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# Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo United Commune (Portugal)

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Last modified: 2026-07-18 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: vilarinho dos galegos | ventozelo | bridge | bells(2) | olive(branch) | weaver shuttle | vine(plant) | wheat(ear) |
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## União das Freguesias de Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo, Concelho de Mogadouro, Distrito de Bragança

2:3, image by António Martins-Tuválkin and Sérgio Horta, 3 June 2026

- Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo United Commune

- Flag
- Coat of Arms
- Presentation of Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo

- Former Vilarinho dos Galegos Commune (until 2013)

- Flag
- Coat of Arms
- Presentation of Vilarinho dos Galegos

- Former Ventozelo Commune (until 2013)

- Flag
- Coat of Arms
- Presentation of Ventozelo

See also:

- Mogadouro Municipality
- Portugal
- Portuguese WIKIPEDIA

## Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo United Commune

### Flag

It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain white field.
Source: Sérgio Horta´s webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024

### Coat of Arms

image by António Martins-Tuválkin and Sérgio Horta, 3 June 2026

Shield Vert, a branch of vine plant Or fructed Argent, a wheat ear Or and an olive branch Or fructed Sable, all tied Argent, in chief two bells Argent strapped Gules with bobbins Or, issuant from base wavy Argent charged with a barrulet wavy Azure a two-arch bridge Argent masoned Sable. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank) and white scroll reading in black upper case serifed letters "UNIÃO DAS FREGUESIAS DE/VILARINHO DOS GALEGOS E VENTOZELO".
Meaning:
The symbols are basically those of the former Vilarinho dos Galegos Commune. Only the olive branch was replaced by the central charge of the arms of former Ventozelo Commune in adapted tinctures. And colour of the bobbins turned from red to golden.
The base wavy is a representation of the Douro River (Spanish: Duero), which is not only the southern border of both former communes but here also the border between Portugal and Spain. The bells are probably referring to the Church of Vila dos Sinos (town of the bells).
Sources: Sérgio Horta´s webpage
this photo
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024

Published in Diário da República: II Série on 20 January 2017
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024

### Presentation of Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo

Vilarinho dos Galegos e Ventozelo is one of the four communes of Mogadouro Municipality created by a merger during the 2013 changes. It had 357 inhabitants in 2021 and covers 48,74 km².
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Oct 2024

### Former Vilarinho dos Galegos commune (until 2013)

#### Flag

2:3, image by Sérgio Horta, 25 Feb 2016

It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain white field.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 Feb 2016

#### Coat of Arms

image by Sérgio Horta, 25 Feb 2016

Shield Vert, three olive branches Or fruited Sable tied Gules in saltire, in chief two bells Argent strappedGules with bobbins of the same, issuant from base wavy Argent charged with a barrulet wavy Azure a two-arch bridge Argent masoned Sable. Mural crown Argent with three visible towers (village rank) and white scroll reading in black upper case letters "VILARINHO DOS GALEGOS".
Meaning:
"Vilarinho dos galegos" means something like "hamlet of the Galicians". But this meaning is not apparent in the arms, which instead show tokens of local oleiculture (this commune is one of the very few green dots on northeastern Portugal in this Olea europea distribution map), local history, hydrography and (not so usual) local campanology (editorial note: the art of ringing bells).
More seriously, this might have to do with "Vila dos Sinos", a village that was successively annexed and disannexed to and from this commune a few times in the past. If so, bells, as items of canting heraldry, might show up again in the new arms and flag of the united commune. "vila dos sinos" means "town of the bells" (Bell Town, or even Bellton, if you prefer). Yes, a village named town, maybe to match the nine cities in Portugal which are also named "vila" of something. Incongruous, as in Portugal supposedly the three ranks of settlements (regardless the rank of the local government entity they may be the seat of, or named after) are well-marked and disjunct: City (cidade), town (vila), and village (aldeia). But of course, often reality doesn't conform to this simple scheme, be it in terms of geography as well as, in this case, of toponymy.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 Feb 2016

Published in Diário da República: II Série on 24 April 2004
António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 Feb 2016

#### Presentation of Vilarinho dos Galegos

Vilarinho dos Galegos was one of 11 the pre-2013 communes of Mogadouro Municipality; it had 190 inhabitants in 2011 and covered 24,8 km².
António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 Feb 2016

### Former Ventozelo commune (until 2013)

#### Flag

2:3, image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 Mar 2016

It is a typical Portuguese communal flag, with the coat of arms centred on a plain green field.
Source: information provided by municipal library of Mogadouro
António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 May 2016

#### Coat of Arms

image by Sérgio Horta, 26 Mar 2016

Shield Argent with base wavy of Azure and Argent, a branch of vine plant Vert fruited Purpure, a wheat ear Vert and an olive branch Vert fruited sable, all tied Purpure, in chief a fessy weaver´s shuttle Purpure with yarn Or. Mural crown Argent (village rank) with three visible towers and short white scroll (in Bénard Guedes style) with inscription in black initials "VENTOZELO".
Source: this webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Mar 2016 and António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 May 2016

Published in Diário da República: III Série on 24 June 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Mar 2016

#### Presentation of Ventozelo

Ventozelo Commune was one of the 11 pre-2013 communes of Mogadouro Municipality; it had 146 inhabitants in 2011 and covered 24,0 km².
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Mar 2016

back to Mogadouro Communes click here