The Achievement

LITTLE ARMORIAL

The Achievement.

After the achievements known from the Hauteville era there is a long time no trace of any kind of achievement, that is a central emblem supported by heraldic beasts, that can be directly associated with an Anjou or Barcelonese government on Sicily. It is only in the fifteenth century that we know of some achievement and from then onwards, and when Sicily was ruled by Habsburg kings, achievements are known from all successive kings.

These achievements consist of a coat of arms composed of all quarters of the ruling king, illustrating his descent and arranged in a way specific for Sicily, different from the arrangements of his other realms. These arms in the first place represented the legitimacy of his rule, based on his descent from Ferdinand II of Sicily who was elected by representatives of the Sicilian nobility.

Initially, in the fiteenth century, the supporters of the arms were two angels, symbolizing a heavenly mandate, and making the phrase: the government of king..... by the grace of God.

At the end of the 15th century an eagle was introduced as a supporter making the phrase: the royal government of king......

In the time of the Habsburg emperors the eagle was replaced by a two-headed eagle thus making the phrase: the imperial government of king......

The series was ended when Sicily was incorporated into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1806. In the Bonaparte achievement of that kingdom, the dynastic arms were replaced by emblems representing the provinces of the kingdom.

Alfonso the Magnanimous

*1394-†1458

King of Aragon and Sicily-Trinacria 1416-1458

King of Sicily-Naples 1442-1458

Knight Toison d’Or N° 42, 1445

Achievement of Sicily-Trinacria

On the tomb of  Mary of Castile (†1458), queen of Alfonso, in the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Valencia.

The achievement is:

Arms: Sicily-Trinacria 

Crown: a royal crown

Supporters: Two griffins

The achievement on the right has to be of Queen Mary herself.

Juan II

*1397 - †1479

¥ 1425 Blanche of Navarra

King of Navarra 1425-1479

King of Aragon etc. 1458-1479

King of Sicily - Trinacria 1458-1468

Knight Toison d’Or N° 59, 1461

Achievement of Sicily

In the Cappella Palatina in Palermo

The achievement belongs to the mosaics on the northern wall of the nave, rebuilt in 1460.

Ferdinand II, the Catholic

*1452-†1516

King of Sicily-Trinacria 1468-1515

¥ 1469 Isabella I of Castile

Knight Toison d’Or n° 73, Valencijn 1473

King of Castile 1474-1516

King pf Aragon 1479-1516

King of Granada 1492-1516

King van Sicily-Naples 1503-1515

¥ 1506 Germaine of Foix

King of Navarra 1512-1516

Achievement of Ferdinand II the Catholic before the conquest of Granada (1492).

In the Palazzo Bellomo, Siracuse

The achievement is:

Arms: ¼:1&4: ¼ Castile and Leon; 2&3: 1|2 of Barcelona and  Sicily.

Crown: A royal crown of five ornaments

Supporter: An eagle.

The achievement is between two bundles of arrows, symbol of unity

Achievement os Ferdinand and Isabella in the Breviary of Isabella, fol.436 v°

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Castile and Leon; 2&3: 1|2 of Barcelona and  Sicily; enté en point of Granada.

Crown: A royal crown of five floral ornaments

Supporter: An eagle Or

Motto: SVB VMBRA ALARVM TVARVM PROTEGE NOS (We are protected by the shadow of your wings)

Below are the arms of  their daughter Joanna the Mad and her husband Philip of Austria (¥ 1494).

Photo Gerard Boon

Achievement of Ferdinand II the Catholic between 1512 and 1515

Arms: ¼: 1&4 ¼ Castile and Leon; 2. 1|2 the first 1|2: the first per fess of Barcelona and Navarra, the second of Jeruzalem; and a base of France; the second of Arpad; 3. 1|2 of Barcelona and Sicily.

Crown: A royal crown

Supporter: An eagle.

