Emblem

It was founded by Count Henry of Burgundy as a military and religious order, in the year 1093, in Beira Alta, Portugal, near the river Côa with the initial name of «Ordem de São Julião do Pereiro» ~ Order of Saint Julian of Pereiro.

In the year 1214, the defense of the city of Alcantara after its conquest was entrusted to the Order of Calatrava, but in 1218 the Calatravans relinquished it due to Alcantara being far from Calatrava.

To defend Alcantara, King Alfonso IX of León entrusted it to the new Order of the Knights of Saint Julian of Pereiro, requesting in return a certain level of dependency on the Order of Calatrava, which led the Knights of Saint Julian to adopt the Cistercian rule.

Once established in Alcantara, their original name referring to Saint Julian fell into disuse, and by 1253 there were already references to the «masters of the Order of Alcantara», with Saint Julian of Pereiro becoming the foundational center and a secondary commandery of the order.

On the origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Alcantara, and the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter V, page 339] describes it as follows: «The Military Order, which we now call of Alcantara, was formerly that of Saint Julian of Pereiro, so named after the place where it was based, along the banks of the river Côa, in the Bishopric of Ciudad-Rodrigo, established in the year 1176 by King Ferdinand II of León, and confirmed in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. And the reason for changing its first name to the second, was because after the Knights of Calatrava had taken the City of Alcantara from the Moors and defended it bravely thereafter, they found it would be difficult to keep it, as their main house was very distant, from which the other Knights and reinforcements could not come whenever needed.».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter V, page 340] continues by telling us «They discussed this inconvenience with others they had at the time with the King of León, Don Alfonso IX, and it was resolved that the Master of Calatrava would give that town to the Knights of Pereiro so that they might defend it, as they did, under certain conditions in the year 1218, later performing marvels in its defense, earning through their fame and distinguished feats new graces from the Kings; and seeing how essential their residence was, the Knights of Pereiro moved to the town of Alcantara, establishing their Convent there, and thus transformed into Knights of Alcantara, who were previously Knights of Saint Julian of Pereiro».

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped and Cross.

First publication of my heraldic artwork for this Brotherhood of the Apostle Santiago, Chile, on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria under the following headline: Interpretation by the heraldic artist Mr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas, of the arms of the Brotherhood of Knights of the Apostle Santiago (Chile).

Second publication of my heraldic artwork for this Brotherhood of the Apostle Santiago, Chile, on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria with the following description of the illustration: Interpretation of the arms of the Santiago Brotherhood of Chile, by the prestigious heraldist Mr. Antonio Salmerón.

Third publication of my heraldic artwork for this Brotherhood of the Apostle Santiago, Chile, on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria with the following description of the illustration: Coat of arms of the Brotherhood of Knights of the Apostle Santiago in Chile, versioned by the renowned heraldist Mr. Antonio Salmerón.

Fourth publication of my heraldic artwork for this Brotherhood of the Apostle Santiago, Chile, on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria with the following description of the illustration: Brotherhood of Santiago.

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Categories: Link, Republic of Chile, Freehand, Emblem, Crest and mantling, Sable, Argent, Or, Azure, Gules, Crown of Knight, Crown, Cross of Saint James, Cross couped, Party per fess, Overall (deprecated) and Mullet.

Root: Twelve Lineages of Soria.

The Order of Chivalry of Calatrava is both military and religious, founded in the Kingdom of Castile during the 12th century by Abbot Raymond of Fitero.

The purpose of its foundation was the protection of the town of Calatrava la Vieja, which currently belongs to the municipality of Carrión de Calatrava in Ciudad Real. At the time of the order's foundation, it was an important city, in the middle valley of the river Guadiana and with a strategic position, as it was a necessary passage on the road from Toledo to Córdoba to Toledo and between the west and east of the Iberian Peninsula.

