Triple-towered

Key Characteristics in Castilian Heraldry

Some of the main characteristics of the heraldry of Castile are:

• the rounded shapes, with a semicircle at the base,
• the importance of bordures,
• the inclusion of words and also letters in the coat of arms,
• the 2^nd most common animal, after the lion, is the wolf [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2010], and, of course,
• our castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2009a].

The following image shows 4 examples of coats of arms, each of which has some of these characteristics, including one Castilian castle.

Comparing Castilian and English Heraldry

In the United Kingdom, there are several heraldic traditions, one of them being English heraldry.

In the Kingdom of Spain, there are several heraldic traditions, for example, the Castilian tradition.

In my humble opinion, we should compare at the same level, English heraldry with, for example, Castilian heraldry, but not with all Spanish heraldry. We shouldn't do it for the same reason we don't mix Scottish heraldic tradition with English, as they are so different.

In the case of Castilian heraldry, the 8 main differences with English heraldry are:

• The rounded shapes, with a semicircle at the base.
• The importance of bordures and the existence of the diminished bordure, called in Castilian «filiera».
• The inclusion of words and also letters in the coats of arms.
• The wolf is the 2^nd most common animal, after the lion.
• The castle, triple-towered, which is different from the English and French types of castles.
• We can inherit arms from our mother and/or father; for example, the castle in the 1^st quarter of the coat of arms of Castile and the coat of arms of Spain comes from a mother, Queen Berenguela of Castile, mother of King Fernando III, the Saint.
• There are 3 kinds of supporters with their owns heraldic names: «tenantes», human forms; «soportes», animals; and «sostenes», plants and things.
• Our quarterings do not necessarily mean that the arms are marshalled by inheritance. [Williams, N.; 2017; page 135, paragraph 26.02] describing the arms of Éamon de Valera, 1882-1975, President of Ireland, writes «Those arms are Spanish in appearance. The quartering without functions as a means of marshalling, is distinctively Iberian».

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Categories: Criterion, Semi-circular, Bordure, Letter, Lion, Wolf, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Or, Azure, Sable, Diminished bordure, Quarterly, Supporter (human form), Supporter (animal) and Supporter (thing).

Party per pale: 1 Gules, in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, in base a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or; overall a psi letter sable; a diminished bordure Or.

Coat of arms of Crepsi, military psychology, former Central Military Region, Kingdom of Spain, emblazoned by me, where I was stationed during my military service. In the image: 1988, the original mold (1) with which the first 6 coats of arms were made; one of them is now in my office (2); the design of the badge for the 1^st meeting of veterans (3), all of which were designed and made by my lieutenant colonel and friend Miguel Angel Nuñez Amador; and finally, the coat of arms of Crepsi emblazoned by me (4).

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Argent, Or, Azure, Sable, Party per pale, In base, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Overall, Letter and Diminished bordure.

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

Classification: Military, Compare, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Crepsi.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purple, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, lampasado y armado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]; 3^o de oro, con cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 4^o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]; entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]; un escusón de azur, tres flores de lis de oro, 2 y 1, una bordura de gules [de Borbón]; brisado de un lambel de tres pendientes de azur.

Coat of arms painted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a freehand finish.

This is the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias, Princess of Girona, and Princess of Viana, heiress of the throne of Spain as the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. This version of her coat of arms has been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency and Label of three points.

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

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

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

Chequey of fifteen Or and Azure; a bordure compony of sixteen sections, eight gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable, eight Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, crowned Or, armed and langued Gules.

Escudo ajedrezado de quince piezas de oro y azur; una bordura componada de dieciséis compones, ocho de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable, ocho de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, coronado de oro, armado y lampasado de gules.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a watercolor finish.

Coat of arm of the municipality of Moguer, Andalusia, emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Or, Azure, Gules, Argent, One, Fifteen, Sixteen, Eight, Chequey, Bordure, Compony, Section, Charged, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Armed and Langued.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Moguer, municipality of.

Argent, a cross Gules; a bordure compony of fifteen sections: 1, 6, and 11 Argent, a pomegranate seeded, slipped and leaved proper; 2, 7, and 12 Or, an eagle displayed Sable; 3, 8, and 13 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Gules, masoned Sable; 4, 9, and 14 Argent, a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or; 5, 10, and 15 Or, four pallets Gules. Crest: A closed royal crown. Motto: «Muy noble, muy leal y decidida por la libertad» Sable, with initial letters Gules, over a scroll Argent.

Arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a metal beaten finish.

Coat of arms of the city of Almeria, Andalusia, emblazoned by me. The motto of the official coat of arms includes the text «Ciudad de Almería», which I have chosen not to include in my rendition, as it is redundant given that the city is already represented by the coat of arms itself.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Gules, Or, Sable, Vert, One, Four, Fifteen, Cross, Bordure, Compony, Pomegranate, Slipped, Leaved, Proper, Eagle, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Closed royal crown, Crown, Motto and Scroll.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Almeria, city of.

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

Escudo partido: 1^o de Gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o de plata.