HOUSE OF HABSBURG

Charles I

*24.02.1500 - 21.09.1558

Knight Toison d’Or n°111, 1501

King of Rome 28.06.1519

Roman Emperor elect 23.10.1520-1556

Crowned  24.02.1530

King of Aragon and Castile 1516-1556

King of Sicily & Naples 1516-1554

Achievement of King Charles I,  between 1516 and 1520.

The achievement is:

Arms:  ¼: I&IV: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Castile and Leon; II: 1|3: 1. ½ of Barcelona and Navarra; 2. Arpad; 3.  Jeruzalem. III: ¼ 1&4 Brabant, 2. Valois, 3. Burgundy. In chief point Austria and enté an point of Granada.

Order: The collar of the Order of the Fleece

Crown: A Royal Crown of five points

Supporter: An eagle royally crowned.

The eagle is between two pairs of Piles of Hercules connected by a ribbon with the motto PLVS VLTRA and crested by a Burgundian cross with a flint below.

Achievement of Emperor Charles I (V)  after 1520

 above the entrance  of the Castello Manice in Siracusa.

The achievement is:

Arms:  ¼: I&IV: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Castile and Leon; 2&3: ¹/_3: 1. Barcelona, 2. Sicily, 3. impaled of Hungary and Jeruzalem. II&III: ¼ 1&4 Brabant, 2. Valois, 3. Burgundy. In fess point Austria.

Order: The collar of the Order of the Fleece

Crown: A Royal Crown of five points

Supporter: A two headed eagle royally crowned and recrowned with an imperial crown 

The achievement is between two pairs of Piles of Hercules connected with a ribbon inscribed with the motto PLVS VLTRA

The inscription below the achievment reads:

CARLO V EMPERADOR REG. DE ESPANA 1545 

TRASLADOSE ESTE ESCUDO EN TIEMPO D

D. PHELIPE III DEI GRACIA REI DE ESPANA IDE SICILIA

SIENDO BIREI DESTE REINO D PEDRO GIRON DUQ DOSVNA

CASTELLANO ESTE cAS TL O PRSV M FLCPI DE ROCA MADO NO 1614

Philip II

1556-1598

Royal achievement on the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo

The achievement is:

Arms: ½: In chief: 1|2: 1. ¼ of Castile and Leon; 21|2 Barcelona and Sicily. Enté en point of Granada. In base: ¼ Austria, Valos, Burgundy and Branabt in fess point 1|2 Flanders and Tirol.

Crown: A royal crown

Order: The collar of the Order of the Fleece

Supporter: An eagle Sable royally crowned.

The arms of Portugal were added when Philip had become King of Portugal in 1580

Philip III, el Pio

*1578-†1621

Knight Toison d’Or n° 249, 1583

King of Spain 1598-1621

            King of the Sicilies 1598-1621

Achievement of Sicily as in the time of Philip III.  Piazza Vigliena (1620), Palermo

The achievement is:

Arms: ½: In chief 1|2 the first ¼ of Castile and Leon; the second 1|2 of Barcelona and per fess of Sicily and Jeruzalem; in fess point Portugal and enté en point of Granada. In base ¼ of Austria, Valois, Burgundy and Brabant; in fes point impaled of Flanders and Tirol

Crown: A royal crown

Order: The collar of the Order of the Fleece

Supporter: An eagle Sable royally crowned.

Philip IV

*1605-†1665

Knight Toison d’Or n° 326, 1613

King of Spain and of the Sicilies 1621-1665

Lord of the Netherlands 1621-1665

Photo C. Pezzillo

Achievement of Philip IV on the Arsenal of Palermo

The achievement is the same as the achievement of King Philip III.

Charles II

1665-1700

Knight Toison d’Or n° 470, 1665

Achievement on a house at the Piazzetta Garrafano, Palermo

Showing the arms of  Charles II, probably placed there in 1698 when a fountain was built.

The same achievement as before.

