From the Siege to the “Unvanquished City”
Between July 1832 and August 1833, Porto endured a prolonged siege by absolutist (Miguelist) forces during the Liberal Wars. The city’s steadfast civilian and military resistance alongside Pedro IV proved decisive for the liberal cause and earned Porto its enduring honorific: “Cidade Invicta” the Unvanquished City.
The 1837 Reform: Crown, Dragon, and the Heart of Pedro IV
By Royal Charter of 14 January 1837, Queen Maria II profoundly reshaped the city’s arms. The shield became quarterly: the 1st and 4th quarters displayed the Royal Arms, and the 2nd and 3rd the City’s Arms, with the patroness Our Lady of Vandoma between two towers. Overall, a small red escutcheon charged with a golden heart honoured Pedro IV’s heart, which he bequeathed to Porto. The crest introduced a black dragon, drawn from royal heraldry, while the motto “Invicta” appeared on a scroll, and the shield was encircled by the Collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword.
"Historical note: the heart of Pedro IV: By his expressed wish, the monarch’s heart has remained in Porto since the 19th century. It is preserved at the Church of Lapa, a tangible symbol of the city’s special bond with the Liberal king."
Why a Dragon?
In heraldic tradition, the dragon, often depicted as a wyvern, is associated with the House of Braganza, Pedro IV’s dynasty. The 1837 reform, recognising Porto’s decisive role in the liberal cause, brought this royal emblem into the city’s arms. Long before football adopted it, the dragon already figured in Porto’s civic imagination.
The 1940 Standardisation: Today’s Municipal Arms
The Portaria no. 9513 of 25 April 1940 established the version of the municipal arms that remains official today under republican civic heraldry: an azure shield bearing a golden castle (curtain wall with two towers) set above waves argent and vert; over the gate, Our Lady of Vandoma with the Child; in chief, two ancient quinas; a mural crown of silver with five towers (the insignia of a city); the Collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword; and the scroll reading “Antiga, Mui Nobre, Sempre Leal e Invicta Cidade do Porto.” In this codified version, the ducal crown and the dragon as crest disappeared, reflecting republican norms.
From City Arms to Club Crest
Founded in 1893, Futebol Clube do Porto initially used a monogram over a football. On 26 October 1922, the club approved the crest that endures: a blue ball surmounted by the city’s arms as configured after 1837, complete with crown, the Collar of the Tower and Sword, and a dragon (traditionally shown in green) with the “Invicta” scroll. This heraldic inheritance gave the club its epithet, the Dragons, cementing a visible and emotional link between club and city. Since 2003, even the stadium bears the name Estádio do Dragão.
The Meaning of the Main Elements
- Our Lady of Vandoma: The historical patroness, depicted between two towers—signifying a community protected by faith and by the city’s walls.
- Mural crown (current): A republican civic insignia; five towers denote city status.
- Order of the Tower and Sword: Portugal’s highest order for Valour, Loyalty, and Merit; its collar encircles the shield.
- “Invicta”: The motto granted after the siege, memorialising the city’s endurance.
- Golden heart: A direct allusion to the heart of Pedro IV, left in perpetuity to Porto.
Dragon: A Braganza emblem that evolved into a defining identity mark for both the city and the club.
Porto, Heraldry, and Sporting Passion
By integrating the municipal coat of arms into its crest, FCP projected civic pride into the realm of sport. This shared symbolic language explains the powerful bond between the Unvanquished City and its Dragons in the stands. On BL Heritage tours, these layers of history, from the medieval walls to Pedro IV’s heart, from Vandoma to the dragon, are explored on it's tours, before the very symbols that shaped Porto’s identity.
