Coat of arms of the Holy See

Coat of arms of the Holy See
A rendition of the coat of arms of the Holy See
AdoptedLate 14th century[1][2]

The coat of arms of the Holy See combines two crossed keys and a tiara, used as the official emblem of the Holy See, and by extension the wider Catholic Church. These forms have origins attested from the 14th century.[1][3] The combination of one gold and one silver key is a somewhat later development.[3][4]

The coat of arms of the Holy See as an emblem was filed in 1996 at the World Organization for Intellectual Property.[5] This coat of arms without shield is displayed on the front cover of the Holy See passports.[6] An updated version is also shown on the Holy See's official website.[clarification needed][7]

  1. ^ a b "A red shield bearing two white crossed keys, and surmounted by the tiara, is to be seen in a window of Bourges Cathedral accompanying the achievements of Antipopes Clement VII and Benedict XIII, and other examples of these tinctures are to be found in manuscripts dating from the time of the former of these antipopes and from that of Nicholas V, in a series of shields painted on the ceiling formerly in the church of San Simone at Spoleto (ca. 1400), in the 15th-century glass in the cathedrals of York and of Carpentras, in various 15th-century books of arms both English, German, and Italian, as well as in Martin Schrot's book of arms which is as late as 1581." Donald Lindsay Galbreath, A Treatise on Ecclesiastical Heraldry (W. Heffer and Sons, 1930).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Araldica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference MP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Donald Lindsay Galbreath, A Treatise on Ecclesiastical Heraldry (W. Heffer and Sons, 1930), p. 9.
  5. ^ "Holy See: Coat of Arms – State of Vatican City: Flag, Coat of Arms and Seal"
  6. ^ "Passport Brochure: Holy See & Vatican City State"
  7. ^ "The Holy See". Homepage icon