Last modified: 2006-02-05 by antonio martins
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In Portugal the various cities, towns, villages and so on are divided into 3 cathegories depending on the number of its inhabitants, and some other, sometimes esotheric things:
According to the municipality’s flag law, only cities (cidades) have a gironny flag, towns (vilas) have them quartely. Of 305 minicipalities I suppose that no more than 70 are cities (where 39 in 1974…). There are some exceptions to this rule, of course -- by heart, I’d recall Calheta de São Jorge and Fronteira, wich are vertical bicolors instead of quartely; Lagos, that is saltire quarterly instead of gironny; and a number of flags that should de quarterly and are gironny or the other way around.
The law also says that the flag backgrounds should be one color (or metal) or
metal and color -- not color and color nor metal and metal… But a lot of flags
do not obey to this rule!…
António Martins, 3 Oct 1997
All the portuguese municipal and communal coats of arms are topped by a mural
crown. As far as I know, there is only one exception to this rule, the municipality
of Horta in the Azores, whose arms have a real crown on
top (plus an arm holding a sword).
Jorge Candeias, 28 Apr 1998
It should be noted that that only communes (freguesias) and municipalities have
flags and arms — cities, towns and vilages per se are not recognized as an
adminstrative division. (Some municipalities occupy the same territory of the head,
but typical municipalities have both urban and countryside areas…).
António Martins, 30 Apr 1998
The only way to learn the meaning of the charges in portuguese municipal coats
of arms is by guessing, because they are not explained anywhere.
Jorge Candeias, 05 Apr 1998
Although this is not completely true (there are of courese law texts at the
Official Journal, Diário da República, and some heraldic
information published here and there), in practice is very difficult to gather
a comprehensive listing of all of them (total 307, 18 more real soon now).
Usually is necessary to individually send a letter to each municipality…
António Martins, 08 Apr 1998
Yes and no. Every municipal coat of arms is described in the law that
creates the municipalities (the problem is knowing when this law was published
and finding a copy of the Diário da República of that date,
which is practically impossible for those that do not live in or near Lisbon).
But, as far as I know, the charges are not explained anywhere. Even when
we write letters to the municipalities, we usually only get the description,
not the explaining.
Jorge Candeias, 08 Apr 1998
Sure, you’re right: The official text is only a description, not an
explanation. This should be obtained from the Heraldry Committee, something
quite difficult (and expensive), also to those living in Lisbon…
António Martins, 30 April 1998
There is a big confusion about the gyronny flag colour order in the law
about portuguese municipal flags.
Sérgio Horta, 18 Feb 2001
While most printed flags have identical revreses with illegible writing,
some quality flags have two identical images of the coat of arms sewn or
embriodered on each side. The gyrony or quarterly background of the flag is
naturaly not reversed in the reverse, though, the colors being thus in
opposite positions.
António Martins, 30 Aug 2001
This list is growing everyday, as material contributed by visitors and list members from the last two years is finnaly edited. Please check often!
This list is growing everyday, as material contributed by visitors and list members from the last two years is finnaly edited. Please check often!
A phenomenon is being repeated with some frequence in recent years and in many municipalities: Whenever the newly elected municipal government is lead by a party formerly in the municipal opposition, the former municipal logo (something that become common place in almost all municipalities) is discarded a new one is created.
This has probably to do with the fact that municipal logos are created by local advertisement agencies, and the new mayor’s “friends” in that particular field may not be the same as the former’s — or in general, has perhaps to do with the ephemerousness of commercial campaign logos in general. One thing is though certain: this has little political meaning in itself, as the logos, new and old, have never any evident political element.
For what it is worth, I know no situation where a reelected mayor (or a new mayor from the same party as the former) has caused a radical change in the municipal logo. This may imply that the municipal logo (and the flags with it) are more and more clearly seen as the symbol of the municipal “cabinet”, while the coat of arms and the official municipal flag are seen as the symbol of the municipality itself and its administrative and representative power.
This trend is perhaps a welcome clarification and dismantles the need to “chose” between a municipal logo and a municipal coat of arms, as they become more and more distinct in their meaning and usage.
António Martins, 26 Aug 2003