Shield of Aviles

Avilés shield

The coat of arms of Avilés (Asturias) is defined in the Avilés City Council Corporate Identity Manual, although it lacks legal sanction.

It is based on the coat of arms commonly used since 1979, an adaptation of the Baroque coat of arms found on the facade of the Town Hall.

In a field of Gules (red) and on waves of azure and silver, a three-masted ship, of gold, with unfurled silver sails, with a saw on the prow, with a gold cross on the mainmast, ramming some chains supported by two gold towers. In the main and trinquete masts, a silver bugle flag each, and in the mizzen stick a quartered bugle flag of azure and silver. All on an oval shield, adorned with lambrequins and topped with a closed royal crown.

This shield represents the conquest of Seville and the breaking of the chains that protected the city, by Asturian and Santander sailors under the command of Admiral Ramón de Bonifaz y Camargo on May 3, 1248 during the reign of the King Ferdinand III of Castile. It contains the Seville Tower of Gold and the ship, whose prow carried a saw, in which the captain from Aviles Ruí Pérez, also known as Ruí González, and his men broke the chains that linked Seville with Triana.

After the surrender of Seville, the King wanted such a feat to appear on the shields of the towns of the captains of the Cantabrian vessels that had taken part in the conquest, which was done by both Avilés and Santander, the capital of Cantabria.