antique gold crown; the collar of the Golden Fleece encircling the shield.