Coat of arms of the Region of Murcia


The coat of arms of the Region of Murcia is described in the article 4 of the Spanish Organic Law 4 of June 9, 1982, the Statute of Autonomy of the Region of Murcia and further regulated by Decree 34 of June 8, 1983, approving the official design and use of the coat of arms of the Region of Murcia.

Shield

The first official description of the coat of arms remits to the elements of the flag and is composed as follows:
Given the lack of precision to define a correct blazon, was approved a decree on 8 June 1983 blazoned the shield of the region as follows:
The four castles evoke the region's history as a frontier zone caught between the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile, and the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and the Mediterranean Sea: four territories of land and sea, Christians and Muslims, adventurers and warriors, all of which created a distinct Murcian culture. The four castles also can refer to the four lordships that initially carved up the area after it was conquered by Alfonso X of Castile.
The seven crowns were granted to the Kingdom of Murcia by the Castilian Crown. The first five crowns were granted by Alfonso X on May 14, 1281, when he granted the standard and municipal seal to the capital city of Murcia. The sixth crown was granted by Peter of Castile on May 4, 1361, in honor of the loyalty of Murcia shown to Peter's cause during the War of the Two Peters. The seventh crown was granted by Philip V of Spain on September 16, 1709 in honor of the loyalty of Murcia shown to Philip's cause during the War of the Spanish Succession.

Official design

Shortly before the establishment of the self-government, the Council of the Province of Murcia officially approved a coat of arms, that was used previously since July 12, 1976. The provincial coat of arms appeared in the center of a cobalt blue flag. The Murcia Province quarterings and a central inescutcheon were standing for: Caravaca de la Cruz, Cartagena, Cieza, Lorca, Mula, Totana, La Unión, Yecla and the City of Murcia. The crest was the Spanish Royal Crown. Its usage ended with the adoption of the current symbols of the autonomous community on August 9, 1982.