Last modified: 2024-11-16 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: conceicao(v.vicosa) | nossa senhora de conceicao | sao bartolomeu(v.vicosa) | crown | rose | crescent | knife | cross(avis) | cross(christ knights) |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
![[Nossa Senhora de Conceição e São Bartolomeu flag]](../images/p/pt-vvcnb.gif)
2:3, image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024
It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain white field.
Source: Sérgio Horta´s webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024
Shield Azure (light celestial blue) a crescent recumbent Argent, flanked on chief by a royal crown Or, on base by a knife Argent in pale hilted Gules, flanked by two embowed palm fronds Or crossed in base per saltire. Mural crown Argent with four visible towers (village rank) and long light celestial blue scroll reading in black upper case serifed letters "NOSSA SENHORA DA CONCEIÇÃO E SÃO BARTOLOMEU — VILA VIÇOSA".
Meaning:
Crescent and crown are representing former Conceição, knife and palm fronds former São Bartolomeu Commune.
Source: Sérgio Horta´s webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024
This is a first, at least for me: They really went and allowed for a non-classical tincture! All previous examples I have seen are likely mistakes and can be trivially subsumed (f.i. Santiago with white sail, contrasting with Argent charges). This one is totally intentional and is what Portuguese heraldists often refer to as «_armas a inquirir_» («coats of arms [meant] to be questioned/researched»), with the Or and Argent of the Vatican flag as a prime example.
Celestial blue, lit. sky blue, is the colour usually associated with Saint Mary — although this is usually subsumed nominally to Azure (rendered in whichever shade of blue) in all the many (so many!) local coats of arms in Portugal depicting or symbolising her.
For this commune it was possible to push through this unusual blazon (and the flag depicting it) due to several reasons, I reckon:
1. First of all, the relevant law, in spite of its labyrinthine articulation and unwieldy text, doesn´t actually list the acceptable colours to be used in the arms, and therefore on the flags, just prescribes adherence to good practices of established heraldry — and that leaves a lot of wiggle room.
2. Then, this one commune in particular, where is located the Portuguese Royal Palace (the one that still belongs to the royal family deposed in 1910 — to make a very long story very short), and where is kept the statue of the nominal Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which was crowned by King Dom João IV as patroness of Portugal in 1646.
3. This kind of stuff holds a lot of sway among Portuguese heraldists (with some notable exceptions, hehe) and once it was proposed nobody wanted to be the one ruining everybody else´s fun.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 Nov 2024
Published in Diário da República: II Série on 14 July 2014,
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024
Nossa Senhora de Conceição e São Bartolomeu is one of the communes of Vila Viçosa Municipality created by a merger during the 2013 changes. It had 4634 inhabitants in 2021 and covers 34,19 km².
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024
![[Conceição commune (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-vvcnb-nc.gif)
2:3, image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain white field.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
![[Conceição commune CoA (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-vvcnb-nc).gif)
image by Sérgio Horta, 25 Oct 2014
Shield Azure, in chief a rose Or, barbed and seeded Argent surrounded by a crescent recumbent Argent. In base a crown Or. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank)and white scroll, reading "VILA VIÇOSA - CONCEIÇÃO" in black upper case letters.
Meaning:
Rose, crescent and crown are attributes of St. Mary. She is local patron saint and name giver in her aspect as Our Lady of Conception.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
Published in Diário da República: III Série on 4 December 1996
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
Conceição, aka Nossa Senhora de Conceição was one of the pre-2013 communes of Vila Viçosa Municipality. It had 4165 inhabitants in 2011 and covered 32,78 km².
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
![[São Bartolomeu commune (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-vvcnb-sb.gif)
2:3, image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain green field.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
![[São Bartolomeu commune CoA (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-vvcnb-sb).gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
Shield Argent, an knife Gules with hilt Sable set in pale flanked by two crosses fleury Gules voided Argent, in base and central chief a cross fleury Vert. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank) and white scroll, reading in black upper case letters "VILA VIÇOSA - S. BARTOLOMEU".
Meaning:
The knife is an attribute of St. Bartholomew, the local patron saint. The two green crosses refer to the Avis Order and the red ones to the Christ Knights' Order.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
Published in Diário da República: III Série on 27 May 1997
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
São Bartolomeu was one of the pre-2013 communes of Vila Viçosa Municipality. It had 858 inhabitants in 2011 and covers 0,20 km². It is surprising to watch the same phenomenon like in Borba Municipality, a tiny freguesia surrounded by another one, both having the name São Bartolomeu.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014
back to Vila Viçosa Communes click here
On 2024.10.27 18:10 PM, Klaus-Michael Schneider quoted and wrote: > Source: https://www.heraldicacivica.pt/vvc-vila_vicosa.html <...> > Escudo de azul celeste, <...> > Listel ondulado, azul celeste,