The Administration House of the Pious Foundations of Cardinal Belluga y Moncada

Conference by Francisco Domingo Larrosa Gil, «The Administration House of the Pious Foundations of Cardinal Belluga y Moncada in the Town o f Dolores», sponsored by the University of Alicante, Archbishop Loazes Chair, Orihuela University Venue, coordinated by Dr. Gregorio Canales Martínez, Academic Coordinator of the Chair.

The main objective of the conference was to analyze and identify the coats of arms present on the façade of the former Administration House of the Pious Foundations of Cardinal Belluga y Moncada, located in the town of Dolores, Alicante. Through a historical and heraldic approach, the evolution of the property and changes in its ownership were detailed. Initially, the arms of the first Count of Pinohermoso, Juan Nepomuceno Mariano Roca de Togores y Escorcia, 1752–1794, who acquired the building after its disentailment, were identified. His coat of arms, featuring the cross of the Order of Malta, confirms his connection to this order as a Knight of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta. This emblem does not appear in subsequent armorial bearings of holders of this title, securing its identification as belonging to the building's first noble owner. The transition of the property from its original association with Cardinal Belluga y Moncada to the House of the Marquisate of Rafal was then highlighted, possibly acquired by Antonia María de Heredia y Rocamora, 8^th Marchioness of Rafal, or her son, Vicente Melo de Portugal y Heredia, 9^th Marquis of Rafal, between the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. Subsequently, the property was sold in 1927 to a merchant known as Don Juan del Arroz and, finally, demolished in 1960.

In the image, two photos of armorial stones from the Roca-Togores lineage and two delineations made by me, extracted from these armorial stones, which were presented during the conference.

Sable, a tyger rampant Argent; a bordure Argent charged with eight crosses crosslet fitchy Sable.

Escudo de sable, un tigre heráldico rampante de plata; una bordura de plata cargada de ocho cruces recrucetadas, fijadas de sable.

Arms interpreted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a pointed external shape and with a watercolor finishing.

Coat of arms of the Lord of South Clifton emblazoned by me. In heraldry, there are two types of tigers with specific names in both English and Castilian: the «tyger» in English I call «tigre heráldico» in Castilian, and the «tiger» in English I refer to as «tigre» in Castilian, omitting the Bengal qualifier that some authors use for the natural tiger. According to [Fox-Davies, A. C.; 1909; page 191, figures 322-325], the differences between these two representations are significant. The «tyger», or «tigre heráldico», is a fantastical animal, created from the imagination of medieval artists who were unfamiliar with the real animal but knew of its existence through distant descriptions. This heraldic tyger has a body resembling that of the natural tiger, but with a mane like that of a lion, a tufted tail, and a peculiar head that looks more like a wolf than a natural tiger. Additionally, it lacks the characteristic stripes of the Bengal tiger. Recall that the heraldic panther is also an example of a fantastical animal, breathing fire from its nose and ears and covered in colorful spots. On the other hand, the natural «tiger», identified as the «Bengal tiger» by [Fox-Davies, A. C.; 1909; page 191, figures 324-325], appears in heraldry later and is a more realistic depiction of the animal as it exists in nature.

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Blazon keywords: Sable, Argent, One, Eight, Tyger, Rampant, Bordure, Charged and Cross crosslet fitchy.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Pointed and Watercolor.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: South Clifton, Lord of.

Sable, a tyger rampant Argent; a bordure Argent charged with eight crosses crosslet fitchy Sable. Motto: «Acta Non Verba» over a scroll Argent doubled Gules.

Escudo de sable, un tigre heráldico rampante de plata; una bordura de plata cargada de ocho cruces recrucetadas, fijadas de sable. Lema: «Acta Non Verba» sobre una filacteria de plata doblada de gules.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a pointed outer contour and with a watercolor finish.

Coat of arms of the Lord of South Clifton emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Sable, Argent, Gules, One, Eight, Tyger, Rampant, Bordure, Charged, Cross crosslet fitchy, Motto, Scroll and Doubled.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Pointed and Watercolor.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: South Clifton, Lord of.

Sable, a tyger rampant Argent; a bordure Argent charged with eight crosses crosslet fitchy Sable. Crest: Upon a helm affronty lined Gules, issuant from a crown of Knight, a cross patty Gules. Mantling: Sable doubled Argent.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a pointed external shape and with a watercolor finish.

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Blazon keywords: Sable, Argent, Gules, One, Eight, Tyger, Rampant, Bordure, Charged, Cross crosslet fitchy, Crest, Upon (wreath), Helm, Affronty, Lined, Issuant, Crown of Knight, Crown, Cross, Patty, Mantling and Doubled.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Pointed and Watercolor.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: South Clifton, Lord of.

Sable, a tyger rampant Argent; a bordure Argent charged with eight crosses crosslet fitchy Sable. Crest: Upon a helm affronty lined Gules, issuant from a crown of Knight, a cross patty Gules. Mantling: Sable doubled Argent. Motto: «Acta Non Verba» over a scroll Argent doubled Gules.

Coat of arms painted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a pointed external shape and with a watercolor finishing.

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Blazon keywords: Sable, Argent, Gules, One, Eight, Tyger, Rampant, Bordure, Charged, Cross crosslet fitchy, Crest, Upon (wreath), Helm, Affronty, Lined, Issuant, Crown of Knight, Crown, Cross, Patty, Mantling, Motto, Scroll and Doubled.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Pointed and Watercolor.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: South Clifton, Lord of.

Or, a eagle displayed Sable.

Coat of arms of the Arrano Beltza, the black eagle, emblazoned by me in 6 steps: 1) Given a rectangle of any proportion, draw its vertical and horizontal axes of symmetry in Azure. Draw a line parallel to the horizontal axis at any distance; in the figure, it is drawn above the axis and in Vert. To achieve this, draw an arc, in gules in the figure, with its center at the point Pcj and of any radius, where Pd is the intersection of the arc with the dexter side and Ps the intersection with the sinister side. The parallel line runs from Pd to Ps. 2) Draw the diagonal in bend of the 3^rd quarter, from Pd to Pcp, and the diagonal in bend sinister of the 4^th quarter, from Ps to Pcp, both in Gules in the figure. Then draw their two perpendicular bisectors, which will intersect the Pd-Ps line at the points Cs and Cd. 4) With Cd as the center, draw the dexter arc of the base passing through Pd, with a radius of Cd-Pd. Similarly, with Cs as the center, draw the sinister arc of the base passing through Ps, with a radius of Cs-Ps. Both arcs intersect at the point Pcp at the base and are shown in Gules in the figure. 5) Draw in Sable the external shape of the coat of arms, formed by the arcs from Ps to Pcp and Pd to Pcp, the dexter flank from Pd to Pdj at the dexter of the chief, the sinister flank from Ps to Psj at the sinister of the chief, and the upper horizontal line of the chief from Pdj to Psj. 6) Draw an eagle displayed using the rule of plenitude. 7) Finally, paint the field of the shield Or and the eagle Sable.

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Blazon keywords: Or, Sable, One, Eagle and Displayed.

Style keywords: Outlined, Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Schema, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Arrano Beltza.

Or, a eagle displayed Sable.

Arms painted by me, in plain tinctures, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a texturized finish.

Coat of arms of the Arrano Beltza, the black eagle, emblazoned by me. Historically, it is associated with the Kingdom of Navarre and its king, Sancho VII the Strong, 1154-1234, although there is no definitive documentary evidence that it was used as an official coat of arms.

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Blazon keywords: Or, Sable, One, Eagle and Displayed.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Arrano Beltza.

Sigue por: Arrano Beltza.