Sant Joan Despí

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SANT JOAN DESPÍ

Region : Catalonia
Province : Barcelona

Official blazon

Escut caironat: d'or, un pi arrencat de sinople amb un anyell pasqual d'argent (portant la banderola de gules carregada d'una creu plena d'argent, amb l'asta creuada d'argent) reguardant travessat al tronc. Per timbre una corona mural de poble.

Origin/meaning

The arms have been officially granted on 10th April 1984.

The arms show a Paschal Lamb, symbol of Saint John Baptist, patron saint of the city. The first chapel devoted to him was mentioned in 1002 and the city gradually developed from that. The chapel was built close to a very large and old pine tree, hence the name of the chapel and village, St. John of the Pine (Sancto Iohannis de Pinu), which was later transformed into the present name. The arms thus show the lamb in front of the tree.

During the years 1936-1939 the town was named Pi de Llobregat and the arms showed the letter PI and the pine tree. The pine tree was mentioned for the first time in a description of the arms from 1789. The arms only showed the tree at the time, not the lamb.
Furthermore there existed on the door of the local church an image of a shield with St. John flanked by two trees.