Last modified: 2005-08-26 by antonio martins
Keywords: arraiolos | coat of arms | castle (white) | bees: 3 | grapes | wave |
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It is a quite typical portuguese municipal flag, with the coat of arms
centered on a background quarterly (meaning town
rank) of white and purple. The coat of arms is sable a castle argent
masoned sable and lit gules between two grape bunches purpure leaved and
nimbused (!?) or, in chief three dragonflies (?) or set in fess and in
counterchief a fess wavy azure fimbriated argent. Mural crown argent with
four visible towers (town rank) and white
scroll reading in black upper case letters "VILA DE
ARRAIOLOS".
António Martins, 06 Sep 2003
As usual, tha arms reverts to the fortifications of the town (the
castle), the river (wavy lines) which is interesting because I couldn’t
find any river near the town itself, rather 3 somewhat important creeks in
the municipal territory (Vide, Divor and Tera), plus references to some
products of the traditional agriculture: grapes and wine (the grapes) and
honey (the bees).
Interesting that the tapestry industry is not represented in the arms,
since it is by far the main reason why Arraiolos is known. But then
again, I guess it’s difficult to represent such a thing in a coat of
arms.
Jorge Candeias, 29 Jul 1998
Quartered of white and purple.
Jorge Candeias, 12 Jul 1999
Arraiolos municipality had 7672 inhabitants in 2000
(8080 in 1990), and it is divided
in 7 communes, covering 684 km2. It belongs to the
Évora District, to the old province of
Alto Alentejo and to the future region of
Alentejo. It’s a rural municipality, but
with an old and very well known industry of tapestry.
António Martins, 06 Sep 2003, and
Jorge Candeias, 29 Jul 1998