Portugal is a small European state,located at the very edge of the continent. The country has a rich cultural and historical heritage, which is carefully preserved by its modern inhabitants. Some facts of the history of Portugal are directly reflected in its state symbols. What can its flag tell?
Description of the panel
Далеко не все знают, как выглядит флаг Португалии.This state symbol has a rectangular shape. The cloth is divided into two parts. The shaft has a green strip, which takes two-fifths of the entire length of the flag. The second part is made in bright red color and occupies, respectively, three fifths. The width refers to the length of the panel as two to three. In the center of the line separating the green and red parts, there is a fragment of the coat of arms of the country - a shield with an armillary sphere. Therefore, for a deeper understanding of the meaning of such symbols it is worthwhile to understand not only the meaning of each shade. You should also learn about the history of the coat of arms of Portugal.
History of appearance
The flag of Portugal was approved for over a hundred yearsbackwards It happened on the thirtieth of June 1911, some time after the collapse of the country's constitutional monarchy. Above what flag of Portugal will be during the rule of the Republican Party, a special commission worked. It was composed of Portuguese artist Columban Bordalu Pinheiro, Prime Minister João Pinheiro Shagash, a writer and diplomat Abel Botelho. The combination of red and green was at that time a very bold decision, uncharacteristic for flags. The commission chose it in order to emphasize that the new country has nothing in common with the former monarchy. From January 31, 1891, when the republican movement survived an unsuccessful attempt at an uprising, these colors became the main symbol of the party.
What does each of the colors mean?
Red color is intended to symbolize itselfrevolution, it is an energetic connotation of a determined people. The green color reminds the Portuguese of the rule of Henry the Navigator. His name is associated for them with hope and travel to new lands. The symbolism of the state emblem is associated with Heinrich the Navigator, which makes the green color especially significant for the Portuguese. This flag of Portugal allows you to demonstrate the country's connection with its history. This is very important for any symbol of this kind.
What did the former flag of Portugal look like?
Before the appearance of such a cloth, one of the mainThe symbols of the country looked completely different. The former flag was created during the time of King Afonso the First Great. Then it looked like a square white cloth with a blue cross. It was this design that was preserved in the country until the establishment of the republican regime, which took place on the nineteenth of June 1911. The National Assembly, which headed the republic, created the commission, which was to replace the symbol of the bygone constitutional monarchy.
National emblem
Since the center of the panel is a fragmentanother state symbol, its value also deserves attention. Without him, understand the flag of Portugal is impossible. The national emblem looks like a golden armillary sphere on which a shield is located. It is silver with scarlet and decorated with seven gold-colored locks. In the center there are five small azure scutes located crosswise. They have five silver bezants each, arranged as follows: in the first and third rows two, and in the center one. Golden laurel branches tied with two ribbons frame the sphere. The colors that adorn the coat of arms also demonstrate the flag of Portugal, since the commission of creators wanted to link both symbols with a single meaning. And she succeeded.
The history and significance of the coat of arms
This symbol was created in the process of dealing withArab conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula. The blue shields depicted on the coat of arms remind us of King Afonso I Enriquech, who defeated his Saracen foes in 1139. In the battle, the earl received five wounds, as evidenced by silver bezant mugs. The scarlet edging and golden castles remind of the arms of Castile. They were added after the marriage of Afonso the Third to Beatrice, daughter of the Castilian king. The castles were conquered from Mauritania by Portugal during the time of the Reconquista. The armillary sphere, on which the coat of arms is located, recalls the glory and greatness of the country in the era of geographical discoveries. This is a tool by which the coordinates of the heavenly bodies are determined. The sphere is formed by a moving part with the horizon and meridian, as well as the celestial equator. The wide ring on it is decorated with images of signs of the zodiac, and smaller rings depict the northern and southern tropics. Up until the seventies of the twentieth century, it was assumed that the armillary sphere also symbolizes the size of the colonial empire. Now it has broken up. The branches of the laurel surrounding the coat of arms symbolize the glory of the state. This symbol was adopted on the same day as the flag, namely on June 30, 1911.
