The state, which occupies the westernmost part of Europe, has not quite standard official symbols. Even the first glance at the coat of arms of Portugal makes it possible to highlight such an element as the armillary sphere related to the field of astronomy. The second difference between the main symbol of this country and other countries is the presence, in addition to the main one, of variants of the medium and small coat of arms.
Heavenly Symbols
The large coat of arms of the Portuguese Republic consists of various elements, the most important of which are: a heraldic shield with five small shields and seven castles; armillary sphere; golden branches held by a ribbon.
The heraldic shield has a rounded shape at the bottom, consists of an internal field that repeats the shape of the shield and a wide band-border. On a small white (silver) field, there are five small azure-colored coats of arms. On the bordering strip of rich scarlet color there are golden locks.
An armillary sphere is an astronomical instrument that determines the coordinates of celestial bodies. The second meaning is the model of the celestial sphere. The appearance of such an interesting element on the coat of arms of the Portuguese Republic is explained by the desire to show that the influence of the state extends not only to the land, but also to the territories located above.
In addition, the device, which performed the task of measuring distances, became a symbol of the great geographical discoveries during the Middle Ages, made by the inhabitants of Portugal. The armillary sphere was previously present on some heraldic shields of wealthy Portuguese, as well as on colonial flags, in particular in Brazil.
Some experts in the field of heraldry find a contradiction in the use of "republican" elements on the country's coat of arms, like the same sphere, and symbols of the monarchy (for example, crowns).
Medium and small coats of arms of Portugal
The main difference between these options from the main state symbol of the country is the smaller number of elements. So, on the middle coat of arms there are no golden branches, which were fastened with a ribbon painted in the colors of the national flag (red and green). Small coat of arms - the same image of a shield with small shields and locks, but without golden branches and a golden armillary sphere.
The main state symbol of Portugal was officially adopted on June 30, 1911, like the national flag. However, the elements present on the coat of arms have a longer history and meaning.
