"armillary sphere. Despite representing the entire Portuguese empire, the armillary sphere began to be used more extensively in Brazil — the largest and most developed colony at the time — not only in maritime flags, but also on coins and other media. It eventually became the unofficial ensign of Brazil. In 1815, Brazil was elevated to the rank of kingdom, and the kingdoms of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves were united as a single state--the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. The Charter Act of 1816 established the insignia of the new kingdom. It specified that the arms"
"Armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features, such as the ecliptic. As such, it differs from a celestial globe, which is a smooth sphere whose principal purpose is to map the constellations. It was invented separately in ancient Greece and ancient China, with later use in the Islamic world and Medieval Europe. With the Earth"
"design of all mechanical devices. Renaissance scientists and public figures often had their portraits painted showing them with one hand on an armillary sphere, which represented the height of wisdom and knowledge. The armillary sphere survives as useful for teaching, and may be described as a skeleton celestial globe, the series of rings representing the great circles of the heavens, and revolving on an axis within a horizon. With the earth as center such a sphere is known as Ptolemaic; with the sun as center, as Copernican. A representation of an armillary sphere is present in the modern flag of"
"credited Eratosthenes (276194 BC) as the inventor of the armillary sphere. The name of this device comes ultimately from the Latin ""armilla"" (circle, bracelet), since it has a skeleton made of graduated metal circles linking the poles and representing the equator, the ecliptic, meridians and parallels. Usually a ball representing the Earth or, later, the Sun is placed in its center. It is used to demonstrate the motion of the stars around the Earth. Before the advent of the European telescope in the 17th century, the armillary sphere was the prime instrument of all astronomers in determining celestial positions. In"
"the armillary sphere. This reign coincided with the height of Portuguese overseas expansion and might, with the armillary sphere being widely displayed, alone or together with the Portuguese arms, in public buildings, documents, flags and other environments. The armillary sphere was so common in this period that it came to be considered not only as a royal personal badge but as a symbol of the country and of its overseas empire, with its use continuing even after the death of King Manuel I. The cross of the Order of Christ, referred simply as the ""cruz de Cristo"" (cross of Christ),"
"an equal manner (1:1). Centred over the colour boundary lie the armillary sphere and Portuguese shield, surrounded by two yellow laurel branches intersecting at their stems. These are bound by a white stripe bearing the verse by Luís de Camões """"Esta é a ditosa pátria minha amada"""" () as the motto. This differs from the version of coat of arms employed as emblem, where the laurel shoots are tied by a green and red stripe without the verse. The sphere's outer diameter is one-third of the width and lies from the upper edge and from the lower edge. Although the"
"crown. The armillary sphere appeared so as a kind of supporter of the shield, although it is controversial if it should be really considered a supporter or part of the main element of the arms. From the second half of the 19th century, the Royal coat of arms became commonly represented with the shield covered by a mantle purple lined ermine issuing from the Royal crown. The present model of the coat of arms of Portugal was designed by the painter Columbano, member of the commission appointed on the 15 October 1910 to present the project for a new National"
"armillary sphere, an astronomical instrument representing the celestial sphere. The Greek astronomer Eratosthenes (276–194 BC) invented the first armillary sphere in 255 BC. The Chinese armillary sphere was fully developed by 52 BC, with the astronomer Geng Shouchang's addition of a permanently fixed equatorial ring. In AD 84 the astronomers Fu An and Jia Kui added the ecliptic ring, and finally Zhang Heng added the horizon and meridian rings. This invention is described and attributed to Zhang in quotations by Hsu Chen and Li Shan, referencing his book ""Lou Shui Chuan Hun Thien I Chieh"" (Apparatus for Rotating an Armillary"
"the armillary sphere is surrounded by two branches of laurel, tied in the base with a white scroll with Camões' verse """"Esta é a ditosa Pátria minha amada"""" (This is my beloved famous Motherland). The final version, intended to be used in seals, coins and other badges, is similar to the second version, but the scroll does not include the verse and is usually represented in red and green. The Portuguese shield itself is the result of about 300 years of evolution, from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The putative initial shield used by Afonso Henriques, who became the"