On the origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Calatrava, and the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, pages 334] writes «The Military Order of Calatrava was instituted by Don Sancho III, King of Castile (called the Desired), in the year 1158, while he was visiting his Kingdom; and being in Toledo with news of the great army that the Moors were gathering to besiege Calatrava la Vieja (which is called so today to distinguish it from the new one, which was founded later); and as the Templars, to whom this Fortress belonged, did not have sufficient power to resist such a large multitude, they handed it over to King Don Sancho himself so that he could take charge of it, as he did».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 335] continues by telling us «The Abbot of Santa María de Fitero», near the river Pisuerga as he will indicate next, «of the Congregation of Cistercian, in the Bishopric of Palencia (which is a Monastery of St. Bernard, located on the river Pisuerga), named Don Raymond, and Friar Diego Velazquez, his subject Monk, who followed the Court, despite the difficulty of the enterprise, requested it from the King to defend it, which was granted, trusting in the virtue of the Abbot, and the strength of the Monk, who had previously been a great Knight in deeds of Arms, and very practiced in war».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 336] continues «Seeing themselves in such an obligation, and that by themselves they could not fulfill it, they turned to Archbishop Don Juan (who was the fourth of Toledo) for help; and he, granting many indulgences in all his Archbishopric to those who, for themselves and for others, supplied the Place with provisions, in the same way as those who, unable to go due to old age or illness, helped with weapons, horses, and men; and having spread this news, so much help came to them, that when the Moors learned that the number of people exceeded twenty thousand men, they abandoned the conquest, returning to their homes: for this reason, the King ceded the Town of Calatrava to the Abbot of Fitero, and his successors, to defend it from the Moors from then on, confirmed later by King Alfonso IX, his son».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 337] concludes «Having obtained this grace, Abbot Don Raymond brought the most suitable Monks from Fitero to Calatrava, and everything else that was necessary for living and for the defense of the Town and its land, which with the people inclined to war who remained, formed the Order of Chivalry of Calatrava, taking this name from the place where the institution was made, which in Arabic Calatrava means Castle».

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Calatrava, Cross couped and Cross.

Emblem, an inescutcheon, enflamed in orle of sixteen points and irradiated throughout of sixty-four lines Gules.

Emblema, un escusón, llameante en orla de Dieciséis llamas y radiante de sesenta y cuatro líneas movientes todo de gules.

Its focus on heraldic art, along with its foundation in 1987, makes it a pioneering institution in this field on a global scale.

The Society of Heraldic Arts enjoys significant international recognition among heraldic artists, designers, and craftsmen, and its website is heraldic-arts.com.

Its members cover the full range of activities within heraldry for individuals, personal heraldry, public and private entities, socioeconomic heraldry, as well as municipalities, regions, etc., governance heraldry.

The Society of Heraldic Arts used to publish a quarterly magazine called «The Heraldic Craftsman», which was sent to all its members, but it is no longer in publication. The Society also provides advice on the correct use of heraldry to enhance corporate and personal identity.

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Illuminated, Freehand, Semi-circular, Emblem, Gules, Inescutcheon, Enflamed, In orle, Sixteen, Flame, Irradiated, Sixty-four, Line and Throughout (all sides).

Root: Society of Heraldic Arts.

The Order of Saint Mary of Montesa and Saint George of Alfama, known as the Order of Montesa, was founded in the 14^th century by the King of Aragon, James, as a military and religious order, to which he donated a castle in Valencia from which they took their name.

To endow the new Order of Montesa, the assets of the Order of the Templars, dissolved by Pope Clement V, were used. This is recounted by [Avilés, J.; 1780b; page 342] writing that Montesa was created «from the incomes and ruin of the Templars; as their Order was being extinguished, at the request of the Kings, so that said incomes would not leave the Kingdom.».

The order established within the Castle of Montesa, which previously belonged to the Templars, their convent and church of the Order, the palace of their Master, their barracks for fighting men, being able to form up to a couple of thousand of them in their parade ground. Their first Master, for 70 days since he died just over two months after his appointment, was Guillermo de Eril.

The origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Montesa, and the form of its Encomienda.

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter VI, page 341] describes it as follows «The Military Order of Montesa was instituted in the year 1317 by the King of Aragon, Don Jaime II, and confirmed in the same year by Pope John XXII.».

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Montesa, Cross couped and Cross.

Emblem, two two-handed swords in saltire Argent, hilted Or. Crest: A royal crown Or.

Emblema, dos mandobles en sotuer de plata, guarnecidos de oro. Timbrado de una corona real.

Emblem interpretation with: the two-handed swords placed along the diagonals of an imaginary rectangle, with a 5x6 proportion, like a shield, that is, with angles of 50.2°, between the axis of the two-handed swords and the imaginary base of the emblem, unlike the original emblem where the two-handed swords are on the diagonals of a square, therefore with angles of 45°; the two-handed swords and the closed royal crown are outlined in Sable, illuminated and the whole with a raised-stroke execution.

