Coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon Facts for Kids

This page is about the arms of the former Crown of Aragon. For the arms of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, see Coat of arms of Aragon.

The Royal Arms of Aragon

A page from a 14th-century book showing the coat of arms of Aragon.

The Bars of Aragon are a famous symbol. You might also hear them called the Royal Arms of Aragon or the Four Red Bars. This symbol shows four red stripes (called "pallets" in heraldry) on a gold background. It was the special emblem of the Kings of Aragon for a very long time.

This symbol is super old! It dates back to a seal from 1150, used by Raymond Berengar IV, who was the Count of Barcelona and Prince of Aragon.

Today, you can see this symbol in many places that were once part of the Crown of Aragon. For example, it's on the coat of arms of Spain. It's also a main part of the symbols for Spanish regions like Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and the Balearic Islands. You can even find it in parts of France and Italy, like Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitania. Many towns and cities that were once directly linked to the Crown of Aragon also use these bars in their own coats of arms.

What the Symbol Looks Like
A Brief History
Where Did It Come From?
Variations of the Arms
See also

What the Symbol Looks Like

A seal from Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona.

In the language of heraldry (the study of coats of arms), the Bars of Aragon are described as: Or, four pallets of gules. This simply means:

Or (pronounced "ore") means gold. So, the background is gold.
Pallets are narrow vertical stripes.
Gules (pronounced "gyoolz") means red. So, the stripes are red.

So, it's a gold shield with four red vertical stripes. People often just call them the "red bars" or the "four bars."

This symbol has been recognized for centuries. Old books about coats of arms from the Middle Ages, like the "Armorial du Hérault Vermandois" (from 1285–1300), describe it as the arms of the King of Aragon.

A page from the Gelre Armorial, showing the arms of the King of Aragon.

A Brief History

A version of the royal coat of arms, created by King Peter IV of Aragon.

The Bars of Aragon were originally the special symbol of the Kings of Aragon and the Counts of Barcelona. A big change happened in 1137. The Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona joined together through a dynastic union. This happened when Raymond Berengar IV of Barcelona married Petronila of Aragon.

Their son, Alfonso II of Aragon, became king in 1162. He was the first person to hold both titles: King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona. Over time, all the lands and territories ruled by this family became known as the Crown of Aragon. The symbol of the Bars of Aragon then represented this powerful Crown.

Today, this historic symbol is still an important part of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Spain.

Where Did It Come From?

The exact beginning of the "four bars" symbol is a bit of a mystery! For a long time, people told legends about its origin, but these stories aren't true. The first clear evidence of the symbol comes from the time of Alfonso II of Aragon, who was both King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona.

Some historians believe the symbol is linked to the Counts of Barcelona because very old designs that look like red bars on a yellow background have been found on tombs from the 11th century. Others argue that because Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona was a very important ruler in Aragon, any symbol connected to him could also be seen as representing the early Crown of Aragon. What we do know is that it's a very old and important symbol with deep roots in the history of both Aragon and Barcelona.