The coat of arms of Alava was officially recognized by the Government of Spain in December of 1984. The history of the crest goes back much further and its roots are one of the oldest in Basque Country. It’s evolution has had many steps along it’s journey and is a symbol of pride and justice.
Alava, spelled as Alaba in Basque, is one of three provinces that make up the autonomous community of Basque Country. The capital of Alava is Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is also the capital of Basque Country. It is the only landlocked province of the three. Alava is the smallest with a population of 320,000. It’s history is deep and the evolution of its crest goes back a long way.
The Crest
The Coat of Arms is in the shape of a shield with a ducal crown atop. Framing the shield is a blue border that has the phrase “en aumento de la justicia contra malhechores” written in gold. This phrase translates to ” Increasing justice against malefactors.”
The background of the shield is gold and atop has an azure banner that reads “Justicia” in gold. The center of the crest has a crenellated castle built upon a rock. From the rock comes an azure arm holding a sword. A sword is raised in defense against a red lion raised on his hind legs.
In the 18th century, they added the word “Justice” to the coat of arms. They introduced the crown in 1671. At some point, they moved the arm from coming out of the castle to out of the rock. Questions about other elements of this coat of arms remain unanswered as time has slipped away.
Portilla Castle
The castle on the crest is Portilla Castle. This castle was an important defensive structure for the Kingdom of Navarre. It played a large role in resistance against the attacks by the invading Kingdom of Castille. Now in ruins, the castle was approximately 70 meters ( 230feet) long and 6 meters ( 20 feet) wide.
The town of Portilla’s crest is very similar to that of Alava. Both crests have a castle that sits on a cliff. An arm comes out of the rock holding a sword in an unsheathed hand. The two crests also show a lion on its hind legs throwing his front paws at the sword.
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The use of a castle on the Alava coat of arms dates back to the 13th century. Mention of the Portilla castle first showed up in writing in the year 1040. People used to believe that the castle was built in the 11th century. However, a recent discovery contradicts this belief, and experts now believe that the castle dates back to the iron age.
There were other towns and villages that also used this same coat of arms. It is very likely that the crest of Alava comes directly from that of Portilla and the castle of the same namesake.
Basque Country Coat of Arms
The crest of Alava is also a part of the coat of arms of Basque Country. This coat of arms has the three crests of the provinces of Basque Country. Plus, a void red square that represents Navarre. Alava’s crest is top left. Then there is Biscay in the top right, and Gipuzkoa in the bottom left.
The banner that reads “justice” is not present in the Basque Country coat of arms. The writing that frames the Alava shield that reads “increasing justice against malefactors.” Itis also omitted in the Basque Country coat of arms.
The crest of Alava has a long history and is a strong symbol in Basque culture. The Alava crest Symbolizes strength and a willingness to resist those against them. It represents the ideal that justice comes from the people. It proudly holds a place within the Basque Country crest and is well deserving of it.