In June 1534 fifty miles of the Brasilean coast were given by King John III of Portugal as a hereditary captaincy to Vasco Fernandes Coutinho who landed there on the Sunday of the Holy Ghost (23 May) 1545. He founded a settlement which he called after the day of his landing Espirito Santo. The name passed to the captaincy, in 1822 to the province and in 1889 to the state of Espirito Santo. The state is one of the most ancient of Brazil as it was established only 35 years after its discovery.

The arms of the founder of the state are documented by the Livro da Nobreza e Perfeição das Armas  of Antonio Godinho (1541) fol 9 v, coutinho. They are:

Arms: Or, five seven-pointed stars Gules per saltire.

Crest: On a helmet to the dexter lambrequined Or and Gules, a lion passant Gules. [1]

In the time of the Empire the arms used by the provinces were the Imperial Arms. At the proclamation of the Republic the states  were granted the right to adopt their own achievements.

The first emblem of the State of Espirito Santo was adopted by law n° 2 of 18 June 1892. It showed the Constellation of the Southern Cross surrounded by four important data of the state and the words ESTADO DE ESPIRITO SANTO.

The present emblem is adopted by decree n° 456 of 7 september 1909.

It is:

Emblem: A five-pointed star gironny of ten Gules and Azure, charged with a disc Azure, the entrance of the Victoria-barrage and the Moreno and Penha mountains, with the monastery of the Holy Virgin of Penha on top, within a bordure inscribed with the words  TRABALHO E CONFIA ¶ ESTADO DO ESPIRITO SANTO ¶

Garland: A stalk of sugar-cane and a branch of coffee and three smaller stars.

Motto: 25 DE MAIO DE 1536 / 12 DE JUNHO DE 1817

NB.: Ancient renderings of the emblem show the normal Gules and Azure but the present version has the Gules a pink shade of red, the Azure a lighter shade of blue.

The decree reads:

Art. 1.° - Fica adoptado o escudo das armas do Estado, que deverá ser usado em todos  os papeis officiaes.

Art. 2.° - Este escudo é representado por uma grande estrella azul e rosa em cujo centro se vê a entrada da barra de Victoria com os montes Moreno e Penha, destacando-se ao fundo o convento de N.S. da Penha, cercada por duas circumferencias concentricas, em cujo espaço intermediario se lêm o os deizeres: “Trabalha e confia” - “Estado do Espirito Santo”. Em fórma de lyra, circumdam a grande estrella dois ramos de café e canna, logados na extremidade por um laço em que se lêm as datas - 23 de maio de 1535 - 2 de maio de 1892, havendo em torno de todo esse conjunto tres estrellas menores, reperesntando os Estados limitrophes do Espirito Santo.

Palacio do Governo do Estado do Espirito Santo, em 7 de setembro de 1909.

(a) Jeronumo de Souza Monteiro - Ubaldo Ramalhete Maia [2]

The Constitution of the Federation of 1934 abolished the symbols of the states and their achievements were replaced by the national emblem.

The Federal Constitution of 1946 restored the autonomy and also the achievements of the states.

Armed Forces

Army

Espirito Santo is a part of the 1st Military Region, together with the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Its headquarters are in Rio de Janeiro city

Police