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Arraiolos Municipality (Portugal)

Last modified: 2006-10-28 by antónio martins
Keywords: arraiolos | coat of arms | castle (white) | bees: 3 | grapes: 2 (purple) | wave |
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Arraiolos municipality
image by Jorge Candeias, 12 Jul 1999
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About the flag

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


Version without the coat of arms

Arraiolos plain flag
image by Jorge Candeias, 12 Jul 1999

Quartered of white and purple.
Jorge Candeias, 12 Jul 1999


Presentation of Arraiolos

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


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