The modern logo of Lazio, the Roman sports community, includes the image of an eagle as a legacy of Roman heraldry. It is a symbol of fearlessness and a fighting spirit. The graphics reflect the brand’s commitment to the past and belonging to the administrative area.
Lazio: Brand overview
Founded: | 9 January 1900 |
Founder: | Claudio Lotito |
Headquarters: |
Rome, Italy |
Website: | sslazio.it |
Choosing a name for the sports community, its founders decided to designate belonging to the capital without mentioning it (at that time, the sports community of Gimnastica Roma has already existed there). As a result, they used the name of the administrative region Lazio, which includes Rome. Consequently, nowadays, more “eagles” fans support the team in their surroundings than in the Eternal City.
Meaning and History
Lazio was created as a multi-discipline athletic society (Societa Podistica Lazio), the priority species of which were running, swimming, and gymnastics. Since 1927, the organization has been called Societa Sportiva Lazio S.p.A., which is reflected on the Lazio logo in the abbreviation S.S.
The eagle on the Lazio logo is the legacy of Roman symbolism. During the Roman Empire, the most fearless legions took the image of a golden eagle as the symbol. The bird was depicted in the first versions of the football team’s emblem, and then it was removed and added several times. In 1958, the golden eagle was finally established in the Lazio logo. The eagle (or, more precisely, the female eagle) is named Olympia, which corresponds to the club’s roots.
What is Lazio?
Lazio, short for Società Sportiva Lazio, is an Italian football club established in 1900. It has won the national championship twice (in 1974 and 2000) and has claimed the Coppa Italia seven times. The team participates in Serie A, the country’s top league, at the professional level. Its first significant success came in 1958 when it won the national cup. The club plays its home games at the Foro Italico stadium in the capital, which it shares with its main rival, Roma.
1900 – 1914
One of the first Lazio logos features an eagle – a classic symbol of the Roman Empire. The proud bird is also associated with Zeus, enabling the club owners to pay homage to the cultural-historical heritage of Ancient Greece. This also explains the color choice – a combination of blue and white. The eagle sits on a triangular shield, its wings folded, clutching a ribbon bearing the inscription “S. PODISTICA LAZIO,” where “S.” stands for “Società.”
1914 – 1921
To prevent critics from questioning the origin of the eagle, Lazio adopted a logo in the form of a round bas-relief on a pedestal with the inscription “ROMA.” Along the outer edge of the circle was the text “SOCIETÀ PODISTICA LAZIO.” The wing of the soaring bird covers the letters “I” and “E” in the first word.
1921 – 1925
Until 1925, the club used a graphic symbol in the form of a triangular shield. The heraldic element was divided into two parts. At the top is a gray polygon with the inscription “S.P. LAZIO.” Below is a simple pattern consisting of vertical stripes of blue and white.
1925 – 1940
In 1925, the team was renamed Società Sportiva Lazio, which was reflected in the next emblem. The new graphic symbol appeared in 1927 when Lazio refused to merge with other sports organizations to create the fascist club AS Roma. Despite this, it was forced to change its logo, adding wooden sticks with an ax, one of the main symbols of fascism.
1940 – 1941
In the early 1940s, the triangular shield was replaced by a horizontal rectangle. The lower (white) part contained the fasces and the ax, and in the upper (blue) part was a spreading-winged eagle.
1941 – 1943
After a redesign, the emblem took the form of a shield with a triangular top and sharp base. The club retained the traditional white-blue stripes reminiscent of Ancient Greece and supplemented the fascist symbolism with the inscription “S.S. LAZIO.”
1943 – 1958
The team’s new logo is a vertical shield with three blue and two white lines. The wooden sticks with the ax disappeared; only the abbreviation “S.S. LAZIO” remained.
1958 – 1960
In 1958, the team returned to its classic: a triangular heraldic shield with an eagle at the top. The inscription and stripes remained in their places.
1960 – 1961
From a composition standpoint, nothing changed – only the drawing style was updated. It became very simple and indistinct.
1961 – 1962
The artist depicted a triangular shield divided into three parts. At the top is the inscription “sLs”; to the left – a white diagonal line on a blue background, and to the right – an eagle flying over a yellow soccer ball.
1962 – 1963
The elements remained the same, but the shape of the emblem changed. Now it’s a quadrangular shield with a sharp base. Instead of the letters “sLs” at the top, the word “LAZIO” is written.
1963 – 1973
The designers made the bottom of the shield rounded and combined all elements. In this version, the eagle and the ball are separated by a white diagonal line on a blue background.
1973 – 1978
In the 1970s, another version of the logo with an eagle appeared. The bird sits on a shield, at the top of which is the inscription “S.S. LAZIO.” The traditional white-blue stripe pattern remains, but due to the brown outlines, it looks new.
1978 – 1988
In the 1980s, the club used a logo in the form of a hexagon with rounded sides. Inside was the word “LAZIO,” an abstract depiction of an eagle (head and wings) and a blue geometric shape resembling an inverted triangle.
1988 – 1993
The bird returned, perched on a rectangular shield with a sharp base. In this version, it bears little resemblance to an eagle, as the artists drew it schematically, without strict adherence to proportions.
1993 – 1998
In 1993, the logo gained a modern look. The eagle appears impressive with its predatory profile, sharp claws, and an abundance of details. The shield is framed broadly with the inscription “S.S. LAZIO.” Out of the five vertical stripes, only three remained: two blue and one white.
1998 – 2008
Designers made the eagle yellow-gold and changed the proportions of some elements.
2008 – today
After the redesign, the bird looked the same as in 1993 but remained gold. The frame around the shield gained a broad blue outline.
Font and Colors
The modern emblem is a modernized version of the original logo. Lazio Club has often been criticized because of the eagle, which was associated with fascism. In fact, this sign has nothing to do with fascist symbolism because the team appeared in 1900 – 21 years before the foundation of the National Fascist Party. The bird is associated with the Roman Empire, where it denoted success and power.
The club’s name is written in bold italic with serifs. The blue inscription is on the shield, which combines two colors from ancient Greek cultural heritage: blue and white. The eagle is gold, so it stands out against its background.
Lazio color codes
Sky Blue | Hex color: | #87d8f7 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 135 216 247 | |
CMYK: | 45 13 0 3 | |
Pantone: | PMS 305 C |
Dark Midnight Blue | Hex color: | #15366f |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 21 54 111 | |
CMYK: | 8 51 0 56 | |
Pantone: | PMS 294 C |
Goldenrodl | Hex color: | #d7a819 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 215 168 25 | |
CMYK: | 0 22 88 16 | |
Pantone: | PMS 124 C |