Moura
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of Portugal - Brasões dos municípios portugueses |
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MOURA
District :Beja
Official blazon
Escudo de prata, com uma torre torreada de negro, aberta e iluminada de ouro, sobre um terrado de verde. À porta da torre uma mulher morta, vestida de prata. Coroa mural de cinco torres. Listel branco com a legenda de negro : " NOTÁVEL VILA DE MOURA - CIDADE ".
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on November 18, 1988.
The arms of the ity and municipality of Moura are originated by the medieval legend of the Moorish princess called Saluquia. It is said she was engaged to marry Brafma, the prince of Arronches (in those days known as Arucci Vetus). As he was on his way to Moura (then called Arucci Nova) he was killed in an ambush set up by a group of Christian knights, led by the brothers Alvaro and Pedro Rodrigues. The Christians then dressed up as Arabs and went on to Arucci Nova. Waiting for Brafma in the castle tower, Saluquia saw the knights approaching the city, in the distance, so she ordered that the gates of the city should be opened. When the Christians entered the castle and started the attack, Saluquia realized the mistake she had made and that Brafma was dead. In despair, she threw herself off the tower. After the conquest of the city, the Rodrigues brothers were so moved by Saluquia's suicide that they named the city "Terra da Moura Saluquia" (land of the Moorish Saluquia). As time went by it became successively "Terra da Moura" and finally "Moura". So the tower in Moura's arms is supposed to portray Moura's Castle and the dead woman lying down would be Saluquia.
The previous arms were granted on September 10, 1934 and are identical except for the crown.
Freguesias in Moura :
Literature : image send by Sergio Horta, background from Tiago Penedo, Portugal