Kingdom of Castile and Leon

Alfonso X of Castile, The Wise, «The Seven-Part Code», its estimated completion year is 1265.

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This is the copy I can consult, as it is available in the Hispanic Digital Library, it is a manuscript measuring 42 by 30 centimeters that once belonged to Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán, first Duke of Arévalo, which later came into the possession of the Catholic Monarchs, initially Queen Isabella I of Castile, and after her death, King Ferdinand reclaimed it for the price of 5,251 maravedis. The original is housed in the National Library, in display case 4/6.

This copy, in addition to its numerous capital letters, has 8 illustrated pages, which according to its subsequent hand-numbering in pencil are:

• Page 6, among its illustrations can be seen 2 coats of arms of the Zúñiga family «Argent, a bend Sable, over all, a chain in orle Or», in this case formed by 16 links, 8 round and 8 more elongated placed in profile.
• Pages 106 and 191, on the latter can be seen a curious bishop-lizard climbing.
• Pages 294 and 331, on the 2^nd at the bottom, a maiden is seen walking a monkey to relieve itself and to her right a fight of men with beast bodies.
• Page 379 and on its previous unnumbered page, and finally, on page 415 which begins with a tournament where the 2^nd knight bears the ancient arms of France «Azure, semy of fleurs de lis Or».

The coat of arms that illustrates this bibliographic reference is that of Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán. For the creation of his chain, I followed the illustration of his 2 coats of arms on the already mentioned page 6 of this manuscript.

It is one of my favorite manuscripts and, perhaps, the one with which I have created the most things.

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Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Castilian language, Manuscript and In color.

Author: Alfonso X of Castile.

Bibliographical reference mentioned in the following article:

• Zúñiga y Guzmán, Álvaro de

External links:

• National Library of Spain.
• Indirect access to the Library of Congress of the United States of America.
• Direct access to the Library of Congress of the United States of America.

Internal resources: AlfonsoXDeCastilla1265.7Partidas.10642.pdf.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules.

Coat of arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finishing.

Coat of arms of the King Alfonso X of Castile, 1221–1284, 1^st son of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. The order of the quarters is first the castle of his grandmother, Queen Berenguela of Castile, and second the lion of his grandfather, King Alfonso IX of León; however, the other day I discovered that on the map by [Martineau du Plessis, D.; 1700; volume II, illustration 30, page 126], in the shield framed between parallels 37 and 36 and meridians 21 and 22, the lion occupies the 1^st quarter and the castle the 2^nd quarter; that is, their order appears reversed.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed and Langued.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Alfonso X of Castile.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules. Timbrado de una corona real abierta.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules. Crest: An open royal crown Or.

I emblazoned the coat of arms of the King with an external shape ending in an ogee arch, the field, castles, lions, and crown are outlined; and all have a crystal clear finishing.

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crest, Open royal crown and Crown.

Style keywords: Ogee, Plain tincture, Outlined in sable and Marmoreal.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Alphonse X of Castile.

Banner Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or.

Pendón cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro.

Banner interpreted by me as follows: a rectangle with proportions between its width and height of 5x6; the field is illuminated in flat tinctures Gules and Argent; the two castles and the two lions are illuminated; the lion and its crown are outlined in the colour of the field; the castle is masoned in Sable; and the whole has a parchment-like finish.

In the armorial for the coronation of [Edward IV of England; 1461; column 2, row 25] a banner of these characteristics can be found, the reason for which was Edward IV’s aspiration to this kingdom, an aspiration inherited from his predecessors.

This armorial was produced by different artists, and the one who was assigned to paint the banner of Castile and León seems to have depicted the lions in gold, although this gold is not as yellow as that which colours the castles, whose castles have two very small windows and a door Azure. Because of this difference in shade between lions and castles, one might consider the hypothesis of a degradation of an original purple tincture into an ochre hue.

At the beginning of the armorial these lions also appear in an equestrian representation of Edward IV, where a pinkish tone could recall an original purple and, therefore, support the hypothesis of such degradation.

Finally, there is a third appearance of these lions in another banner combining the arms of Castile and León with those of England, where the colour of the lions more closely resembles that of the banner than that of the equestrian representation.

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued and Crowned.

Style keywords: Illuminated, Rectangular and Old parchment.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic, Flag, Banner of arms, Kingdom of Castile and Leon and Canting.

Bearer: Castile and León.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or.

Escudo partido: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro.

