The coat of arms of Dalmatia is the heraldic symbol used for the historical region of Dalmatia on the eastern coast of Adriatic Sea. It is also featured on the crest of the coat of arms of Croatia. The arms have three golden lion heads, facing front, with golden crowns and red tongues, on a blue shield. The blazon, or formal heraldic description, isazure, with three crowned golden leopards' heads affrontés caboshed Or, langued in gules. The Lions' heads affrontés were historically referred to as leopards, but this refers to their pose rather than species.
History
Earliest depiction of Dalmatian coat of arms are from 13th century. ArmorialVermandois (L'Armorial du Héraut Vermandois) from the year 1285 is showing variation showing one Lion head on shield with description "Le Roy Danit" archaic French for King of Dalmatia.[1] Another 13th century depiction of Dalmatian coat of arms is from Lord Marshals' Roll[2] from the year 1295 showing three silver heads on blue shield with description "Le Roy de Esclevoni", the King of Schiavoni (Dalmatians).[3]
Modern arms, three golden crowned lions on blue shield, first appeared in 14th century Gelre Armorial (pre-1396) representing Kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia (Regnum Croatiae et Dalmatiae) as part of the coat of arms of King Louis I (1342-1382).
Historically there are two main variants of these arms:
The most widely used version is: azure, with three crowned golden leopards' heads affrontés caboshed Or, langued in gules (three golden lion heads, facing front, with golden crowns and red tongues, on a blue shield). This variant dates from at least the very late 14th century, found on the Great Seal of King Sigismund of Luxembourg (1395-1437). The Republic of Venice in its Great Arms (18th century) used a variant with the same charge, but on a gules (red) shield, with the tongues often gold rather than gules. Between 1815 and 1918, the crowned variant of this coat of arms, with the azure shield, was used by the Habsburg Kingdom of Dalmatia. And from 1868 until 1918 as part of the coat of arms of Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia in the upper dexter quarter.
Another, earlier version, was: gules, with three lion heads argent, facing dexter, langued and crowned Or[9][10][11][12] (meaning three white or silver lion heads, with golden crowns and tongues, turned to left, on a red shield). This variant dates from the mid-14th century as part of the arms of Louis I of Hungary (1342-1382). A variation of these arms (gules, with three lion heads Argent, facing dexter) representing Croatia appeared in the book called Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem (1486).[13]
Arms charge
From a strictly heraldic point of view the charges on the arms are not lions but heraldic leopards. The heraldic leopard differs from the real-life leopard (Panthera pardus). It does not have any spots and often has a mane. Therefore, in heraldry, the leopard is generally similar, and is often referred to as a lion (Panthera leo). The reason for this lies in the fact that in the Middle Ages leopards were thought to be a crossbreed between a lion and a pard.[14]
Gallery
As part of the arms of King Louis I - lower right quarter (Gelre Armorial, 14th century).
Coat of arms of Dalmatia depicted on a building fresco in Innsbruck, Austria (1495).
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