Póvoa do Varzim Municipality (Portugal)

Concelho de Póvoa do Varzim, Distrito do Porto

Last modified: 2014-11-08 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: povoa do varzim | anchor | cross(raguly) | rosary | crescent | sun |
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• About the Flag
• Variants with yellow letters
• Version without Coat of Arms
• Presentation of Póvoa do Varzim

• Póvoa do Varzim Communes
• Portugal

• Page about Póvoa de Varzim 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 field gyronny of blue and white.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 3 Oct 1998

Shield Azure, an anchor, with iron and ring Argent and shaft Or forming a raguly cross, entangled in a rosary with 18 globes Or on a brown string, flanked at sinister by a crescent argent, open and at dexter a sun Or, mural crown Argent with five visible towers (city rank), and white scroll reading "PÓVOA DO VARZIM".
António Martins-Tuválkin, 3 Oct 1998

Meaning:
According to Sérgio Horta sun and moon are elements always present to fishermen. The rosary is representing the great faith of the local people. The anchor is a symbol of safety on the sea.
In this municipality seat, the fishermen city of Póvoa do Varzim, traditional sea vessels and tombstones display a quite interesting traditional para-heraldic system showing cadency, inheritance and ancestry,consisting of main symbols and “modifiers”, known as siglas poveiras.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 22 Aug 1999 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Oct 2014

Variants with yellow letters

2:3 image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 22 Aug 1999

2:3 image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 22 Aug 1999

The scroll is usually black on white — though still a number of sources show it yellow on blue.
Sérgio Horta displays the arms with white scroll and golden letters.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 22 Aug 1999

Version without Coat of Arms

Flag and arms adopted and published in Diário da República: III Série on 27 August 1986
António Martins-Tuválkin, 3 Oct 1998

Presentation of Póvoa do Varzim

This municipality has 55 810 inhabitants in 86 km² and belongs to the old province of Douro Litoral, to the region to be of Entre-Douro-e-Minho and to the current Porto District
António Martins-Tuválkin, 3 Oct 1998

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