Last modified: 2024-06-15 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: a ver-o-mar | amorim | terroso | anchor(fowl) | pile | baton | armillary sphere | loom | fountain(heraldic) |
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The commune either has not yet proper symbols or they are unknown.
Source: Sérgio Horta´s webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider,
![[A Ver-o-Mar commune (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-pvzat-am.gif)
2:3, image by Klaus-Michael Schneider,
The flag is white with centred coat of arms (see right image below) and an unusual white scroll with black inscription "VILA DE A VER-O-MAR". The shield is parted per pale and has thus never been approved by the Comissão de Heráldica da Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses (CHAAP), as partitions of the shield are not allowed. Thus also the flag has never been approved officially.
Source: this online newspaper
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 June 2024
![[A Ver-o-Mar commune CoAs (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-pvzat-am).gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Shield Azure fishnet fretty Argent an anchor Or cordoned Gules and issuant from chief a sun dimidiated Or. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank) and white scroll reading in black upper case serifed letters "A VER-O-MAR" (see left image above).
Source: this webpage
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 June 2024
The shield is parted per pale. The sinister half is a modification of the arms described above. On a field Azure (light blue with a sting of turquoise), completely charged with a fishnet Sable, issuant from partition line a demi-anchor Maron roped Argent. The dexter half displays on a field Vert (light blueish green) a "meda de Sargassum" Maron, a basket and two rakes of the same, in chief a radiant sun Or. Mural crown Argent with four visible towers (town rank) and white scroll with inscription in black capitals "VILA DE A VER-O-MAR". (see right image above)
Meaning:
"Medas de Sargassum" are found throughout the beaches of the commune and consist of sun-dried piles of seaweed intended for natural farming fertilization. The anchor is probably alluding to the fishing-farmers of the town.
Sources: Ralf Hartemink's webpage, here and municipal webpage of Póvoa do Varzim
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
The shield is parted per pale and has thus never been approved by the CHAAP, as partitions of the shield are not allowed, and in this case that is, unlike in others, completely correct in
the spirit of the law: The prohibition of partitions was actually meant to be the prohibition of marshalling, to ensure that each coat of arms is its own thing.
In this case, however, the shield divided per pale containing in the II a dimidiated representation of the arms of the encompassing municipality (or rather a previous version thereof with the fishnet pattern of the 1939-1958 municipal flagis exactly what the spirit of the law seeks to avoid. (The I shows a sun over some fishing implements — rake, shrimping net, and beach hut; it may stand for the settlement itself.)
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 JUne 2024
The simple coat of arms is based on an assessment of Comissão de Heráldica da Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses (CHAAP), edited on 17 April 2012, which is strange, as the commune had been upgraded to a town already in 2003. The draft then should have four visible towers instead. The parted coat of arms has no chance of being approved, as parted shields are forbidden by law.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
On 17 April 2012, a few months before thedisestablishment of the commune, it was granted a different coat of arms (and flag) by the CHAAP, (see left image above): As usual, this site doesn´t give any flag information, but that was part of the quoted grant and will some day resurface from the catacombs of Largo do Carmo. Meanwhile, that is the only official arms and flag, short lived and incomplete as it was and partly unknown as it is.
Source: Hiperglobal webpage
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 JUne 2024
A Ver-o-Mar was one of the pre-2013 communes of Póvoa do Varzim Municipality; it had 8675 inhabitants in 2011 and covered 5,2 km². A Ver-o-Mar was once a fishing-farmer village in the north of the city of Póvoa de Varzim, "Abonemar" is the oldest name of A Ver-o-Mar and dates from 1099. In ecclesiastical terms, it was part of the parish of Amorim, although in the 17th century it was annexed to the town of Póvoa de Varzim due to a growing community of fishing-farmers and the increasing importance of Póvoa de Varzim. It became an independent commune from Amorim on 10 August 1922. In late 20th century, the commune became urbanised as a consequence of north expansion of Bairro Norte of the city of Póvoa de Varzim. Despite being included in the urban area of the city of Póvoa de Varzim since the 1995 city limits expansion, the commune gained town status on 1 July 2003. In January 2006, the national government approved and recognised the extension of the city of Póvoa de Varzim to this and three other parishes.
Source: English WIKIPEDIA
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
This commune was nominally disestablished in 2012, but in practice its successor of Aver-o-Mar, Amorim, and Terroso is pretty much the same thing, as the two annexed communes are less influent in all significant aspects. The use of this flag in 2022 at an official communal event is proof of that, even though this unofficial flag wasvery likely created before 2012 and is nominally the flag of Aver-o-Mar.
The spelling of the whole toponym is disputed, and its currently most accepted form is "Aver-o-Mar" (see e.g. local landmarks featuring it:
this photo and
this photo
I would contend that if that first word is meant to be split (as "A Ver"), then it should be also hyphenated "A-Ver", see e.g. on
this photo, for the same reasons the rest of the toponym is. The whole thing is a mess, the original place name being something like Abonemar, till 19th century pseudo-scientific etymologic makework created this contra-factual abomination: While the phrase "a ver o mar" means indeed "watching the sea" in modern European Portuguese, that is a novel affectation, much more recent than this settlement, whose naming is first attested in
1099: Classical Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, and southern dialectal Portuguese render this rather as "vendo o mar". Therefore the actual etymology of this toponym, and thus its meaning, is unknown.
The arms on the flag in use do not refer specifically to this meaning of the toponym, spurious as it is: While the anchor could be seen as a punning element, it is more likely it comes from the municipal coat of arms.
The spelling with space and hyphens ("A Ver-o-Mar"), though widely used, doesn´t seems to be the one preferred by the current communal government, and therefore not the one on the flag. The 2022 photo located by Klaus-Michael hides the concerning part of the scroll behind one of the local chieftains, but here and
here (heraldry page of the official communal website and its image) it is shown as such. However, it should be said that the coat-of-arms as shown on that official communal webpage and on the flag show at an official communal event differ considerably in what maybe just a print shop mishap (ah, all the dimwitted mayoral sons-in-law and kid brothers that plague the Portuguese civil service!), but could also be more than one variant exists, this variation maybe affecting the scroll text.
Still concerning the spelling of the toponym, there is also the option of writing it all as one word, Averomar, as on the logo of this local team:
https://this photo
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 JUne 2024
![[Amorim commune (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-pvzat-ao.gif)
2:3 image by , 24 Mar 2017
It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain green field.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Shield Or, a pilgrim´s baton Sable in pale with canteen Gules, flanked by two armillary spheres Or filled Vert, in base a plough Gules bladed and bridled Sable. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank) and white scroll with inscription in black capitals "AMORIM".
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Published in Diário da República: II Série on 24 May 2001
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Amorim Commune was one of the pre-2013 communes of Póvoa do Varzim Municipality; it had 2784 inhabitants in 2011 and covered 4,8 km².
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
![[Terroso commune (until 2013)]](../images/p/pt-pvzat-tr.gif)
2:3 image by , 24 Mar 2017
It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain blue field.
Source: here
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Shield Or, a loom Gules with a piece of cloth Azure with ornaments Argent and Gules, in chief a heraldic fountain, embattled mural base Sable masoned Argent. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank) and white scroll with inscription in black capitals "TERROSO".
Sources: Ralf Hartemink´s webpage and here
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Published in Diário da República: III Série on 20 May 2005,
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
Terroso was one of the pre-2013 communes of Póvoa do Varzim Municipality; it had 2528 inhabitants in 2011 and covered 6,7 km².
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Mar 2017
back to Póvoa do Varzim Communes click here
