Toulon is the second largest port in France, located in a very picturesque part of the Côte d'Azur between Marseille and Nice. Every tourist who comes here amazes with its amazing contrast. At first glance, it may seem that this is a lazy city, thawed by the sun and immersed in a calm, sleepy atmosphere. But if you stay here for a while, then it immediately becomes clear that life here is just in full swing, especially near the port.
A unique feature of Toulon is the richest cultural program, during which everyone can visit the architectural monuments erected under King Louis XIV. So here you can not only lie in the sun to your heart's content, but also learn a lot of new things and take stunning photos. Well, for those who are especially interested in the history of the city, it is better to start studying it with such details as the coat of arms of Toulon.
Description of the coat of arms
The overall composition of the coat of arms consists of the following elements:
- shield with the image of a golden cross;
- tower crown;
- branches of oak and laurel with fruits;
- a ribbon with the city's motto, decorated with a cross and peaks.
The interpretation of this coat of arms does not cause any particular difficulties, since its image is completely canonical for Europe at that time. The only thing that I would like to note is the strong desire of the creators of the coat of arms to elevate their city and emphasize its special status.
History of the coat of arms
According to modern historians, the coat of arms of this sample was first used at the end of the 15th century. During the subsequent political upheavals in France, it changed several times, however, in the end, the original version was returned anyway. And in the XX century it was finally approved.
Composition value
The golden cross on an azure background (as well as the golden lion) is one of the most common heraldic symbols of that time, and the tower crown with five prongs indicates that the city was an important administrative center with a large population.
Oak and laurel branches are symbols of noble families that govern the city. In this case, the definition is exactly that, since the branches of trees are depicted with fruits, which symbolizes the representatives of the genus.
The meaning of a ribbon with a cross and a weapon is the willingness to defend your city with arms in hand from any danger. And given that Toulon was an important naval center, this statement is absolutely true.
