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Olhão Municipality (Portugal)

Concelho de Olhão, Distrito de Faro

2:3 image by Sérgio Horta, 18 Oct 1999

About the Flag (since 1985)
Former Flag (1928-1945)
Version without the coat of arms
Presentation of Olhão

See also:

External links:

Page about Olhão at the Portuguese Municipalities’s Association website (incl. image of the arms)
reported by António Martins, 18 Nov 2001

About the flag

It is a fairly typical Portuguese municipal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain yellow field.
Sérgio Horta, 3 Dec 1999

Coat of arms

image by Sérgio Horta, 3 Dec 1999

On a green Field, a golden boat with silver sails (this type of boat is called by the locals a "caíque"),on silver and green waves, surmounted by a golden rampant lion holding a black broken chain, 5 silver tower mural crown (denoting that the Municipality capital is a City) and a white scroll with the words in black "CIDADE DE OLHÃO DA RESTAURAÇÃO".
Sérgio Horta, 3 Dec 1999

Meaning:
The golden lion breaking the chain is symbolizing the efforts of the people and their patriotism in resistence against the French invaders, the lion also is a symbol of courage and boldness, the golden colour is symbolizing e.g. power, liberty, faith and endurance. The fishing boat "BOM SUCESSO", a so called caíque, has something to do with exile of the Portuguese royal family and court in Brazil, perhaps their departure in Olhão. The green and silver waves are representing the Atlantic. The draft was made by Dr. Alberto Iria.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Olhão was upgraded to a city on 14 August 1985.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Former version (1945-1985)

It was published in Diário do Governo : II Série on 11 July 1945. The only difference had been the inscription reading "VILA DE OLHÃO DA RESTAURAÇÃO". Sérgio Horta explicitely mentions an error in the Diário do Governo, the mural crown had erroneously five visible towers instead of four.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Former Flag (1928-1945)

image by Sérgio Horta,

It was a fairly typical Portuguese municipal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a yellow field.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Former Coat of Arms

image by Sérgio Horta,

Shield Vert, a lion rampant Or, breaking a chain Sable, in central chief a golden capital "O", flanked by the Christian king's head at dexter and the Moorish king's head at sinister. Mural crown with four visible towers (town rank) and an unusual red scroll reading in white capitals "VILA DE OLHÃO DA RESTAURAÇÃO". The draft was made by Affonso Dornelas on 27 June 1927.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Meaning:
The meaning of lion and chain see above within current arms. The golden letter is representing the centre of a golden medal granted to the inhabitants of Olhão by King D. João VI, having around the letter a circumscription as follows: "Viva a Restauração e o Príncipe Regente Nosso Senhor 15-11-1808". Both king's heads are taken from the old arms of the Kingdom of Algarve, symbolizing the affiliation of the town to the old kingdom. The green colour is referring to the sea.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Version without Coat of Arms

Plain (monocoloured) Portuguese subnational flags are not allowed to have variations without arms: plain flags always carry the coat of arms.
Jorge Candeias, 18 July 1999

This version was approved in a session of the local council, probably on 19 July 1928
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jan 2015

Presentation of Olhão

Olhão is a city in south Portugal belonging to the district of Faro, Algarve region (in fact it distances 10 km east of Faro city). The municipality has 12 682 km² of area, 5 freguesias (communes) and about 35 000 inhabitants.
Sérgio Horta, 18 Oct 1999

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