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Ílhavo Municipality (Portugal)

Concelho de Ílhavo, Distrito de Aveiro

Last modified: 2014-08-02 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: ilhavo | ship(ancient) | scallops(3) |
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[Ílhavo municipality] 2:3 image by Sérgio Horta, 3 Aug 2007
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About the Flag

It is a quite typical Portuguese municipal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a background gyronny (meaning city rank) of white and purple.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 1 June 2006

Coat of arms

[Ílhavo municipality CoA] image by Sérgio Horta, 29 Mar 2007

The coat of arms is argent on a sea of six wavy fesses vert and argent an ancient ship sable lined or and armed sable and dressed with a sail purpure under three scallops purpure in chief set in fess. Mural crown argent with five visible towers (city rank) and white scroll reading in black upper case letters "Cidade de Ílhavo".
António Martins-Tuválkin, 1 June 2006

Former flag

[Ílhavo(town) municipality] 2:3 image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 31 Mar 2007

Arms and flag approved by law of 1935.12.14 with town attributes (plain purple background and four visible towers in the crown) and updated to city rank by law of 1990.10.20 with no other changes.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 1 June 2006


Version without Coat of Arms

[Ílhavo municipality plain] 2:3 image by Rob Raeside and António Martins-Tuválkin, 23 Oct 2006

On the weekend I had cause to be in St. John's, Newfoundland, and on my way through town I spied a large and unknown flag and gyronny of white and red. It was flying in a municipal park beside the Hotel Newfoundland (but not connected with the hotel), beside a statue display consisting of 5 concrete blocks that apparently represent sailboats. It was plainly visible through the horizontal rain and driving fog, but neither the hotel staff, taxi driver, or local hosts had ever noticed it or knew anything about it.
I contacted the city by e-mail and was informed it is the flag of Ílhavo in Portugal. Ílhavo is in Aveiro district, I presume it might have a sister city relationship with St. John's.
Rob Raeside, 23 Oct 2006

That flag represents the official municipality of Ílhavo of Portugal.
Donna Bishop,Tourism Officer, 24 Oct 2006

The sister-city relationship might be due to the fact that Ílhavo is an old long distance fishing harbour whence whaler and cod-hunters depart to the North Atlantic (and eventually to New Foundland) since the late Middle Ages.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 24 Oct 2006

(editorial comment: the flag has to be white and purple, not red. But the wheather reported was bad)


Presentation of Ílhavo

Ílhavo municipality had 37 209 inhabitants in 2001, and it is divided in 4 communes, covering 75,05 km². It is part of Aveiro District, traditional province and 1999 ref. adm. region Beira Litoral, C.C.R. / NUTS II Centro, and NUTS III Baixo Vouga.


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