Coat of arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a leather finishing.

The coat of arms of Castilla-La Mancha emblazoned by me.

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

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Castilla-La Mancha.

Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, masoned Sable, issuant from its port a dragon passant Vert, in chief a pelican in her piety Argent, vulned Gules.

Escudo de gules, un castillo de oro, mazonado de sable y saliendo por su puerta un dragón pasante de sinople, en jefe un pelícano desplegado de plata, la piedad de gules.

Coat of arms interpreted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

Ancient arms of the lineage Lazaro of Aragon emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Vert, Argent, One, Castle, Triple-towered, Masoned, Issuant (port), Dragon, Passant, In chief, Pelican in her piety and Pelican.

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

Classification: Personal, Lineage, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Lazaro of Aragon, lineage.

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.

Escudo de 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; una bordura componada de dieciseis compones: ocho de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable, ocho de oro, un águila de sable.

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

Coat of arms of the Infanta Berenguela of Castile, 1228–1289, 5^th daughter of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. There are discrepancies regarding the year of her death, with sources suggesting either 1279 or 1288. She bore her father's arms with a bordure compony featuring the arms of Castile and those of her mother, from Swabia. I am particularly fond of compony arms, and this one is, to me, among the most beautiful and quintessentially Castilian.

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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 and Eagle.

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

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Berenguela of Castile, Infanta.

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 de 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.

Arms depicted 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 purple 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, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Henry of Castile, Infante.

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 de 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.

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

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, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Philip of Castile, Infante.

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 interpreted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined 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, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sancho of Castile, Infante.

Azure, a castle triple-towered per pale Argent and Or, masoned Sable, port and windows Azure, between in chief two bars wavy Argent, in base two bars wavy Argent.

Arms designed by me, in plain tinctures, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a texturized finishing.

The arms of Kevin Larkin from Ireland and Spain, designed and emblazoned by me. Alternative blazon using the heraldic term gemel: «Azure, a castle triple-towered per pale Argent and Or, masoned Sable, port and windows Azure, between two bars gemel wavy Argent, one in chief and one in base». Note that since there are 2 bars and both are gemel, they total the same 4 as when we describe 2 in chief and 2 in base.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Argent, Or, One, Two, Castle, Triple-towered, Party per pale, Masoned, Port and windows, Between, In chief, Bar, Wavy, In base and Gemel.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Larkin, Kevin.

Azure, a chevron engrailed Or between three lozenges Argent, each charged with a fleur de lis Gules; a bordure compony of eight sections, four Vert each charged with a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable, and four Argent each charged with a bull's head caboshed Sable. Motto: «Honor et Veritas Semper Prorsus» Sable, with initial letters Gules, over a scroll Argent.

Escudo de azur, un cabrio angrelado de oro acompañado de tres losanges de plata, cada uno cargado de una flor de lis de gules; una bordura componada de ocho compones, cuatro de sinople, cargados cada uno de un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable, y cuatro de plata, cargados cada uno de un rencuentro de toro de sable. Lema: «Honor et Veritas Semper Prorsus» de sable, con letras iniciales de gules, sobre una filacteria de plata.

Arms devised by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a watercolor finish.

Design rationale

In Spanish heraldry, the use of bordures is often a matter of personal preference, in this case, the tinctures and charges on this bordure compony are a proud emblem of the bearer's origins from Utrera, Seville, the white represents the local architecture, the green symbolizes the olive groves, and the bull's head denotes Utrera as the cradle of the brave bull, a reference, along with the castle, to the arms of his town. The Latin motto tells us, «Honor and Truth Always at the Forefront».

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Or, Argent, Gules, Vert, Sable, One, Three, Four, Eight, Chevron, Engrailed, Lozenge, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Compony, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Bull, Head, Caboshed and Motto.

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

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Gutiérrez Benítez, Jose Manuel.

Escutcheon quarterly: 1 Azure, a god Garuda sejant Argent; 2 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, masoned Sable; 3 Argent, six pallets Gules; 4 Azure, five plates.

Heraldic device depicted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, and with a leather finishing.

Heraldic badge of Rui J. Vaz's family, US, designed by him and emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Gules, Argent, Or, One, Six, Five, Escutcheon, Quarterly, Garuda, Sejant, Castle, Triple-towered, Masoned, Pallet and Plate.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Leather.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Badge.

Bearer: Vaz, Rui J..

Vert, on a fess Argent, between in chief a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Gules, masoned Sable, between four mullets Argent, 2 and 2, and in base a Merino ram's head caboshed Or, between three mullets Argent, 2 and 1, two wolves passant Sable. Motto: «Amor Non Timet» Sable, with initial letters Gules, over a scroll Argent.

Arms devised by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a sealed finishing.

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Blazon keywords: Vert, Argent, Or, Gules, Sable, One, Two, Seven, Fess, Between, In chief, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Mullet, In base, Merino ram, Head, Caboshed, Wolf, Passant and Motto.

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

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Luchoro and Darryn Carlo, Roberto.