HOUSE OF BOURBON

Philip V

1700-1713

Knight Toison d’Or n° 619, 1701

The arms of Philip V are an adaptation of the arms of Charles II by moving the arms of Granada to a point enté in base and by changing the place of the arms of Portugal to the fess point. Probably the koving of the arms of Portugal to the place reserved for the dynastical arms was meant to demonstrate the descent of Philip V from Philip II, who had been king of Portugal from 1580. The relation of Philip V with Philip II was an important argument for claiming the Spanish throne against the claims of Charles of Habsburg.

Photo Claudio Pezzillo  [1]

Achievement above the entrance of Palermo Cathedral

The achievement is:

Arms: ½: In chief 1|2 the first ¼ of Castile and Leon; the second 1|4 of Arpad, Barcelona, Sicily and Jeruzalem;. In base ¼ of Austria, Valois, Burgundy and Brabant; in fess point impaled of Flanders and Tirol. Enté en point of Granada and in nombril point Portugal

Crown: A royal crown

Order: The collar of the Order of the Fleece

Supporter: An eagle Sable royally crowned.

Achievement on an unknown location by an equally unknown photographer

In the arms the quarters for Sicily-Naples and Granada are omitted and the escutheon impaled of Flanders and Tirol is replaced in base. In nombril point the arms of Portugal are replaced by the arms of France.

Crown, Order and Supporters as before.

Probably this was the achievement of Philip V after the loss of Naples in 1707.

In Spain, in the mean time, the arms of Philip V showed the impaled of Flanders and Tirol in the point enté, the escutcheon in nombril point being of France.

HOUSE OF SAVOY

Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy

King of Sicily 1713-1720

Photo H.d.V. 1998

Achievement of Victor Amadeus II

at the facade of the stock exchange on the Piazza Monte di Pietà in Palermo

The eagle is somewhat damaged, the arms are not entirely correct.

The achievement is:

Arms: ¼: I. ¼: 1. Jeruzalem, 2. Cyprus, 3. Bendy (has to be another lion for Armenia), 4. Antioch; II Tierced per pile: 1. Westphalia, 2. Saxony, 3. Angaria; III. Impaled of Chablais and Aosta; IV. Impaled of Geneve and Medici (has to be: Argent, a chief Gules for Montferrat). In fess point: Savoie.

Order: The collar of the Order of the Annunciation, pending therefrom a medal showing the portrait of a bishop.

Supporter: A crowned eagle.

Probably the bishop is from the Order of St. Januarius, founded by Charles of Bourbon (1735-’59) in 1738.

HOUSE OF HABSBURG

Charles III (VI)

*1685 - † 1740

Knight T.d’O. n° 588, 1697

Archduke of Austria 1685-1740

Lord of the Netherlands 1700-’11 / 1714-1740

King of Spain 1703-1714

 King of Sicily-Naples 1707-1735

Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia &c 12.10.1711

Crowned 22.12.1711

King of Sardinia 1714-1720

Duke of  Milan 1714-1740

King of Sicily 1720-1735

At the Treaty of The Hague in 1720 Charles VI exchanged Sardinia for Sicily with Victor Amadeus of Savoy. He lost it again in 1734 when it was captured by Charles of Bourbon-Parma. 

As an Archduke, King of Spain, Hungary, Bohemia etc., Charles bore different arms. In the arms for Sicily there were quarters for Naples and Milan.

His smaller achievement is on coins and shows an eagle charged with the arms of Austria.

His larger achievement was:

Photo H.d.V. ‘98.

Larger Achievement at the facade of the Palazzo Senatorio, Siracusa

Arms: Per fess, the chief per pale the first quarterly of Castile and Leon; the second tierced perp pale, the first Jeruzalem, the secon per fess Barcelona and Navarra, the third tierced of Sicily, France and Hungary; in chief Portugal and enté en point of Granada, for Sicily-Naples. The base quarterly of Austria, Valois, Burgundy and Brabant, in fess point impaled of Flanders and Tyrol, for the Netherlands. In nombril point: quarterly of Germany and Visconti for the Duchy of Milan

Order: Toison d’Or.

Crown: A royal crown of seven leaves and six pearls.

