Castelo Rodrigo Commune (Portugal)

Coat of arms

The arms are Argent, carrying the royal arms of Portugal set upside down. The royal arms display a shield Argent charged with five inescutcheons Azure set in cross, each carrying five bezants Argent in quincunx (quina), a bordure Gules charged with seven castles Or, the whole crested with a royal crown Or.
Meaning:
A shield displayed upside down marks a traitor. We here have one of the rare examples of a mark of abatement (or degradation) realized in municipal heraldry. The people of Castelo Rodrigo supported the Castilian cause and Queen Beatriz of Castile, who was the legitimate heir to the Portuguese throne. The shield was given to the village by King Dom João I (1385 - 1433) as an act of punishment. Not even an insurrection against Spain in 1640 washed away this blemish.
Sources:
1) Jose Saramago: "Die portugiesische Reise" (original title: "Viagem a Portugal"), 1994; pp.251-254
2) Stephen Slater:"The Complete Book of Heraldry" , 2002; pp.106-107
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Aug 2014