Home Assembleia de freguesia Executivo Serviços Comissão Social Sobre Fátima Turismo e Lazer Contactos News Useful Information Useful Contacts
Início » About Fatima »

Heraldry

Heraldry is about science and the art of describing coats of arms.Know here the description of the coat of arms of the city of Fatima, the respective flag and the logo.

Blue shield, in the center an image of Our Lady of Fatima with a golden halo, flanked by a golden rose (rosa áurea) at dexter and a golden oak twig (three leaves, two acorns) at sinister. Silver Mural crown with five visible towers and white scroll reading in black upper case letters "FÁTIMA".

FLAG: with the coat of arms centered on a quartered field of blue and yellow. Cord and tassels of gold and blue. Stem and spear in gold.


EMBOSSING SEAL : In accordance with the law, with the caption "Junta de Freguesia de Fátima: Ourém" (Fatima Parish Council: Ourem).

IMAGE: Our Lady appeared, was seen by three children and the image was designed according to their description of Her. There couldn’t have been any stronger symbol to represent the Parish of Fatima, on its coat of arms and on its flag. Therefore the image appears in the center of the shield, slightly lowered to represent the "descent" of Our Lady to Earth, with the image occupying the most outstanding part of the shield. The image is white (correct term in Heraldry: Silver), the same natural and predominant color of the statue that is in the Sanctuary. The space above the image was left blank to indicate that She came from "above", that is, from Heaven. The image of Our Lady of Fatima is usually represented with the golden royal crown and with the three little children kneeling.

In Heraldic rigor, the only image that has the right to wear the crown is Our Lady of Vila Viçosa to whom King John IV offered his crown. There is no evidence of the shepherds having seen "a crowned Lady".

HOLM OAK TWIG: This symbolises three things,  the first, the holm oak on which Our Lady came to rest, the second, the Patron Saint of the Parish, Saint Anthony, who in Heraldry is represented by one of his attributes: a cross with  twelve acorns, and the third, along with the heraldic rose, it symbolizes the agriculture and the rurality of the Parish.

HERALDIC ROSE: at dexter, is a heraldic Rose symbolizing the agriculture and the rurality of the Parish and also Our Lady of the Mystical Rose. In this case, it symbolizes the Golden Rose conferred upon the Sanctuary of Fatima by the Holy See as a token of reverence. This award, which is very rarely granted, symbolizes and represents the Basilica, the Churches, Chapels and other places of prayer, of gathering and religious houses in Fatima. There is no consecrated form in Heraldry to represent a temple, by facade, for example. It is counterpoised by the holm oak twig. This invites to prayer and suggests the famous bells of the Basilica, whose sound is transmitted to the whole world by radio and television. 

SHIELD BACKGROUND: It is blue, also the color representing Our Lady in Heraldry.

MURAL CROWN:  Mural crown Argent with five visible towers representing the rank of City.

LISTEL: White listel. The white crown and the white image require a white listel. On it is written the word "FÁTIMA", a subtle allusion to the person after whom the place was named: Fatema or Fatma, the noble Moor who was captured by the Templar Knight, Gonçalo Hermingues, whom she married after converting to Catholicism. She subsequently assumed the name of Oriana or Ouriana and this name change gave rise to the name of Ourem, name of the Municipality to which the parish of Fatima belongs). By her conversion and marriage, this lady became Portuguese by right.

It is divided into eight squares. One or more colors of the shield must be used. Yellow and blue were chosen for the best aesthetic combination with the shield. According to the rules, the cord (around the flag / banner) and the tassels are gold and blue. By law, the rod and spear are of gold.
THE ELEMENTS OF LOGOTYPE:
Miracle (sun)
The rounded shape reminds us of the miracle of the sun. It was the last apparition of Our Lady who at that time brought thousands of people to the place of Fatima.
 
Location ("hill")
This element represents doubly the city and the parish. Its geography, its location. Fatima is on top of a hill and preserves rural and urban characteristics which make it a special place.

Symbolism (Holm Oak and Our Lady of Fatima)
The holm oak stands out for its symbolism, the Apparition of Our Lady to the three little shepherds. On the other hand, the holm oak is also a symbol of the parish, since there is hardly a street where one can not find one.
 
Seers of Fatima (Shepherds)
They are the protagonists of the Apparitions. Three natural children from the parish of Fátima who had the privilege of seeing Our Lady.

Color
The blue, besides being the same as the coat of arms of the Parish of Fatima, is also one of the colors that is normally associated with the image of the Virgin Mary. It is a color that conveys serenity.

Arrangement of the elements
The position of the shepherds, on top of the "hill" reveals that they are in Fatima and that the city is on top. The holm oak is placed so as to be the center of the attention of the little shepherds. The rounded form surrounding the "mount," the little shepherds and Our Lady in the holm oak represent the miracle that Fatima witnessed.