Silves (freguesia)

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SILVES

Municipality : Silves
District : Faro

Official blazon

Escudo de ouro, castelo de vermelho lavrado de negro, aberto e iluminado de prata; em chefe, alfange de vermelho e espada de azul, ambos com os punhos de negro, passados em aspa; campanha diminuta ondada de três burelas ondadas de azul e prata. Coroa mural de prata com quatro torres aparentes. Listel de prata com a legenda em letras negras maiúsculas; " FREGUESIA DE SILVES ".

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on March 7, 20`8.

The golden shield represents the nobility and wisdom of the people of Silves, as well as their cultural wealth, from the time of rule to the present day. It also refers to agricultural, with the production of nuts, wines and citrus fruits, of which the oranges stand out, having created the brand “Silves - Capital da Laranja”.

The castle represents the Silves Castle, one of the most notable works of military architecture that the Arabs built, being the largest castle in the Algarve. Located at the highest point on the hill on which the city is based, the castle has an irregular polygonal plan, surrounded by a strong rammed earth wall, covered in red sandstone, the so-called sandstone of Silves.

The sword and the alfange are symbols of the various struggles that took place here, of the Arab presence in Silves, represented by the alfange, and later by its conquest by D. Sancho I and reconquest by D. Paio Peres Correia, represented by the sword.

The wavy base represents the Arade River, which, thanks to its navigability, contributed to several peoples settling in Silves, and its proximity to it was also one of the factors that had a strong impact on the city's development during the period of Arab rule. The river, which motivated the development of the city, came to make an important contribution to its decline, aggravated by its silting up.