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Vizela Municipality (Portugal)

image by António Martins and Jorge Candeias

Version without the coat of arms
Presentation of Vizela
Previous flags
Unofficial flags

See also:

Presentation of Vizela

Yesterday, the portuguese parlament created a new municipality: Vizela. This puts the number of municipalities in 306.
Jorge Candeias, 20 Mar 1998

This municipality (along with some 800 others) existed until mid 19th century, when a major reform took place. Unlike most of those, the vizelans kept always alive a strong movement favouring the re-establishment of theyer municipality. The newly approved municipality of Vizela will consist mostly of communes dettached from the Guimarães municipality, and also some from Felgueiras and Lousada. The officialization will happen not before mid May, together with other new municipalities.
António Martins, 02 Apr 1998

Previous (unofficial) flags

Four towers

image by António Martins

The flag of the new municipality, in use for a long time now, but still not official is a gironny flag of blue over yellow. The flag, as always, has the arms of the municipality in the centre. This coat of arms, also not official yet, has a silver field with a bridge at the bottom, a saint in the centre and two very long white shields (one on each side of the saint) each with five quinas inside.
Jorge Candeias, 20 March 1998

Yesterday, there was a huge display of these flags, both in Lisbon and in Vizela to celebrate the recreation of the municipality.
Jorge Candeias, 20 Mar 1998

There was another motive for rejoycement: Not only the municipality was (re)created but also the municipality-to-be seat status was upgraded to that of city. Formerly it was a town — and locals more than once have rejected the upgrading: "No municipality, no city!" (Sem concelho não há cidade!). City flags have 5-tower mural crowns and gyronny fields, while town flags have only 4 and quartered fileds. However unnoficial flags of Vizela are (and as far as I know always were) gyronny, but towers vary, as also the scroll inscription: "CIDADE DE VIZELA", "VILA DE VIZELA" or "CONCELHO DE VIZELA" (respectively: "city", "town" and "municipality").
António Martins, 2 Apr 1998

Five towers

image by António Martins

In August, the municipality was officially created and an install