Coat of arms of Madrid

The Coat of arms of Madrid, the capital of Spain, has its origin in the Middle Ages, but was redesigned in 1967. In 2004 a logo it includes a shield similar to the symbol of the city and its council.

The shield is argent, a bear sable supported on a strawberry tree vert fructed gules; on a bordure azure seven stars argent. The shield is adorned with a large open royal crown of gold and precious stones, with eight rosettes (five visible) alternating with eight pearls; this crown is commonly used in Spanish heraldry for territorial and municipal arms.

The image of the bear and the strawberry tree is also a component of the badge of the football club Atlético Madrid.

At the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 between Alfonso VIII of Castile and the Almohads, the council of Madrid sent a detachment in support of the Christian king. According to chronicles of the time, these troops carried a flag or banner which identified them: a statant bear on a silver field. This is the first mention in history of the shield of Madrid.

In 1222, the clergymen of the Madrilenian parishes confronted the Council for the use of the fodder in the fields and forests in the municipal jurisdiction. Those were important resources for both institutions, and both wanted the use of these lands. King Alfonso VIII determined that the fodder would belong to the clergymen, whereas the forests would pertain to the Council. This decision did not convince the clergymen, but satisfied the Council. In fact, the council was so satisfied, that it immediately modified the shield of the municipality, adding a tree as proof of its new possessions. The bear, which formerly had been displayed walking, now stood on its hind legs to eat fruits from the tree. It is not certain when it was begun to consider that tree as a strawberry tree because there were few specimens of this tree species in Madrid in 1212.

A later and widely spread representation of the arms of Madrid depicts two mistakes: a shield with a shape used since the 16th century and five-pointed stars Argent (white or light grey), instead of eight pointed commonly used by the Madrid Council at that time.

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