Flag of Póvoa de Lanhoso

The flag of Póvoa de Lanhoso is plain yellow, with the coat of arms in the centre. The arms bear a blue cross on a red ground and a golden tower. The tower recalls the castle of Lanhoso, built on a huge granite rock.

How it came about

The current coat of arms and flag were published in the Diário do Govêrno on 28 July 1940, according to Flags of the World. Póvoa de Lanhoso is a town, so the ground is plain and the crown has four towers. That source says the blue cross was taken from the earliest royal arms of Portugal. It was chosen to recall the historic role of the town.

How it has changed

Before 1940 there was another coat of arms, published on 20 December 1935. It was black, with four ears of maize in a cross and four bunches of grapes. The flag was already plain yellow. We have not found a free image.

1. 1935-1940

   Plain yellow flag with a coat of arms of maize and grapes, without castle or cross.

2. 

   1940

   Same yellow ground, with the new coat of arms. It is one of the plain-coloured flags of the Minho, like that of Amares.

What it means

• Yellow

  the plain ground. The sources consulted do not explain why.

• Blue cross

  from the earliest Portuguese royal arms.

• Golden filigree hearts

  they fill the four spaces of the cross.

• Golden tower

  the castle of Lanhoso.

Fun facts

1. A castle where the first king’s mother took refuge

   According to tradition, Teresa of León, mother of Afonso Henriques, took refuge in the castle in 1121, besieged by her half-sister Queen Urraca. There she negotiated the Treaty of Lanhoso.

2. The escutcheon with quinas was discarded

   For the 1940 coat of arms the local authorities asked for national escutcheons with bezants. In the end the blue cross of the primitive royal arms was used.

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