Town Coat Of Arms On Statue - Olhao, Portugal - Coats of Arms on Waymarking.com

Olhao is a city in Algarve on the southern coast of Portugal. It was based on on the fishing industry and these days also has a growing tourist industry.

In 1807 French troops under Napoleon invaded Portugal and the royal family and the Portuguese nobility, including Maria I, relocated to the Portuguese territory of Brazil.

Olhão was notable for one of the few public uprisings against the occupiers, occurring on 16 June 1808. This revolt culimnated in the expulsion of the French from Olhão and, as a result, from the rest of the Algarve. It was during this period, that a month later, a small group of 17 men embarked to Brazil on a caique (a small sailing vessel) named Bom Sucesso, in the hope of promoting the Algarvean success to the Portuguese Court. The crew brought an ex-official statement describing the audacious attitude of the Olhanese revolt. A replica of the boat is moored at Olhão's waterfront.

In recompense, a regal charter (with the force of law) was signed by the Prince Regent John to distinguish Olhão, and its inhabitants, transforming the location from a locality to town, and ordering that it be referred to as Vila de Olhão da Restauração.

The Coat Of Arms
The arms are held by a reclining water nymph figuratively representing Olhao.

The current arms were granted on July 11, 1945, and confirmed on August 14, 1985.

They refer to the uprising in 1808 in Olhão against the French occupation troops. It resulted in the expulsion of the French from the Algarve region. The villages then sent a boat to the King of Portugal, then in exile in Brasil. This is shown in the current arms: the lion with broken chain refers to the uprising, the boat to the message to the King.

Bearer of Coat of Arms: Town Full name of the bearer: Vila de Olhão da Restauração Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?: Held by the reclining figure of a water nymph in Jardim Joao Serra, outside the Domus Iusticiae (House of Justice) Material / Design: Stone Blazon (heraldic description): Escudo de verde, com um barco de ouro, mastreado e encordoado de negro, vestido de duas velas latinas de prata, realçado de negro e assente em duas faixas ondadas de prata; no chefe um leão de ouro quebrando algemas de negro. Coroa mural de prata de cinco torres. Listel branco com os dizeres : " CIDADE DE OLHÃO DA RESTAURAÇÃO ", em letras de negro. Address: Jardim Joao Serra Rua dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra Olhao Portugal Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link] Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): Not listed

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