Symbol of Lisbon Ref : 029

Symbol of Lisbon II

Height: 16 cm

Width: 17 cm

Depth: 2 cm

Weight: 0,5 kg

Simbol of Lisbon II. The simbol of Lisbon, that pictures a boat with two ravens, is based on the legend of Saint Vincent, patron saint of Lisbon.

Location of original: City Museum, Liaboa,Portugal, 16th century

Legend of Saint Vincent: According to the legend, Saint vincent was a IVth century spanish priest, killled by the romans. After the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the moors, a group of christians removed the body to take by sea to Asturias,a christian kingdom in the north, but a storm brought them ashore to the Algarve. A shrine was erected over his grave, and according to the the arab geographer Al-Idrisi, it was always guarded by ravens.  The first king of portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, had the body exumed and brought by ship to Lisbon in 1173, the legend tells, still accompained by the ravens.