Vila do Bispo Municipality (Portugal)

Concelho de Vila do Bispo, Distrito de Faro

Last modified: 2015-10-25 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: vila do bispo | wyvern | head(king) | head(moor) | cross(christ knights) |
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• About the flag
• Presentation of Vila do Bispo

• Vila do Bispo Communes
• Portugal

• História e Heráldica, heraldry page at the official municipal website
  reported by António Martins, 2010
• Page about the municipal flag and coat of arms of Vila do Bispo at Sérgio Horta’s website (in Portuguese).
  reported by Jorge Candeias, 29 Feb 1999
• Page about Vila do Bispo at the Portuguese Municipalities’s Association website (incl. image of the arms)
  reported by António Martins, 18 Nov 2001

About the flag

It is a fairly typical portuguese municipal flag, with the coat of arms centered on a plain green background. Arms and flag approved by law and published in the official journal Diário do Governo, I Série of 1941.03.20.
António Martins, 05 Sep 2006

Arms detail

The coat of arms is or a wyvern vert holding a cross patty gules voided between a Moorish King head in sinister chief and a Christian King head in dexter chief. Mural crown argent with four visible towers (town rank) and white scroll reading in black upper case letters "VILA DO BISPO".
António Martins, 05 Sep 2006

Presentation of Vila do Bispo

Vila do Bispo municipality had 5381 inhabitants in 2001 and it is divided in 5 communes, covering 179,0 km². It is part of Vila do Bispo District, traditional province, 1999 ref. adm. region, current C.C.R. / NUTS II, and NUTS III Algarve. "Vila do Bispo" means "Bishop’s town", which apparently is not reflected in the arms.
António Martins, 05 Sep 2006

Twin city flag usage

A photo in the Barlavento newspaper issued at 15 July 2004 showing the mayor of Vila do Bispo and 4 flags. These are, from right to left: European Union (misplaced), Portugal, Vila do Bispo municipality and… Nishinoomote, Japan. It’s a twinned city, but it was the very first time I saw a flag display that included the flag of a twinned city, unless the event is relevant for the twinning. It wasn’t. Ths photo illustrated an interview, and from working in regional newspapers for two years I know that usually these shots are made in loco before or after the interview itself.
Jorge Candeias, 11 Jan 2006

It’s probably a gift from the city he keeps in his office.
Nathan Lamm, 11 Jan 2006

I held that flag in my hands and asked him about it, to which he explained about the twinning and the gift exchange. If I recall correctly, there’ll be a Vila do Bispo flag in Nishinoomote, somewhere.
Jorge Candeias, 11 Jan 2006

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