The coat of arms of Madrid, the capital of Spain, first appeared in the Middle Ages. And the last time it was modified in 1967. In 2004, it became the basis of the city logo and its council. Throughout the entire time of existence, these or those changes were made to the image. Now the emblem is used not only as a symbol of the city. The bear and the strawberry tree are also part of the Atlético Madrid football club logo.
Description of the coat of arms of Madrid
On a silver field there is a strawberry tree with fruits standing on the green grass. To his right is a black bear standing on its hind legs. Along the edge of the coat of arms there is a azure border with seven stars located on the left, right and top. At the top, the coat of arms of Madrid (photo below) is decorated with a large open royal crown of gold and precious stones with eight rosettes (five visible), alternating with pearls. This crown is commonly used in Spanish heraldry for territorial and municipal emblems.
Appearance
This sign was first used during the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 between Alfonso VIII of Castile and Almohad. The Madrid Council sent a detachment in support of the Christian king. According to the chronicles of the time, these troops carried a flag or banner with a bear on a silver field. This was the first ever mention of the coat of arms of Madrid. The bear on the banner was depicted with the seven stars of the Big Dipper.
Symbol story
In 1222, clergy of the parishes of Madrid requested the Council to use the fields and forests of municipal jurisdiction. These were important resources for both church and secular authorities, and both of them wanted to use these lands. King Alfonso VIII determined that the fields would belong to the church, while the forests would belong to the Council. If the former did not satisfy this, then secular authorities were pleased with the decision. The council immediately changed the coat of arms of the municipality, adding a tree as evidence of its new possessions. The bear, which was previously depicted walking, now stood on its hind legs and ate fruit from a tree. It is not clear when they began to consider him strawberry, because in 1212 in Madrid there were only a few copies. Although, according to one version, once on the site of the capital a whole grove of strawberry trees grew.
Also in 1222, a azure border with seven stars was added. In this form, the coat of arms lasted until 1544. It was then that Charles I awarded Madrid the titles “Imperial” and “Crowned”. For this reason, a crown was added to the coat of arms above the tree.
In 1600, the open Spanish royal crown was placed over the shield. After 50 years, new changes were made to the image of the coat of arms of Madrid: if before the stars on the sides were in the order of 2, 2, 2 and 1, now on the border their location was changed to 3, 2 and 2. As an additional decoration, they began to use a cartouche.
In 1859, the griffin was added. This symbol originates from a dragon or a serpent, which was depicted on a castle stone in the gate arch of the disappeared walls of Madrid, known as the Puerta Serrada or Puerta de la Sierpe (Closed Gate or Serpentine Gate). In 1582, a fire destroyed a gate that had not been restored. The serpent, transformed into a dragon, remained an unofficial symbol of Madrid until the 19th century, when it was decided to include it in the image of the coat of arms, and which very soon turned into a griffin.
Eight-pointed stars were replaced by five-pointed ones, and the open royal crown was replaced by the Spanish royal crown with eight arches closed. Cartouche, laurel wreaths (one located at the base of the shield, the other on both sides of the cartouche) and the Order of the Golden Fleece were used as decorations.
Modernity
During the First (1873-1874) and Second (1931-1939) republics, the royal crown was replaced by a wall crown, and the dynastic order of the Golden Fleece was removed.
During the period of Francoist Spain (1939-1967), new changes occurred in the appearance of the coat of arms of Madrid. During this period, five-pointed stars were replaced by six-pointed ones, and instead of a wall crown, an open heraldic was used, used by the Franco regime. Cartouche and laurel wreaths were removed. In 1967, the Organic Law was issued in Spain, according to which, after the death of Franco, the appointment of a king and regent was provided for. Then the coat of arms of Madrid lost the griffin and the wreath at the base of the shield. In addition, in the same year, a monument to the heraldic symbol of the city was erected in the main square of Madrid, Puerta del Sol, made of bronze and stone: it depicts a bear who eats the fruits of a strawberry tree. A year earlier, it was created by the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafe. In 1975, after the death of the dictator, Spain again became a monarchy.
In 1982, the heraldic open crown used by the Franco regime was replaced by one of the earliest versions of the open royal crown. The design of the elements has become more simplified, and the shape of the border has also changed.