Coat of arms of La Rioja
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[edit] Law
According to the third article of the Statute of Autonomy of La Rioja, Organic Law 3/1982[1]:
- "The Autonomous Community of La Rioja has its own anthem and coat of arms, and it will be able to be modified only by law of La Rioja Parliament, supported by two thirds of its members"
According to the sixth and seventh article of Law 4/1985, May 31 (BOLR n. 64, June 4):
- "The coat of arms of La Rioja is, structurally, a parted one, crowned by the closed royal crown. The first partition, or, charged with the red cross of St. James on top of Laturce mount and supported by two pilgrim shells, tinctured in argent and bordered in gules. On the second partition, gules, an or castle with three merloned towers over a bridge mazoned sable, and under it, a river argent. On the bordure, three fleur-de-lis."
- "The coat of arms of La Rioja can appear in the middle of the flag."
The arms must appear:
- In La Rioja Government and Parliament sites.
- On titles, honors and distinctions of Autonomous Community of La Rioja.
- In emblems used by authorities of the Community and members of regional parliament.
It also exists a simplified version of the arms, more simbolic and suitable for black and white and color sketch reproductions, according to Corporative Identity Manual, -Decree 20/2003, 20 May, which sets the Institutional Graphic identity of Autonomous Community of La Riojaand its President (BOR n. 70, June 5, 2003).
[edit] Heraldic description
A non-official description, but more correct according to classic heraldry [2] would be:
- "Per pale or, a cross of St. James gules between two escallops argent fimbriated gules, in base a mount vert; and gules a castle triple towered, merloned, on a bridge, or masonned sable and pierced gules on a river barry wavy argent and azure; all within a bordure azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis or, two on chief cantons and one in base"
[edit] History and meaning
The present shield was approved 5 April 1957 by decree of the Ministery of Governation, in order to be used by the, at that time, province of Logroño[3]. Those were the same arms adopted by the Autonomous Community of La Rioja in 1985.
On the left side, the red cross of Santiago on top of Laturce mount (there, as a reminder of the Battle of Clavijo) and pilgrim shells refer to the Way of St. James, which crosses the geography of La Rioja from East to West.
On the right side, the castle has an integrating function, as all the largest municipalities (except Calahorra) show a castle on their arms. Under it, the Ebro river flows, which irrigates the lands of La Rioja.
Both the fleur-de-lis and Royal Crown are distinctions given to the region by Spanish monarches as a recognition of its "heroic deeds performed".[4] The fleur-of-lis come from the arms of the city of Logroño and were granted by Carlos V.