Supporter: A two-headed eagle crowned and recrowned with an Imperial Crown.

HOUSE OF BOURBON

Charles IV Bourbon

1735-1759

Knight Toison d’Or n°  678, 1723

Photo Claudio Pezzillo

Achievement on the right tower of the Porta Felice in Palermo

The arms of Charles IV of Bourbon when installed on the Sicilian Throne in 1735 seems to have been the arms of his father in Sicily.

These were:

Arms: ½: the chief per pale: 1. ¼ of Castile and Leon; 2. Impaled of Arpad, Barcelona, Sicily and Jeruzalem; The base ¼ of Austria, Valois, Burgundy and Brabant, enté en point of Granada,  in fess point per pale of Flanders and Tirol. And over all in fess point Portugal.

Ferdinand IV

1759-1825

Knight Toison d’Or n° n°738, 1765

Photo H.d.V.

Achievement of Ferdinand IV above the entrance of Siracusa Cathedral (before 1765)

The quarters of the arms somewhat disarranged.

The Achievement is:

Arms: Tierced per pale in unequal parts: I. The first for Parma: Tierced per fess the first tierced per pale of Parma, Austria and Burgundy Ancient; The second per pale of Portugal and Austria; The third tierced per fess of Austria, Burgundy Ancient and Parma. II. The second for Spain: Per fess, the first per pale of Castile and Leon and Sicily enté en point of Granada; the second quarterly of Austria (this quarter has moved here to the part for Parma), Valois, Burgundy and Brabant, enté en point of impaled of Flanders and Tirol; And a base added impaled of Anjou and Jeruzalem. III The third for Medici. And over all in nombril point France-Bourbon.

Crown: A Royal crown with five hoops

Supporter: An eagle royally crowned.

Achievement of Ferdinand IV, 1800

Somewhere in the Palazzo dei Normanni (no better focused picture available)

Somewhat later Ferdinand IV added the collar and cross of the Order of St. Januarius (Bourbon-Parma,   1738) and in 1800 the Collar and Fleece of the Order of the Fleece of which he was member n° 738 since 1765, the collar and cross of the Order of St. Constantin (Parma 1697) and of the Order of St. Ferdinand (Bourbon-Parma, 1800). In 1816 two other collars and crosses were added to the royal arms.

Little Armorial

Angaria: Argent, three arrowhead-leaves 2:1 Gules

Anjou (Naples): Azure, strewn wit fleurs de lys Or, a label of three Gules

Anjou (France): Azure, three fleurs de lys Or, 2 & 1 and a bordure Gules

Aosta: Sable, a lion rampant Argent

Austria: Gules, a fess Argent

Barcelona: Or, three pales Gules

Brabant: Sable, a lion rampant Or

Burgundy: Bendy Or and Azure, a bordure Gules

Burgundy Ancient: Bendy Azure and Or

Castile: Gules, a castle Or

Chablais: Argent, a lion rampant Sable

Flanders: Or, a lion rampant Sable

Geneva: Equipollé Or and Azure

Granada: Argent, a pomegranate proper

Jeruzalem: Argent, a cross potent between four greek crosses Or.

Leon: Argent, a lion Purpure

Medici: Or six balls, 1:2:2:1 Gules, the larger one in chief Azure, three fleurs de lys Or, 2:1.

Parma: Or, six fleurs de lys Azure, 3:2:1.

Portugal: Argent, a cross of five escutcheons Azure charged with five besants Argent in saltire, a bordure Gules, seven castles Or.

Savoy: Gules, a cross Argent

Saxony: Barry Or and Sable, a crown of rue per bend Vert

Sicily: In saltire, the chief and base Or, three pales Gules, the dexter and sinister Argent, an eagle Sable

Tirol: Argent, an eagle Gules, billed and clawed, on its wings a Kleestängel, crowned Or

Valois: Azure, strewn with fleurs de lys Or, a bordure compony Gules and Argent.

Westphalia: Gules, a horse saliant Argent

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies