Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. The first mention of it dates back to 205 BC, while the official history begins in 1179. The history of this city is very closely connected with the holy great martyr Vincent of Zaragoza. And so much so that one legend from his life became the basis, on the basis of which the official coat of arms of Lisbon was created.
Emblem appearance
The coat of arms of Lisbon is quite original and generally differs from the classical heraldic traditions in Western Europe. It contains elements such as:
- a golden shield decorated with a golden crown;
- sailing ship;
- two crows;
- gold order chain;
- a tape with a motto in Latin.
Image Description
The main motive depicted on the coat of arms concerns the death of the mentioned saint. He lived during the reign of the emperor Diocletian, who was an ardent opponent of Christianity. St. Vincent publicly refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods, and therefore was soon brutally killed, and his body was thrown at the mercy of beasts. However, the body of the saint was guarded by a raven, which scared away all other animals.
Further, the legend says that a little later the remains of the saint were placed in a boat and released into the open sea, after long wanderings the boat finally moored at Cape Sagres in Portugal. Even later (in the middle of the 12th century), by order of the king, the relics were transported to the Cathedral of Lisbon.
The value of the coat of arms is explained by the fact that during the transportation of the relics by sea, the ship was guarded by crows all the way. Thus, they also became the official symbols of Lisbon. However, there is, of course, another version, stating that the ship symbolizes navigation, and the crows are the centuries-old satellites of the Cathedral. Although in terms of its popularity, it noticeably loses to the first.
As for such elements as, for example, a gold chain, a shield and a crown, which can be seen by examining the photo of the coat of arms, this is already the official state symbols, it determines the belonging of the city to Portugal.
