#croizer

[ghostsinmyforest]

Kittens on a warm cleaned plate, I see you everywhere.

[pysch0-teddy]

*violently screams and convulses on the floor*

I KIN SOMEONE FROM METALOCALYPSE I JUST DON'T KNOW WHO HELP

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Bari, Italy

Granted 1938; probably in use since the early 19th century

Blazon: Per saltire azure and argent a croizer palewise or

The croizer is a reference to the area’s patron saint, St. Nicholas - yes, that St. Nicholas. The arms seem to have a fairly long history, as does the province itself. It was founded as a justiciarship in 1231, and continued its administrative existence as a province/district/territory under various Italian kingdoms. I’m not completely clear on when these arms came into being, but it seems likely they remained relatively consistent throughout Bari’s history.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Villanueva de la Fuente, Spain

Granted 1985

Blazon: Per fess, I per pale argent a cross of Santiago gules and azure a croizer in bend surmounted by a mitre or, II of the last a walled town of the third, pointé in base of the first two bars wavy of the third

Unfortunately, I can’t find any information about these arms, but it’s pretty obvious to me that the base half is canting arms - the name translates to “new town on the river,” and bars wavy are a very traditional method of representing water or rivers. The Order of Santiago did control the town from around 1213 through 1243, which would explain the cross. I’m not entirely sure about the episcopal regalia; it does seem like a bishopric was established in the area under the Visigoths, but I’m not entirely certain about that.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Abia de la Obispalía, Spain

In use since at least 2013

Blazon: Per bend sinister azure a crown proper and or a croizer in bend sinister surmounted by a mitre purpre, all within a bordure gules charged with sixteen bezants

The name of the town evidently derives from avia, Latin for “grandmother.” This is apparently in reference to the antiquity of the town, which was well established even before Reconquista. I don’t have much in the way of information on the arms, but it seems reasonable that they’re at least partly canting - obispo is “bishop” in Spanish, and the mitre and croizer are essential parts of a bishop’s regalia. (Also, the name of the town might translate to something like “the bishop’s grandmother, which amuses me.) There’s a slight possibility that the bezants were intended to represent some of the archaeological finds in the area, which include gold rings and several coins, but it’s a very slight possibility.

[griffinrampant]

Former arms of Altingen, Germany

Granted 1954 - 1971

Blazon: Gules two stalks of wheat in saltire surmounted by a croizer in pale or, overall a plowshare argent

I’m sure you can’t guess that this was historically a farming town. The heraldic allusions are very subtle. (They’re not.) The croizer reflects the town’s history as a possession of the abbeys of Ottobeuren and Bebenhausen, and the colors evidently derive from the Tübingen counts palatine (or a gonfanon gules).

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Buchkirchen, Austria

Granted 1978

Blazon: Azure in chief a croizer head or, in base two beech leaves conjoined in pile argent

The beech (Buche) leaves are a reference to the town name, and the croizer commemorates the Synod of Mistelbach in the late 990s.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Fuenllana, Spain

Granted 1987

Blazon: Per pale argent a cross of Santiago gules and azure a castle triple-towered or on a mount in base proper, surmounted in base by a basin argent of water barry wavy of the field and the last; pointé in base or a galero vert, in the fess point an alms bag, in base a croizer and a patriarchal cross in saltire sable

The archbishop's regalia in base is presumably a reference to St. Thomas of Villanova, who was born in Fuenllana in 1488, and later canonized in 1658.