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Évora Municipality (Portugal)

Concelho de Évora, Distrito de Évora

2:3 image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 6 Nov 1998

About the Flag
Banner
Historical Banner (17th Century)
Version without Coat of Arms
Presentation of Évora

See also:

External links:

Page about Évora 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 red and yellow gyronny field (city rank).
António Martins-Tuválkin, 6 Nov 1998

Coat of arms

image by Sérgio Horta,

The coat of arms is or, a Christian knight riding a horse sable dressed and haired argent, holding a blood stained sword; in point, a cut off head of a Moor proper and dressed argent and a cut off head of a Moor woman also proper and dressed argent — both blood stained. No comments about the story this tells… Mural crown argent with five visible towers (city rank). The scroll reads in black upper case letters "MUI NOBRE E SEMPRE LEAL CIDADE DE ÉVORA", meaning "most noble and ever loyal city of Évora". added as a mark of honour is the chain of the Order of Tower and Sword
Meaning:
The arms show a scene, which took place in 1165 during the reconquest of the city. Portuguese writer and Nobel Prize Winner in 1998 José Saramago tells the story as follows: "Giraldo the Fearless (Giraldo sem Pavor), a Portuguese robber-knight, tried to get pardon for his numerous crimes fromKing Afonso Henriques. He thus planned to conquer Évora. His plan was supported by the guilelessness of its Moorish defenders. In a cruel way he beheaded the gatekeeper and his daughter, who had been fast asleep. The defenders were confused thinking the assault came from the other end of the town. They didn't close the captured gate and Portuguese soldiers, supported by mouriscos and moç árabes invaded the city and massacred or imprisoned the Moorish inhabitants. Évora afterwards was never again conquered by the Moors. "
Source: José Saramago: "Die portugiesische Reise" (Viagem a Portugal), p.492
António Martins-Tuválkin, 6 Nov 1998 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Nov 2014

Banners

1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Oct 2014
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Oct 2014

Banner#1

It is the same pattern like the flag already depicted in our pages (see left image above). Banner has golden and red tassels and cord and golden pole with finial (the latter as usual not in image).

Banner#2

The other variant has a scroll as usual and no chain of the Order of Tower and Sword but two blue scarves instead (see right image above), bearing the Order's star at the bottom. Inscriptions on scarves are not recognizable.
Source: Banner#2 from leaflet: "Armas do município de Évora" (edited by the city)
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Oct 2014

Flag and arms adopted and published in Diário da República: III Sérieon 12 October 1990
António Martins-Tuválkin,

Historical Banner (17th Century)

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 May 2016
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 May 2016

It is red of, made of floral silk. In centre a knight mounted, armed Argent with a crest of plumes Or, holding an upright sword Argent with hilt Or, a sinister facing horse Argent with bridles and saddle Or. In the lower hoist corner the head of a slayed Moorish warrior with turban. Beneath the Moor's head on a golden ribbon is an uncomplete Latin inscription, reading: "PERPETVM LAVDIS DAT MON(V)M(EN)TA TIBI". (here is "V" for an "U" and the letters iin brackets have disappeared, I misinterpreted separating points as letters in my first attempt. Please note that it should be "PERPETUUM" instead of PERPETUM", but one "U" was obviously forgotten.). The lower fly corner is replaced by a new piece of silk of darker shade. In the lower fly corner had been originally a slayed Moorish lady. (see reconstruction in right image) Joachim Molthagen, a historian and specialist of Roman history identified the text. The English translation is "Continuance of praise gives you monuments".
Source: historical banner (left image) spotted in Évora city hall on 3 October 2013
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Oct 2014 / 6 May 2016

Version without Coat of Arms

2:3 image by António Martins-Tuválkin, Apr 2010

Presentation of Évora

Évora is a large “province” city (by portuguese standards), capital of a municipality with 1308 km² and 53 880 inhabitants in 16 communes. It belongs to the Évora district and to the traditional province of Alto Alentejo and will be in the future region Alentejo.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 6 Nov 1998

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