Heraldry of Capital Cities round the World

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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19 May 2008 12:44
 

Arms of the Eternal City Rome:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Roma-Stemma.png

The formula SPQR = Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Senate and the Roman People) represent the ancient history. To this is added a Cross denoting Rome as capital of western christianity.

 

During the Facist goverment of Benito Mussolini a Capo d’Littorio was added to the arms of Rome (and several other civic arms).

 

http://www.ngw.nl/int/ita/r/images/roma2.jpg

Picture from the International Civic Arms.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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19 May 2008 12:50
 

Turning north we land in Switzerland and Berne.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Bern.png

The arms is canting German Bär = Bear.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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19 May 2008 13:05
Michael Swanson
 
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Michael Swanson
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19 May 2008 13:11
 

Nice history of the mermaid arms of Warsaw here:

http://www.e-warsaw.pl/miasto/herb.htm

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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19 May 2008 16:02
 

I might also add that the Mermaid of Warsaw was used by the II Polish Army Corps who served with the Allies during World War II.

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3448/2pkjr1.jpg

 

The II Polish Army Corps Base (Supply units ect.) used a variant with a blue shield:

 

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/5772/2pkbasbx9.jpg

 

Pictures from the Book Wojsko Polskie 1939-1945 Barawa i Bron, Wydawnictwo Interpress Warsaw 1984.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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28 May 2008 13:17
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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29 May 2008 18:27
 

Continuing further south we land i North Africa. The arms of Alger I have already shown so we continue to Morocco ant its capital Rabat.

http://www.marocinfo.net/to/images/stories/prov/rabat.jpg

Arms of the prefecture of Rabat. Sorry for the small picture.

 

http://flagspot.net/images/m/ma-rac.gif

The armorial banner of the municipality of Rabat in the 1960ies.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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29 May 2008 18:50
 

http://www.ngw.nl/int/afr/images/sahara.jpg

El Aaiún (Western Sahara). These arms are form the Spanish times and probably are not used anymore. They also doubled as arms of the Spanish Sahara.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Dakar_CoA.gif

Dakar (Senegal).

 

http://www.ngw.nl/int/afr/images/banjul.jpg

Banjul (formerly Bathurst, Gambia). The crest shows a native sailing boat, the sail charged with a arms holding a clubb. The motto is Banjul.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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30 May 2008 01:52
 

is that orange/tenne in the border of the arms of El Aaiún?

 
Wilfred Leblanc
 
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Wilfred Leblanc
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30 May 2008 02:29
 

Marcus K;58495 wrote:

Arms of the Eternal City Rome . . .


I must say, this design seems terribly dull, and in fact ugly—hardly fitting for the preeminent city of Western Civilization. Mussolini’s addition in chief improved it a tiny bit, but not much. What a missed opportunity!

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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30 May 2008 07:34
 

Donnchadh;58795 wrote:

is that orange/tenne in the border of the arms of El Aaiún?


It surely looks like it, but as I don’t have the blason I’am not quite sure.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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30 May 2008 07:41
 

Fred White;58799 wrote:

I must say, this design seems terribly dull, and in fact ugly—hardly fitting for the preeminent city of Western Civilization. Mussolini’s addition in chief improved it a tiny bit, but not much. What a missed opportunity!


Well I agree it is not so creative, here is the arms of the Province of Rome:

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Provincia_di_Roma-Stemma.png

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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30 May 2008 08:50
 

Marcus K;58800 wrote:

It surely looks like it, but as I don’t have the blason I’am not quite sure.


I don’t think so.  If you compare it to the other colors, everything is washed out, and I believe orange is extremely rare in Spanish heraldry.  Since this is a bordure of Castile and Leon, I’d bet heavily that it’s Gules.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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30 May 2008 09:12
 

Fred White;58799 wrote:

I must say, this design seems terribly dull, and in fact ugly—hardly fitting for the preeminent city of Western Civilization.


I disagree.  SPQR was the highest expression of Roman identity, power, and pride for more than a millennium before heraldry ever existed.  Nothing could be more symbolic of the city, and therefore nothing is more appropriate to serve as the principal charge on the city’s arms.


Quote:

Mussolini’s addition in chief improved it a tiny bit.


You must be joking.

 
Wilfred Leblanc
 
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Wilfred Leblanc
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30 May 2008 10:25
 

Joseph McMillan;58805 wrote:

I disagree.  SPQR was the highest expression of Roman identity, power, and pride for more than a millennium before heraldry ever existed.  Nothing could be more symbolic of the city, and therefore nothing is more appropriate to serve as the principal charge on the city’s arms.

 

 

You must be joking.


SPQR is an impeccable charge, as is the cross, but the arms are still an aesthetic failure.

 

De gustibus, I guess.

 

And no, I’m not joking about the addition of the fasces, etc.