Patillas

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United States > Puerto Rico

PATILLAS

Origin/meaning

The crow with a piece of bread in its beak, refers to the bird that saved the life to San Benito Abad, patron of the town, from being poisoned with a piece of bread. The castle with three windows symbolizes the captivity of Santa Barbara, matron of Patillas in the first years of the foundation and the devotion to the Santísima Trinidad. The cross represents Santo Cristo de la Salud.

The two crossed machetes underneath the cross represent the peasants struggle in the sugar cane plantations and the origins of economic development. The three towers in the superior part mean that Patillas is categorized as a town. The watermelon leaf, a fruit that abounded in the west of Patillas, is the reason for the name of the town. The motto "Ora Et Labora", means Pray and Work; motto of the religious order of San Benito Abad.

Literature : Information and image from Nelson L. Román