This emblem of the Royal Association of Hidalgos of Spain has 2 two-handed swords that, unlike usual swords, due to their great length and weight, their fencing must be two-handed, hence their name.

The Spanish word «mandoble» comes from «mano doble», meaning «double hand», and refers to a sword wielded with both hands, the equivalent of the English «two-handed sword».

It is known that they are two-handed swords because the 2 that appear in the emblem have a crescent or crossguard in their iron. This crescent is called in Castilian «falsaguarda» and also «ganchos de parada» and its functionality is to protect from the slashes that the opponent could give close to the blade of the two-handed sword.

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Blazon keywords: Two-handed sword, Argent, Hilted, Or, In saltire, Crest, Closed royal crown and Crown.

Style keywords: Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Socioeconomic and Emblem.

Bearer: Royal Association of Hidalgos of Spain.

In 1523, the Order of Santiago, the Order of Calatrava, and the Order of Alcantara were definitively incorporated into the Crown of Castile, which marked the consolidation of the Royal Council of the Orders of Chivalry of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, and Montesa. However, it is known that this Royal Council already existed at the beginning of the same 16^th century, or even earlier, although there are no foundational documents available to date its inception.

The internet address of its website is ordenesmilitares.es where it also hosts the pages dedicated to each of its four orders:

• Order of Chivalry of Santiago: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-santiago.
• Order of Chivalry of Calatrava: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-calatrava.
• Order of Chivalry of Alcantara: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-alcantara.
• Order of Saint Mary of Montesa and Saint George of Alfama: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-montesa.

After the Crusades ended and following the model of the military orders created in the Holy Land, European kings established Orders of Chivalry, many of which were military and religious institutions, like the four grouped under this Royal Council.

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross, Quarterly per saltire, Cross of Saint James, Cross couped, Cross of Calatrava, Cross of Alcantara and Cross of Montesa.

Emblem of the Royal Spanish Academy

Emblemb Argent, a crucible Argent, enflamed and on a bonfire hoguera Gules and Or.

Emblema de plata, un crisol de plata, llameante y sumado a una hoguera de gules y oro.

Painted by me with a raised-stroke finish, with an oval shape and with a thin golden edge around it which is purely ornamental.

The Royal Spanish Academy, also known by its acronym RAE, is made up of 46 full members, all elected for life to occupy seats designated by letters of the Spanish alphabet.

In addition to the full members, the Royal Spanish Academy also has corresponding members and other associated members, which completes its structure as the main regulatory institution of the Spanish language.

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Oval, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Without divisions, Argent, One, Crucible, Enflamed, Bonfire, Gules and Or.

Real Academia Española, «Diccionario de la lengua española», known as DRAE, acronym for Diccionario de la Real Academia Española, 22^nd edition, Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 2001.

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The DRAE's latest edition, the 23^rd, is from October 2014, but the current online version corresponds to the 22^nd edition with amendments incorporated until 2012.

This bibliographic reference is illustrated with one of my interpretations of the emblem of the Real Academia Española, with its crucible over a bonfire and its motto around it.

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Bibliographical reference of century XXI.

Classification: Dictionary and Castilian language.

The author is Royal Spanish Academy.

The following article cites this bibliographic reference:

• Cavalry Regiment Alcantara, royal crown

External resource:

• Real Academia Española: Diccionario.

Real Academia Española, «Diccionario de la lengua española», known as DRAE, acronym for Diccionario de la Real Academia Española, 23^rd edition, Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 2014.

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This bibliographic reference of the DRAE is illustrated with one of my interpretations of the emblem of the Real Academia Española. Oval emblem with its crucible over a bonfire, surmounted by a closed Royal crown and its motto «Limpia, fija y da esplendor», around the emblem in letters of Or on Azure.

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Bibliographical reference of century XXI.

Classification: Dictionary and Castilian language.

Author: Royal Spanish Academy.

The following article cites this bibliographic reference:

• Lozengy 5x6 and 6x7

External link:

• Real Academia Española: Diccionario.

The Order of Chivalry of Santiago is both military and religious. It was founded in the Kingdom of León during the 12th century, although there is a difference of opinion regarding its exact year of foundation. It is named after the patron saint of Spain, James the Greater.