Civic coat of arms interpreted by me as follows: the shield has a semicircular (round) base; the field, the castle and the lion are illuminated; the lion and its crown are outlined in the colour of the field; the open royal crown and the castle are outlined in Sable, in the case of the castle because it is masoned; and the whole has a canvas texture.

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Blazon keywords: Party per pale, Argent, Purpure, Gules, Or, Azure, Castle, Lion, Port and windows, Masoned, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Crown and Open royal crown.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated and Fabric.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Cáceres, Province of.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or. Motto: «Región Militar Centro» over a scroll Or.

Coat of arms (1984-1997 and 1997-2002) of the former Central Military Region, also called 1^st Military Region, where I serve. I interpreted and emblazoned now this coat of arms with a semi-circular ended shape.

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Blazon keywords: Party per pale, Gules, One, Castle, Or, Port and windows, Azure, Masoned, Sable, Argent, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Motto (identification) and Scroll.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Metal beaten.

Classification: Interpreted, Military, Army and Navy, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Central Military Region.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules; a bordure compony of sixteen sections: eight Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable, eight Or, an eagle displayed Sable. Crest: An open royal crown.

Arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a metal beaten finish.

Coat of arms of the Infanta Berenguela of Castile, 1228–1279, 5^th daughter of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. The coat of arms of Infanta Berenguela of Castile, besides being beautiful, has always seemed to me the epitome of the Castilian arms: quartered, bearing Leon and Castile, and surrounded by a bordure compony with castles. This coat of arms has been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Sixteen, Eight, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Bordure, Compony, Eagle, Crest, Open royal crown and Crown.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Metal beaten.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Berenguela of Castile, Infanta.

King of Castile from 1217 to 1252 and of León from 1230 to 1252.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules. Crest: An open royal crown Or.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules. Timbrado de una corona real abierta.

Arms of the king, as interpreted as follows: the shield’s shape is pointed and rounded; the field, the castles, the lions, and the crown have been illuminated; only the castles and the lions have been shaded; and the whole composition features a raised-line finish.

Between the years 1217-1229, King Ferdinand III, before adopting this quarterly shield and when he was only King of Castile, in his seals «bears the arms of Leon (family arms) on the shield of the equestrian image and carries on the reverse the emblem of Castile (territorial sign)» [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1988; page 537].

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crest, Open royal crown and Crown.

Style keywords: Ogee, Illuminated, Shaded and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Ferdinand III of Castile.

Marshal of Castile, first Lord of Baena and plenipotentiary ambassador to the court of Portugal (1355–1435).

Or, three fesses Gules.

Escudo de oro, tres fajas de gules.

Coat of arms del que fue mariscal de Castilla interpreted as follows: the shield has a semicircular (round) base; the field is illuminated in flat metal Or; its three fesses illuminated in Gules y outlined in Sable; y el conjunto con un plastered finish.

He served under the kings John I of Castile, Henry III of Castile, and John II of Castile.

These three bars of the Fernández de Córdoba lineage are found, for example, in the first quarter of the coat of arms of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba y Enríquez de Aguilar, known as *El Gran Capitán*.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Or, Fess and Gules.

Style keywords: Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Semi-circular and Gesso.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Fernández de Córdoba y Carrillo, Diego.

Blazon equivalent to: Berry of Molland.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a cross flory Purpure.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, una cruz flordelisada de púrpura.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the Infante Henry of Castile, 1230–1303, 6^th offspring of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. He bore his father's arms, replacing the lion Purpure of the Kingdom of León with a cross flory Purpure, likely due to his close association with the Order of Calatrava, whose emblem is a cross flory Gules. However, he retained the metal Argent field in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters and the lion's purpure color, suggesting this was more of a conceptual change than a quartering by alliance with the Order of Calatrava.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Cross flory and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Henry of Castile, Infante.

