Arms of Villarta de San Juan, Spain

Granted 1969

Blazon: Gules a city or, church and houses windowed of the field, in chief a Maltese cross argent

These aren’t the most elaborate or exciting arms I’ve seen, but there’s something very satisfying about them. They are, as you might have guessed, canting arms – a city, or villa, and a Maltese cross, the symbol of the order of St. John, or San Juan. The town’s name also encapsulates both its history and structure: the land where the town currently lies was granted to the Order in 1173, and a church was later built on the ruins of one of their fortifications. The fortification apparently enclosed enough of the town for it to become known as villa harta, or a tightly walled city. There’s no need to be fancy about it – you can just call the town what it is, and then represent that on its arms.

Arms of Villar del Pozo, Spain

Granted 1998

Blazon: Per pale gules a Maltese cross argent and per fess or nine houses 3, 3, and 3 of the first and of the second, a well of the first

These are pretty straightforward canting arms in the sinister half – in chief, three rows of houses that, according to the blazon, are specifically intended to represent a town (villa) and a well (pozo). Given that the first written reference to Villar del Pozo, in 1226, is a deed granting the town to the Knights Hospitaller, I’m pretty confident in saying that they’re the source of the Maltese cross.

 

Arms of Eckenweiler, Germany

In use since at least 2007

Blazon: Azure a house with stepped roof argent, windowed sable on a base vert, on a chief or an antler fesswise sable

I don’t have a ton of information on these arms, probably at least partly due to the fact that Eckenweiler seems to be more of a suburb than a city in its own right. I’m guessing the oddly-shaped house is a reference to a specific local building, which is incredibly common in municipal arms. It could well be the village church; it’s apparently been around since 1789, and, as the only Protestant-majority district in the city, that seems remarkable enough to feature. (This particular bit of land belonged to the Duchy of Württemberg when Duke Ulrich converted his lands to Protestantism, rather than to the Catholic Austria.)

Arms of Poblete, Spain

Granted 1997

Blazon: Azure on a pale gules between six houses argent a castle triple-towered or between in chief a cross couped and in base a crescent of the second

These may be canting arms, as the town’s name derives from “poblet,” a ancient diminutive of “town.”

Arms of Villavaliente, Spain

In use since at least 2009

Blazon: Per fess I per pale vert a tower or windowed azure and or an eagle displayed sable, II argent three rows of houses gules surmounted by a sword palewise or

Villavaliente was a part of the municipality of Jorquera until 1927. The chief part of the arms are those of Jorquera. The houses in the base are likely a reference to the former name of the town – Casas de Valiente.

Arms of Zuzenhausen, Germany

In use since 1748; granted 1905

Blazon: Argent a house with an open door, in chief two batons tipped with fleurs-de-lis in saltire gules

Arms of Elche de la Sierra, Spain

In use since at least 1991

Blazon: Or five mounts vert charged with twelve houses 4, 4, and 4 conjoined in fess of the field.

Arms of Casas de Juan Núñez, Spain

Granted 1987

Blazon: Per fess I per pale vert a tower or windowed azure and or an eagle displayed sable, II argent two houses in fess gules

Arms of Antau, Austria

Granted 1991

Blazon: Per fess gules a house between two stalks of wheat issuant from the partition line or and of the second a cog-wheel of the first

Arms of A Pobra do Caramiñal, Spain

Unofficial; in use since roughly 1822

Blazon: Per pale azure on the sea in base barry wavy argent and the field, a lymphad or, sail of the second, in chief two escallops of the last (Pobra do Deán); and or on a base vert two houses argent windowed azure joined by a path pallwise of the third, issuant from between them a camariña branch of the second (Pobra)