The purpose of its foundation was the protection of the Way of Saint James and the pilgrims who traveled it, and to participate militarily in the advancement of the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Of the Military Order of Santiago of the Sword, of its origin, and antiquity, as well as the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter II, page 325] writes «The oldest authentic instrument that is found regarding the origin of the Order of Chivalry of Santiago of the Sword», observe how José de Avilés e Iturbide refers to the order in the masculine form, «is the donation made in the years of 848», note how the Marquess of Avilés does not doubt the antiquity of this order and even in other subsequent paragraphs, he dates it even earlier than currently believed, «made to the Church of Santiago by the King of León Don Ramiro in memory of the famous victory he achieved against the Moors in the battle of Clavijo (two leagues from Logroño), as evidenced by its Privilege, for having seen this Holy Apostle armed and mounted on a Horse, fighting in defense of the Christians; to whose devotion, and in this recognition, the said Order was instituted, taking from it its origin and name, as well as the same Cross that the Saint bore on his chest, and Shield, represented in the form of a Sword, of red color», gules ~ red, «for the blood shed of the Infidels, of whom Don Rodrigo Ximenez, Archbishop of Toledo, in his Chronicle Book VII says»: «Kubet ensis sanguine Arabum».

Drawing with a single stroke

Cross of Saint James the Greater drawing by me with a single stroke. This is the reason why it is asymmetrical, it has the base tip crooked, there are some sides higher than others, and it shows the failure of my pulse in a certains turns.

It is by far my most downloaded and copied painting, the most used on websites, citing me or not, the most used in hotels advertising, parish sheets... and even on T-shirts.

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Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Saint James, Cross couped and Cross.

Emblem Azure, Saint Michael Argent, vested and nimbed Or, grasping in his dexter hand a spear Or, point downward, and in his sinister hand bearing [ Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert, of Navarre ], upon a dragon Vert, armed, langued, fanged, and the eyes Gules. Motto: «Universitas Studiorum Navarrensis».

Emblema de azur, un San Miguel de plata, vestido y nimbado de oro, teniendo en su diestra una lanza de oro, con la punta hacia abajo y en su siniestra trae [ escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople, de Navarra ], sostenido por un dragón de sinople, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de gules. Divisa: «Universitas Studiorum Navarrensis».

Emblem interpreted as follows: oval in shape and more rounded than the original; the field illuminated in Azure; its charges illuminated in Gules, Vert, Argent, and Or, and outlined in Sable; the emerald represented by an enameled area Vert; and the whole emblem has a parchment-like finish.

The archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are angels; therefore, I classify this emblem both under the category archangel and under angel, while Saint Michael himself is represented in it as a male figure.

Saint Michael the Archangel, in this representation, bears a shield which, at first, I blazon as the current coat of arms of Navarre, chains of gold, the original arms of Navarre being as blazoned in the armorial [Urfé; 15^th century; folio 142]: «Gules, a carbuncle Or pommelly, illuminated Vert in the centre in the manner of an emerald». This description does not suggest the presence of chains, but rather the rays of a carbuncle, nor an actual emerald, since what corresponds to the central umbo from which the rays of the carbuncle emerge is enameled Vert.

Due to my way of painting the arms of Navarre in profile, it stands halfway between a carbuncle and chains, with the outer links round like those of a chain, the central ones long like the rays of a carbuncle, and in the centre I have not drawn an emerald, but an enameled area Vert «in the manner of an emerald».

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Male figure, Angel, Archangel, Argent, Vested, Nimbed, Or, Grasping, Dexter, Spear, Point downwards, Sinister, Upon, Dragon, Vert, Armed, Langued, The fangs, The eyes, Gules and Motto (identification).

Style keywords: Oval, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Parchment.

Classification: Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Education, Emblem and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: University of Navarra.

Alonso Zamora Vicente, «Historia de la Real Academia Española», Real Academia Española, Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 1999.

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This bibliographic reference is illustrated with one of my interpretations of the emblem of the Real Academia Española. It is an oval emblem in Argent, with its crucible, also in Argent, over a bonfire of Gules and Or and surrounded by its flames, surmounted by a closed Royal crown with 8 arches, 5 of which are visible, and its motto, as originally written «Limpia, fixa, y da esplendor», around it.

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Bibliographical reference of century XX.

Classification: Castilian language.

Author: Zamora Vicente, Alonso.

Bibliographical reference mentioned in the following article:

• Royal Spanish Academy, emblem

External resource:

• Real Academia Española.