City of Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife Island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, Canary Islands, Spain)

Excelentísimo Ayuntamiento del Puerto de la Cruz

Last modified: 2011-01-07 by eugene ipavec
Keywords: spain | canary islands | tenerife | puerto de la cruz | coat of arms | dragon (green) | cross: latin (red) | crown: open | key (black) |
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image by José Manuel Erbez and Santiago Dotor

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 08 Mar 2010

• Description

See also:

• Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain)
• Canary Islands (Spain)
• Spain

Other sites:

• Symbols of the Canary Islands by José Manuel Erbez

Puerto de la Cruz, the largest tourist resort in northern Tenerife, appears to have a white flag with the coat-of-arms in the centre, though I only managed to see a long, vertical version of the flag. The black charge standing on the barry wavy base of the coat-of-arms is a key.

Santiago Dotor, 03 May 2000

The coat of arms’ on the flags I spotted at the town hall and in various other places in Puerto de la Cruz in February 2010 had a total height of at least 80% of the height of flag.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 08 Mar 2010

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Apr 2007

The shield is divided per fess. The chief shows a green dragon with red tongue in a golden (yellow) field topped by a red Latin cross (not a Cross of Santiago). The base shows three silver (white) fessy wavy lines in a blue field superimposed by a black key with the beard pointing to the right side. The shield is topped by a coronet.

The current coat of arms is used since 27 May 1964, allowed by the council of ministers (of Spain? Of the islands?). The coat of arms is said to have been designed by Bruno B. Heim, born in Switzerland in 1911. Heim was a priest, titular archbishop of Xanthus and had written various books about heraldry.

The coat of arms reflects historical issues which characterize the municipality. According to Leopoldo de la Rosa Olivera, the dragon represents the guardian of the gardens of the Hesperides, in which there grew the tree with golden apples. (see also the coat of arms of La Orotava). The cross refers not only to the cities name but also to the Christian tradition. The waves represent the maritime roots of the city, bringing trade, development and expansion. The key opens the way across the sea to India, especially in the past. The coronet symbolizes incorporation into the Kingdom of Castille and Leon.

(my rough translation from source in Spanish: "Entender un simbolo" ("Recognizing a Symbol") edited by the Municipality of Puerto de la Cruz (colours according to own photo, shot on 21 Jan 2007 in Puerto de la Cruz)

Sources and Credits

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 Apr 2007

Quite Heim's style. His heraldic animals look fantastical; in this, he followed the medieval mind.

Jan Mertens, 15 Apr 2007