Individual heraldic symbols of cities can tell not only about the past or present, history, politics or culture, but also about the religious views and attitudes of residents. Among these official symbols is the coat of arms of Seville, which depicts three Catholic saints. In addition, in the color palette of the Seville symbol, there is a purple (violet color), which is quite rare for heraldry, which is directly associated with the Catholic religion.
Description of the elements and their meaning
The coat of arms of Seville has several more features that distinguish it from all the known heraldic symbols of cities in the world. Two important parts can be distinguished from the coat of arms: a silver shield with a rounded lower part; a golden crown adorned with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
The greatest attention is drawn to the shield, or rather, the characters depicted on it. In the center is Saint Ferdinand, the famous king of Castile, who took an active part in the liberation of the city from the Arabs.
The monarch is depicted seated on the royal throne, under a purple canopy. This saint is dressed in the same purple robe lined with ermine. To create a feeling of holiness, gold details were used - a nimbus, a crown, a scepter, orb.
To his left sits Saint Isidore, his attire is silver, his mantle is gold, lined with scarlet cloth. In his hands he holds a golden staff and a book. To the right of Ferdinand, Saint Leander is depicted on the coat of arms of Seville. He is also dressed in a silver outfit, in his right hand is a golden pastoral staff, in his left - a scroll.
The saints are depicted seated on a throne and in armchairs on a dais, on a scarlet platform. Isidoro and Leander were at one time bishops of Seville, and after their departure to another world they were canonized. Today they are considered the patrons of the city.
Seville rebus
The motto, which is written in gold paint and is located at the base of the shield, requires a special description. It consists of Latin letters written in pairs - "NO", "DO", and a skein of wool, located between the pairs. Translated from Spanish, the motto sounds like "he did not leave me", that is, the city remained faithful to Alfonso X in 1282, when the famous uprising of Sancho IV took place.
It is difficult for a person who does not know Spanish to read the motto, since the first and last syllables remain, and the middle of the phrase (me ha deja) is replaced by the image of a ball of thread (madeja in Spanish).