"used, which included a red ecclesiastical hat (galero) and respective tassels, combined with the Royal crown, to reflect the cardinal standing of the King. During the 1815-1825 period, the Royal coat arms were changed to reflect the establishment of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, starting to include also the armillary sphere ""or"" over a field ""azur"", which was adopted as the coat of arms of the newly created Kingdom of Brazil. The new achievement consisted so of the Portuguese shield (representing Portugal and the Algarve) over the armillary sphere (representing Brazil), all topped by the Royal"
"the republic in 1889, the armillary sphere was altered and transformed in the celestial sphere of the present Brazilian national flag and coat of arms. After the independence of Brazil in 1822, a Brazilian heraldry appeared, which continued the Portuguese tradition in most of its aspects. Regarding family heraldry, as most of the noble families of Brazil descended from Portuguese lineages, in many cases they continued to bear their coats of arms. The Portuguese tradition of civic heraldry was also partially followed in Brazil. In the 20th century, the Portuguese municipal heraldry official standards established in 1930 served as the"
"Portugal and the Algarves) over the armillary sphere (representing Brazil), all topped by the Royal crown. Although displayed as a supporter of the Portuguese shield and not as part of it, it is controversial if the armillary sphere should be considered or not part of the main field of the new achievement. This achievement of arms was used in Portugal from 1815 to 1826 (despite Brazil having achieved independence in 1822, only when King John VI died in 1826 did Portugal revert to the use of the old coat of arms). Until the early 14th century, the achievement of arms"
"sphere, which had been present on the national flag under the reign of John VI, was revived because it consecrated the ""Portuguese epic maritime history ... the ultimate challenge, essential to our collective life."". The Portuguese shield was kept, being positioned over the armillary sphere. Its presence would immortalize the ""human miracle of positive bravery, tenacity, diplomacy, and audacity, that managed to bind the first links of the Portuguese nation's social and political affirmation"", since it is one of the ""most vigorous symbols of the national identity and integrity"". The new flag was produced in large numbers at the (""National"
"was actually the Grand Master of the Order of Christ. It thus became the symbol of the most important period of the nation—the Portuguese discoveries. In light of this, King Manuel I, who ruled during this period, incorporated the armillary sphere into his personal banner. It was simultaneously used as the ensign of ships plying the route between the metropolis and Brazil, thus becoming a colonial symbol and a fulcral element of the flags of the future Brazilian kingdom and empire. Adding to the sphere's significance was its common use on every Manueline-influenced architectural work, where it is one of"
"rules of King Manuel I, the Portugal ancient was often used as the coat of arms of the illegitimate children of the Monarchs. From then on, it was used as an augmentation of honor to a coat of arms granted by the Monarch. The ""esfera armilar"" (armillary sphere) is also a charge that frequently appears in Portuguese heraldry, usually represented in ""or"". The armillary sphere was granted by King John II to Duke Manuel of Viseu as his personal badge when he was appointed heir of the Crown. When Manuel became King of Portugal in 1495, he continued to bear"
"the throne, which was destined to go to his elder brother King Sancho II of Portugal. As a second son, the coat of arms of Afonso III included both the arms of his father and the arms of his mother Urraca of Castile, thus the Castillan red border with golden castillan castles, around the Portuguese shield inherited from his father. An important element of Portuguese heraldry since the 15th century, the armillary sphere was many times used in Portuguese naval and colonial flags, mainly in Brazil. It was a navigation instrument used to calculate distances and represents the importance of"
"usually as elements surrounding the Portuguese shield. These two heraldic insignia were so intensively used that they evolved from being mere personal insignias of Manuel I to be considered national insignias, continuing to be used even after the end of the reign of this king. Occasionally, the armillary sphere was represented as the supporter of the Portuguese shield, in a similar composition to those that, centuries latter, would be used in the arms of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and of the Portuguese Republic. During the reign of Henry, a peculiar Royal achievement of arms was"
"of Portugal"". The second version consists of the Portuguese shield over the armillary sphere, with this being surrounded by two branches of laurel, tied in the base with a white scroll with the Camões verse ""Esta é a ditosa Pátria minha amada"" (This is my beloved famous Motherland). This version was intended to be used on the regimental colors of the military units. Finally, the third version is similar to the second one but the scroll does not includes the verse and is usually represented in red and green. This version was intended to be used in seals, coins and"
