FERT


FERT, the motto of the royal house of Savoy-Sardinia and Italy, the House of Savoy, was adopted by King Vittorio Amedeo II.
It appeared for the first time on the collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, or Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata, the primary dynastic order of the kingdom. This ceased to be a national order when Italy became a republic in 1946. The order remains under the jurisdiction of the head of the House of Savoy, however, as hereditary Sovereign and Grand Master.
The meaning of the letters has been a matter of some controversy, to which a number of interpretations have been offered. The motto is believed an acronym of:
It has also been suggested that the letters are actually the Latin word , meaning " suffers/bears", possibly referring to Jesus bearing the sins of the world.
A parody of FERT was said by Savoy's neighbors to mean Frappez, Entrez, Rappez Tout, from their penchant for chevauchée.