Who does not know about the amazing city of Milan? The magnificent architecture, interesting history and many other important advantages attract tourists from around the world. However, not all of them can easily remember what the coat of arms of Milan looks like. And even more so, few can remember the old symbol of the city or tell what the new symbolizes. We will try to correct this annoying omission.
Where is this city located?
To begin with, it is worth recalling where Milan is located. This city is located in the northern part of the country and is one of the most important centers of the economy and tourism of Italy. In terms of population, it is second only to Rome - the capital of the state. It is not surprising that Milan became the administrative center of not only the province of the same name, but also the whole region - Lombardy. It is rightfully considered one of the places where the original Italian cuisine has been preserved, which has not changed under the influence of globalization. It is here that you can taste real pizza, spaghetti, wines, sauces and many other dishes that have become the hallmark of Italy.
Now that the reader can easily find Milan on the map, it’s worth moving on to the next point. Let's talk about the main symbol of the city.
What does the emblem of the city look like
To begin with, we give a description of the coat of arms of Milan.
Its main element is a five-pointed shield - in heraldry it is customary to call it French. The background of the shield is white. However, it is crossed by a wide red cross. A crown of gold color crowns the shield above. Five prongs are made in the form of fortress towers, and the edge of the crown is red.
From below and from both sides the shield is entwined with branches tied under it with a green-white-red ribbon. On the left is an olive branch, and on the right is an oak branch.
In general, everything, as you see, is quite simple. But usually the simplest emblems are the oldest, have a deep meaning. Let’s now figure out what the coat of arms of Milan means, so that the reader can see for himself.
Symbolism of the coat of arms
The French shield is found in the coats of arms of most European countries, including Russia. Therefore, there is no need to look for special symbolism in it. But the colors are of more interest. White color symbolizes the common people, which is the basis and main wealth of any state and city. The red cross is a symbol of nobility, and in this case also the nobility, aristocracy. This combination of white and red can be called the embodiment of the unity of the common people and nobles. By the way, the cross itself also appeared on the coat of arms not by chance. The fact is that it was the soldier from Milan during the First Crusade who first erected a cross on the wall of Jerusalem (which was the purpose of the military campaign) - a symbol of Christianity. After that, in the tenth century, the city placed this important element on the coat of arms.
The same important event caused the appearance of a five-pointed crown in the upper part of the coat of arms. You can see it on many coats of arms of European cities. The symbol originates from the ancient Roman corona muralis. This sign was awarded to the most brave warriors who managed to climb the wall of the enemy castle first. Therefore, although the name of the fearless crusader today, alas, is forgotten, the memory of his exploit has been preserved to this day thanks to these two important elements that appeared on the coat of arms of his hometown.
With the ribbon at the bottom of the coat of arms of Milan, everything is simple and clear - it symbolizes belonging to Italy, the flag of which consists of three stripes: green, white and red.
Finally, two branches. Olive is a symbol of wealth, prosperity, prosperity and peace. But the oak branch in heraldry usually shows belligerent power, determination. Yes, the combination would seem to be very controversial. But actually quite understandable. On the one hand, the inhabitants of the city are ready to live in peace with all respectable neighbors, to work honestly in the sweat of their faces in order to achieve universal prosperity. On the other hand, Milan is always ready to give a military rebuff to enemies. And this is true - for a long time Milanese mercenaries were in considerable demand in many countries of Europe. And the weapons business here was very developed - for Milanese armor, French, German and other nobles were ready to pay a lot of money as the highest quality, convenient and reliable in the world. It’s stupid to argue with this - they really were.
As you can see, the coat of arms of Milan really has a deep meaning, despite the external simplicity.
A bit about the flag of the city
Now the reader knows enough about the coat of arms of this glorious Italian city. However, he also has another, no less important symbol. Therefore, we will tell a little about the flag of Milan.
It generally differs in simplicity and the absence of any small details.
The flag has a standard rectangular shape and white color. Strictly in the middle of it crosses a red cross with long horizontal and short vertical elements.
In general, the symbolism of these signs has already been deciphered above. White and red colors are common people and know. And the cross appeared on the flag after the fearless warrior from Milan was the first to plant the Christian symbol on the wall of Jerusalem.
Previous Coats of Arms
Milan has a very complicated history, coups have been repeatedly carried out here, and power has changed. Not surprisingly, the coats of arms have also changed many times. It is simply impossible to talk about each of them in one article. Therefore, it is worth briefly describing the most famous and interesting of them.
It is a five-pointed shield. On his white background is a huge snake of azure color. A golden three-pointed crown adorns his head. And from the open mouth sticks out a red person. By his features and magnificent curly hairstyle, you can accurately determine that he is a native of Africa - a Negro, or the Moor, to speak the language of those times when the coat of arms was created (approximately on the border of the eleventh and twelfth centuries). Alas, reliable information about the meaning of such an unusual symbol has not reached our days. But its name remained - Bisicion. Of course, it rarely happens that a coat of arms gets its own name.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know more about the amazing coat of arms of Milan - modern and outdated. And also made a short excursion into the history of the city.