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São Torcato Commune (Portugal)

Freguesia de São Torcato, Concelho de Guimarães, Distrito de Braga

2:3 image by Sérgio Horta, 9 Dec 1999

About the flag
Presentation of São Torcato

See also:

About the Flag

It is a fairly untypical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a field quartered of red and white.
Source: Guimarães municipal webpage
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 Dec 1999

Coat of arms

image by Sérgio Horta, 9 Dec 1999

The arms are Argent, in chief a mitre Gules (acc. to Sérgio Horta description it is purple), superimposing a crozier and a prelate's cross of the same crossed per saltire, on dexter side a spinning wheel Gules, on sinister side a cogwheel Gules,in base over waves Azure and Argent an inescutcheon Azure semy of 13 plates ordered 2:3:2:3:2:1. Mural crown Argent with four visible towers (town rank) and white scroll with black upper case letters reading "S. TORCATO - GUIMARÃES".
Meaning:
Mitre, crozier and cross are symbolizing São Torcato, local patron saint and name giver of the commune. The spinning wheel is representing the local linen production (in Corredouro there is celebrated an annual linen festival). The cogwheel is representing industries. The inescutcheon is representing that one of King Dom Sancho and is symbolizing the old age of the commune. The base wavy is symbolizing Selho River and the former watermills alongside the river banks.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 Dec 1999 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2016

Flag and arms were published in Diário da República: III Série on 28 April 1998.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 Dec 1999

Presentation of São Torcato

São Torcato is one of the 48 communes of Guimarães Municipality, covering 10.4 km². It had 3373 inhabitants in 2011.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2016

back to Guimarães Communes click here