The coat of arms of Andorra (

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid ...

: ''Escut d'Andorra'') is the heraldic device consisting of a shield divided quarterly by the arms of the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix – who have historically been the two co-princes of Andorra – in addition to the emblems of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

and the Viscount of Béarn. Utilized unofficially since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, its status as the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

of the Principality of

Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none ( Latin)"United virtue is str ...

was formalized in 1993 upon the implementation of their new constitution. The escutcheon is featured on the

flag of Andorra The national flag of the Principality of Andorra ( ca, Bandera d'Andorra) features a vertical tricolour of blue, yellow, and red with the coat of arms of Andorra in the center. Although the three vertical bars may at first appear to be of equal ...

Official description

Andorran law describes the coat of arms as follows: The coat of arms of the Principality of Andorra has been traditionally formed by four quarters, two of which are the ones of the two Co-Princes. The four traditional quarters are: a) that of the

Bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, represented by a golden mitre and a golden crosier on a red background; b) that of

; c) that of Foix; d) that of Béarn. The arms can have at the bottom the motto "Virtus Unita Fortior". The arms can have an aureola, a scroll or it can be crowned by the lord's emblems (crown, chapeau).

History

The usage of the arms of the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix stems from a settlement made in 1278 concerning territory sandwiched between the lands they had jurisdiction over. The two parties agreed to protect the principality jointly as co-princes. The arms of

and Béarn were added, and a "centuries-old carving" of this four-part quartered emblem is featured on the exterior of the country's parliament building – the Casa de la Vall – which served as the meeting place of the General Council until 2014. It was also found on the

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case o ...

of a house in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

dating back to 1761. However, its status was not official until it was designated as the principality's coat of arms under Article 2(2) of the Constitution of Andorra, which was approved in a 1993 referendum and came into force that same year.

Design

Construction

Symbolism

The top two quarters depict the arms of the "two traditional protectors" of the principality – the Count of Foix and the Bishop of Urgell. While the latter title is still extant and its holder continues to rule Andorra as a co-prince, the former was absorbed, first into the title of

King of France France was ruled by Monarch, monarchs from the establishment of the West Francia, Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Cl ...

, and subsequently transferred to the

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

. The quarters at the bottom – of Catalonia and Béarn – allude to the other territories that Andorra has historically been reliant upon. At the bottom is the country's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mo ...

– Strength united is stronger ( la, Virtus unita fortior).

Uses

The coat of arms is employed on the centre yellow band of the

. It also features extensively on coins minted by Andorra.

Variations

File:Coat of arms of Andorra (Before 16th Century).svg, Coat of arms before the 16th century File:Coat of arms of Andorra (1580).svg, Coat of arms, 1580 File:Historical Coat of Arms of Ecclesiastic Co-Prince of Andorra.svg, Ecclesiastical version (for Bishop of Urgell), 1800–1959 File:Historical Coat of Arms of French Prince of Andorra.svg, Coat of arms of the French Co-Prince of Andorra (historical), 1870–1959 File:Coat of Arms of Andorra (c.1800-1949).svg, Coat of arms, 1800–1949 File:Coat of arms of Andorra - Flag Version (1931-1949).svg, Coat of arms (flag version), 1931–1949 File:Coat of Arms of Andorra (1949-1959).svg, Coat of arms, 1949–1959 File:Coat of Arms of Andorra.svg, Coat of arms, 1959–1993

References

External links

{{Coats of arms of Europe National symbols of Andorra