In Castile, a coat of arms quarterly does not necessarily signify inheritance. This schema illustrates two practices: a) Quarterings can represent the mother in the 1^st and 4^th quarters and the father in the 2^nd and 3^rd, highlighting the prominence given to the maternal line by placing it in the most visible quarters. b) Quarterings can also include personal symbols and concepts, like canting arms, for example, «Manuel» =«mano» + «ala» = «hand» + «wing», combined with ancestral arms. This flexibility reflects Castilian heraldic traditions, where arms are not strictly marshalled by inheritance. The inclusion of maternal arms in the 1^st and 4^th quarters highlights how Castilian heraldry often elevates maternal heritage, differing from some other heraldic traditions. The previous commentary emphasizes the creative freedom in Castile, where quartering could incorporate personal symbols or canting arms without the constraints of inheritance or dominium. This flexibility aligns with Castilian culture, allowing heraldry to reflect personal identity, not just dynastic ties. Notably, the arms of Infante Enrique's use of a cross flory demonstrates this creative freedom, showcasing the ability to innovate within heraldry even in royal contexts. While this might seem unconventional compared to other heraldic systems, it is deeply rooted in Castilian tradition. All coats of arms in this schema have been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Purpure, Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Quarterly, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Bordure, Compony, Eagle, Cross flory, Cross couped, Party per pale, Hand, Arm, Vambraced, Embowed, Winged, Sword, Point upwards and Hilted.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Ogee.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Design rationale, Schema, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Manuel of Castile, Infante.

Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, «Medieval Spanish Heraldry I: The Royal House of Leon and Castile», illustrations by Jaime Bugallal y Vela, edited by the Salazar and Castro Institute, (C. S. I. C. Higher Center for Scientific Research), published by Hidalguía, 271 pages, size 24 x 17 cm, includes color plates, Legal deposit M. 22.165-1982, ISBN 84-00-05150-5, printed by Imprenta Sáez, Madrid, 1982.

Index

• Introduction, page 11.
• Abbreviations, page 22.
• Alfonso VII, page 23.
• Fernando II, page 39.
• Alfonso VIII, page 47.
• The spread of the arms of Castile, schema between pages 48 and 47.
• Alfonso IX, page 71.
• Fernando III, page 87.
• Alfonso X, page 109.
• Origins of differentiated arms, schema between pages 48 and 47.
• Sancho IV, page 129.
• Fernando IV, page 139.
• Alfonso XI, page 141.
• Pedro I, page 157.
• Henry II, page 165.
• John I, page 177.
• Henry III, page 185.
• John II, page 189.
• Henry IV, page 195.
• Isabella and Ferdinand, page 199.
• Children of the Catholic Monarchs, page 207.
• Evolution of the arms of Spain, page 213.
• The House of Austria, page 239.
• The Houses of Two Sicilies and Parma, page 241.
• Arms of Castile and Leon outside the Royal House, page 243.
• Index nominum, page 265.
• Index rerum, page 271.

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Bibliographical reference of century XX.

Classification: Black and white with color plates and Castilian language.

Author: Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, Faustino.

The following article cites this bibliographic reference:

• Berenguela of Castile, Infanta

Internal resources: Physical book in paper.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Or, an eagle displayed Sable.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de oro, un águila de sable.

Arms painted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the Infante Philip of Castile, 1231–1274, 7^th offspring of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. This coat of arms has been emblazoned by me and can be consulted in [Messía de la Cerda y Pita, L.; 1990; page 146] with the field Or in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters. He bears a quarterly shield combining the first quarter of his father’s arms, Castile, with his mother’s arms. Among all his siblings, he is the one who most closely combines the arms of both parents.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned and Eagle.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Philip of Castile, Infante.

Known as the Brave, king of Castile and León from 1284 to 1295.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro.

Pre-existing arms interpreted by me as described below: the shield of arms has a rounded (semicircular) base; the field, the two castles and the two lions are illuminated; and the whole has a parchment-like finish.

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued and Crowned.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated and Parchment.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Sancho IV of Castile.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules.

Escudo partido: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules.

Arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the Infante Sancho of Castile, 1233–1261, 8^th offspring of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. Unlike his siblings, he does not use a quarterly shield but rather impaled arms of Castile and Leon.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Party per pale, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed and Langued.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sancho of Castile, Infante.

Pedro Serra i Rosell, architect and Vice President of the SCGHSVN, «Transmission of armorial bearings in the Kingdom of Castile in the 13th century. The arms of Don Enrique de Castilla, son of Fernando III the Saint.», published in Paratge, quaderns d'estudis de genealogia, heràldica, sigil·lografia i nobiliària, published by the Societat Catalana de Genealogia, Heràldica, Sigil·lografia, Vexil·lologia i Nobiliària, SCGHSVN, pages 187-192, issue 29, ISSN 1130-3395, Sant Cugat del Vallès, 2016,

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Bibliographical reference of century XXI.

Classification: Article, Castilian language and Black and white and color illustrations.

The author is Serra i Rosell, Pedro.

Internal resources: SerraiRosellP2016.TransmisionCastilla.pdf PDF Format.