History & Heraldry

At the division of the newly acquired territories in South America by King John of Portugal in 1534 parts of what is now the state of Piauí were given as a fief to the Portuguese families of Andrade and Barros. Colonization was not succesful however. In the 17th century the territory was for a short time a part of Nieuw Holland and many impoverished noblemen and Jesuit priests, as well as black and Amerindian slaves, settled there. The first large-scale cattle farming also arrived with these settlers. Large estate owners seeking new pastures for their livestock arrived from neighbouring states such as Bahia and Maranhão.

In 1811 Piaui was made an independent captaincy. When the Brazilian empire was founded in 1822 Piaui remained a Portuguese colony at first but after the Battle of Jenipapo it joined the empire on 23 March 1823. Later Piauí participated in several insurrections like the Confederation of Equador in 1824 and the Balaiada between 1838 and 1841.

In the time of the Portuguese colony and the province of the Empire the arms of Portugal and Brazil were used in Piauí. After the proclamation of the Republic in 1889 the states were permitted to adopt a coat of arms of their own. The first coat of arms of Piauí was adopted by law N° 38 of 6 July 1894. It showed a five-pointed star charged with a crescent surrounded by scrolls with the legend  ESTADO DO PIAUHY 23 DE JULHO 1892.

The law reads:

Art. 1.° - E’ criado o sello do Estado para authenticidade dos actos legislativos, administrativos

Art. 3.° - Revogam-se as disposições em contrario

Palacio do Governo do Estado do Piauhy, 6 de julho de 1894, 6.° da Republica

(a) Coriolano de Carvalho e Silva

Eutropio de Almeida Rego.

A new coat of arms was adopted by Law N° 1.050 of 24 July 1922.It is:

Arms: Per fess, the chief Or, three trees Vert, the base barry Argent and Azure of 14 pieces, three fishes in a triangle in base Argent, the shield and quarters surrounded by a filet Gules.

Crest: A five-pointed star Argent

Garland: A branch of cotton and a stalk of sugar-cane proper.

Motto: IMPAVIDUM FERIENT RUINAE 24 de janeiro de 1823  (The Ruins will strike him Unafraid / 24 January 1823).

ð See illustration in the head of this essay.

The law reads:

Art. 1.° - E’ adoptado como emblema do Estado do Piauhy o brazão composto das peças heraldicas abaixo descriptas segundo o modelo debuxado no annexo N.° 1:

a) Um escudo néo-classico cortado, contendo, sobre o campo superior de oiro velho, esmaltadas em sinopla, uma ao lado da outra e equidistantes, as tres palmeiras nativas do Piauhy: carnaúba (Corypha cerifera), á dextra, lembrando a phase nomade e pastoril de penetração pelos Bandeirantes, no territorio virgem; buruty (Mauritia vinifera), ao centro marcando a época subsequente de fixação e estabelicimento dos nucleos de população e do amanho das terras, e babassú (Orbignya speciosa), à sinistra, assignalando a evolução economica; oa campo inferior do escudo de fundo branco estriado de coticas em faixas de côr azur cobalto, sobrepõem-se, dispostos em roquete, tres piáus de prata representando os maiores rios do Piauhy: Parnahyba, Canindé e Poty. As coticas azues, em numero de sete, correspondem aos principaes affluentes á margen direita do rio Parnahyba. Separando os campos e delimitando o escudo, ha ainda um filete e uma bordadura de esmalte góles, ambos estreitos.

b) Uma estrella de prata com cinco pontas, ao alto do chefe do escudo symbolisando aspiração de progresso.

c) Um par de ramos, em sinopla, ouro e prata, respectivamente de algodeiro á direita e canna de assucar á esquierda do escudo, figurando as duas principaes produções agricolas do Estado, atadas em cruz de Santo André por uma flammula azul cobalto farpada em ambras as pintas e tendo inscriptas em letras de ouro a legenda que se adopta para of Estado. - Impavidum ferient ruinæ - e a data de 14 de janeiro de 1823 da proclamação de sua independencia. [1]

Corypha cerifera

Mauritia vinifera

Orbignya speciosa

Piáu (Schizodon dissimilis)

Armed Forces

Army

Piaui is a part of the 10th Military Region together with the states of Ceará and Maranhão.

Seat of the Command: Fortaleza (CE).

Police