| Coat of arms of Paris | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Versions | |
 Escutcheon-only | |
| Armiger | City ofParis |
| Adopted | 1358 |
| Shield | Gules, on waves of the sea in base a ship in full sail Argent, a chief Azuresemé-de-lis Or |
| Motto | Fluctuat nec mergitur (She is tossed by the waves, but does not sink) |
| Order(s) | Legion of Honor Order of Liberation Croix de Guerre |
| Other elements | Above the shield a mural crown Or |
Thecoat of arms of Paris (French:blason de Paris) shows asilversailing ship on waves of the sea in ared field, with achief showing the royalfleurs-de-lis. Originally introduced in the 14th century, its current form dates to 1853. The city motto isFluctuat nec mergitur ("[She] is tossed [by the waves], but does not sink"). The traditional colors of the city of Paris are red and blue.
TheMarchands de l'eau (hanse parisienne des marchands de l'eau) were a corporation or guild established by royal privilege in 1170 with the right for commercial navigation on theSeine between Paris andMantes. Their seal in c. 1210 showed a river boat. By the mid-14th century, the members of the guild, known as thehansés, became the most influential faction in the city, and their emblem, now represented as a sailing-vessel bearing the royal fleur-de-lis as its emblem, came to be used as the city coat of arms. The first recorded use of the coat of arms dates to 1358. The city colors of red and blue also date to 1358, introduced byÉtienne Marcel.[1] In the 15th century, the coat of arms is shown as a red a ship argent (without the waves) with theCapetian arms in chief, at the time azure, threefleurs-de-lis or. The use of semé-de-lis (France ancien) is attested for the early 16th century.
When theFrench Revolution abolished the nobility by the decree of 20 June 1790, it simultaneously disallowed all emblems or coats of arms. The municipality of Paris quickly complied, and abolished its own arms in November of that same year.
It was not until theFirst French Empire that new cities were officially allowed to have arms. For Paris, this resulted in the Letters Patent granted to the city of Paris byNapoleon on 29 January 1811. In the Letters Patent ofLouis XVIII in 1817, the coat of arms of Paris was restored in its traditional form,[2] except for the chief, where the fleur-de-lis were replaced by the three bees usedby Napoleon (attributed to theMerovingian kings, especiallyChilderic I).
TheJuly Monarchy re-introduced the old (pre-revolutionary) coat of arms. Under theFrench Second Republic (1848–1852), the fleurs-de-lis were replaced by stars.
Under theSecond French Empire, the old coat-of-arms was once again restored. The mottoFluctuat nec mergitur dates to the same time, officially introduced by a decree dated 24 November 1853, byBaron Haussmann, then prefect of theSeine. It has been part of the full coat of arms since that time.
Additions made to the full achievement of the coat of arms in modern times include three badges, for:[3]
![Seal of the marchands de l'eau, c. 1210 (SIGIL[LVM ME]RCATORVM AQVE PARISIVS)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMoulage_du_sceau_des_marchands_de_l%2527eau_de_Paris._1_-_Archives_Nationales_-_SC-D5582.jpg)
![Seal dated 1412, showing a ship with two fleur-de-lis [4]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSeal_of_Paris_(No_6).jpg)
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Fluctuat nec mergitur ("[she] is rocked [by the waves], but does not sink"; French:Il est agité par les vagues, mais ne sombre pas[5] orIl est battu par les flots, mais ne sombre pas[6]) is theLatinmotto of the city ofParis.
The motto originates as an abbreviation of a longer Latindistich,
This verse is medieval, attributed to eitherPope Gregory IX orPope Innocent IV in the context of the war againstFrederick II, in which Frederick haddestroyed the Genoese fleet.[7]The tradition of attribution to these 13th-century popes, while it may itself be spurious, has a manuscript tradition going back to at least the 15th century.[8] The verse is mentioned in print in 1567, byMatthias Flacius.[9]
The abbreviated verse first appears in connection with Paris, on coins (jetons), in the 1580s.[5] Before the 19th century, it was one of the mottoes associated with Paris, neither officially, nor exclusively. It was historically also associated with the city ofAimargues.[5]
Its official adoption as the motto of the city of Paris dates to 24 November 1853, in connection with therenovation of Paris led byGeorges-Eugène Haussmann.[5] It was included as theheraldic motto with the city's coat of arms from this time.[10]
The motto is part of the official livery of theParis Fire Brigade. Following theNovember 2015 Paris attacks, the Latin-language motto had a surge in popularity and was used in social media as a symbol of Paris' resistance in the face of terrorism.
The coat of arms is to be found on many Parisianpublic buildings, including theHôtel de Ville, the mairies ofthe 20 arrondissements,the train stations,the bridges, and primary andsecondary schools, and laSorbonne. Today,the police headquarters of Paris uses a logo inspired by the coat of arms of the city of Paris. It was also represented on a postage stamp issued in 1965, the 0.30 franc "Blason de Paris". It is also used as theGarde républicaine's insignia.
Media related toCoats of arms of Paris at Wikimedia Commons
