What you are looking at
Porto’s coat of arms is easy to recognise once you know its parts. On top sits a crown of towers. Below it, the shield shows a castle with its towers and gate, the figure of Our Lady at the centre, two small shields with the blue Portuguese quinas, and wavy lines at the base for the river. Around the shield runs a chain of honour, and a ribbon carries the city’s full title.
That title is the part locals quote. It reads:
“Antiga, Mui Nobre, Sempre Leal e Invicta Cidade do Porto” — Ancient, Most Noble, Always Loyal and Unvanquished City of Porto.
Why Porto is the Invicta
Ask anyone in Porto for the city’s nickname and you will hear a Invicta, the unvanquished. The word goes back to the Siege of Porto, between July 1832 and August 1833, during the Liberal Wars, when the city held out for more than a year with Dom Pedro’s liberal army inside its lines. The name stuck: today “a Invicta” simply means Porto.
For a visitor, it explains a lot about Porto’s character: proud, a little stubborn, and quick to defend its own traditions, the francesinha included.
Where the flag ends up on your plate
At Capa na Baixa, on Praça de Dom João I, every francesinha arrives with a small paper flag printed with the city’s coat of arms. This is our own restaurant (see the disclosure below), so take this part as our story rather than a review.
The flag is there as a sign of respect. The francesinha was born in Porto, and the house behind it goes back to 30 August 1972, when the Fontes brothers opened Capa Negra II in Campo Alegre. In 2016 the same family brought its recipes downtown and opened Capa na Baixa. Putting the city’s arms on the plate is a small way of saying where the dish, and the family, belong.
The Coat of Arms Cheat Sheet
The motto: Antiga, Mui Nobre, Sempre Leal e Invicta Cidade do Porto.
In English: Ancient, Most Noble, Always Loyal and Unvanquished City of Porto.
The nickname: a Invicta, from the Siege of Porto, 1832–1833.
On a plate: the francesinha at Capa na Baixa, Praça de Dom João I 175, next to the Teatro Rivoli.
Quick answers
What does Porto’s motto mean?
The city’s title, “Antiga, Mui Nobre, Sempre Leal e Invicta Cidade do Porto”, means Ancient, Most Noble, Always Loyal and Unvanquished City of Porto.
Why is Porto called the Invicta?
Invicta means unvanquished. The name recalls the Siege of Porto, from July 1832 to August 1833, during the Liberal Wars, when the city held out for more than a year.
What is on Porto’s coat of arms?
A crown of towers on top and a shield with a castle, the figure of Our Lady at the centre, two small shields with the Portuguese quinas and wavy lines for the river, surrounded by a chain of honour and a ribbon with the city’s title.
Which restaurant serves a francesinha with Porto’s coat of arms?
At Capa na Baixa, on Praça de Dom João I in downtown Porto, every francesinha arrives with a small paper flag bearing the city’s coat of arms. Capa na Baixa is the restaurant behind this guide.
Sources. The dates of the Siege of Porto follow Wikipedia: Siege of Porto. The description of the coat of arms is based on the version printed on the flag shown above.
Disclosure. Porto Inside Guide is published by the team behind Capa na Baixa, and the last part of this article is about our own restaurant.