Coat of arms of Bivona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coat of arms of Bivona |
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| Shield bearing two intertwined branches of oak and olive tree and crest, surmounted by a crown, depicting at the top a half waning moon and a crab at the bottom. |
The Coat of arms of Bivona is the special symbol of the town of Bivona in Italy. Bivona is located in Sicily, a large island, and is part of the Province of Agrigento. It's nestled in the Monti Sicani mountains.
This coat of arms shows how important Bivona was long ago. It represents its history of being a wealthy and developed place. In the 1500s, Bivona became a 'duchy,' which was a special area ruled by a duke. Later, it became a main town for its region. This emblem is so important that it also acts as the coat of arms for the whole Province of Agrigento.
Long ago, this emblem was placed on the town's walls. In 1554, Bivona was given the special title of city.
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What Does the Bivona Coat of Arms Look Like?
The official description of Bivona's coat of arms is found in its town rules. It describes the emblem like this:
Shield bearing two intertwined branches of oak and olive tree and crest, surmounted by a crown, depicting at the top a half waning moon and a crab at the bottom.
This means the main part is a shield. On the shield, you can see two branches, one from an oak tree and one from an olive tree, twisted together. Above the shield is a crown. At the top of the design, there is a moon that looks like it's getting smaller. At the bottom, there is a crab.
The History of Bivona's Symbols
Early Seals of Bivona
For a long time, until 1785, official documents from Bivona used a special seal. This seal had the coat of arms of the local lord or ruler of that time.
However, things changed on March 5, 1785. A new royal rule said that the local lords could no longer choose judges and mayors. This meant the town of Bivona needed its own new seal. The new seal had the symbol of the Bourbon-Sicily royal family at the top. At the bottom, it showed natural things like plants around a tower.
Here are descriptions of three important town seals from Bivona's past: from 1593, 1638, and 1801.
The Seal from 1593
A seal from Bivona's town records in 1593 shows symbols that probably belonged to important families. These families were the D'Aragona, De Luna d'Aragona, and Peralta families. This old document can be found today in the State Archives of Palermo.
In 1593, a woman named Aloisia de Luna was in charge of the Bivona duchy. She was the daughter of Peter de Luna, who was the very first Duke of Bivona. Aloisia became the Duchess in September 1592 after her brother passed away. She married Cesare Moncada in 1567 and later Antonio Aragon in 1577.
The Seal from 1638
Another seal from Bivona's town records is from May 17, 1638. This seal also shows symbols of important families. These include the Luna, de La Cerda, and Aragona-Sicilia families. However, the symbols of the Moncada family are not on this seal.
In 1638, Luigi Guglielmo Moncada was the Duke of Bivona. He was a great-grandson of Aloysia de Luna and came from the Aragon family.
