Vilafranca del Penedès
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of Spain - Heraldica Española |
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VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS
Region : Catalonia
Province : Barcelona
Official blazon
Escut caironat: d'atzur, una muralla torrejada de 2 torres i oberta d'una sola porta d'or; acompanyada al cap d'un escudet d'or amb 4 pals de gules timbrat d'una corona antiga d'or. Per timbre, una corona mural de vila.
Origin/meaning
These arms have been officially granted on 21st March 1985.
Vilafranca, centre of the wine region of Penedès, was developed as a free town (what its name means in Catalan), that's to say that depended directly on the kings, not on a feudal lord. This town was surrounded by walls, and it has a royal palace (now the Museum of Wine), where king Pere II was died in 1289. The arms show a towered wall with an open door, that symbolizes the free town; above there is a scutcheon charged with the royal arms of Catalonia-Aragon (four pales Gules on Or) surmounted by an ancient crown, that reminds the jurisdiction of Catalan kings over the town.
Literature : Image taken from Wikipedia; background from Enric Fontvila, Barcelona.