"of the globe. The armillary sphere was reintroduced to Western Europe via Al-Andalus in the late 10th century with the efforts of Gerbert d'Aurillac, the later Pope Sylvester II (r. 999–1003). Pope Sylvester II applied the use of sighting tubes with his armillary sphere in order to fix the position of the pole star and record measurements for the tropics and equator. Chinese ideas of astronomy and astronomical instruments were introduced to Korea, where further advancements were also made. Jang Yeong-sil, a Korean inventor, was ordered by King Sejong the Great of Joseon to build an armillary sphere. The sphere,"
"sphere has a diameter equal to width and is equidistant from the upper and lower edges of the flag. The sphere, drawn in perspective, possesses six edge-embossed arcs, four of which are great circles and two are small circles. The great circles represent the ecliptic (wider oblique arc), the equator, and two meridians. These last three are positioned so that the intersections between each two arcs make a right angle; one meridian lies on the flag's plane while the other is perpendicular to it. The small circles consist of two parallels (the tropics), each tangent to one of the ecliptic-meridian"
"mainstream weapon in Europe. Several remains of crossbows have been found among the soldiers of the Terracotta Army in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. The Eastern Han Dynasty scholar and astronomer Zhang Heng (78–139 AD) invented the first water-powered rotating armillary sphere (the first armillary sphere having been invented by the Greek Eratosthenes), and catalogued 2,500 stars and over 100 constellations. In 132, he invented the first seismological detector, called the """"Houfeng Didong Yi"""" (""Instrument for inquiring into the wind and the shaking of the earth""). According to the ""History of Later Han Dynasty"" (25–220 AD), this seismograph was"
"of Europe, because Brussels is considered the unofficial capital of the EU. Flag of Europe The European Flag or Flag of Europe is an official symbol of two separate organisations—the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU). Flag is also used as symbol of Europe continent as whole. It consists of a circle of twelve five-pointed yellow (""or"") stars on a blue (""azure"") field. The flag was designed in 1955, and officially launched later that year by the Council of Europe as a symbol for the whole of Europe. The Council of Europe urged it to be adopted"
"model of fighting sheep."" The armillary sphere was used for observation in India since early times, and finds mention in the works of Āryabhata (476 CE). The ""Goladīpikā""—a detailed treatise dealing with globes and the armillary sphere was composed between 1380–1460 CE by Parameśvara. On the subject of the usage of the armillary sphere in India, Ōhashi (2008) writes: ""The Indian armillary sphere (""gola-yantra"") was based on equatorial coordinates, unlike the Greek armillary sphere, which was based on ecliptical coordinates, although the Indian armillary sphere also had an ecliptical hoop. Probably, the celestial coordinates of the junction stars of the"
"Santucci's Armillary Sphere Santucci's armillary sphere is a Ptolemaic armillary sphere at the Museo Galileo, the largest existing in the world. Begun on March 4, 1588, and completed on May 6, 1593, this large armillary sphere was built under the supervision of Antonio Santucci at the request of Ferdinand I de' Medici. The sphere represents the ""universal machine"" of the world according to the concepts developed by Aristotle and perfected by Ptolemy. The terrestrial globe is placed at the center, and it also displays territories that were still relatively little known at the time. The device was restored in the"
"96 (15 abstentions). In 2017, the president of France Emmanuel Macron sent a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk which contained a declaration endorsing the symbols declaration of the Treaty of Lisbon. The flag of Europe is used to represent both the European Union and the Council of Europe. It consists of a circle of 12 golden (yellow) stars on a blue background. The blue represents the west, the number of stars represents completeness while their position in a circle represents unity. The stars do not vary according to the members of either organisation as they are intended to"
"sovereignty, as well as of Jesus (the Lion of Judah), is a common charge on monarchal coats of arms and features on the coats of arms of all surviving European kingdoms (i.e. the coats of arms of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain (where it represents León), Sweden, and the UK), as well as several former monarchies. There is much diversity in the coats of arms of the European republics. Many have chosen to use the same coat of arms they used as monarchies (or as part of monarchies) or a modified version of it. Finland for example uses"
"Flag of Europe The European Flag or Flag of Europe is an official symbol of two separate organisations—the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU). Flag is also used as symbol of Europe continent as whole. It consists of a circle of twelve five-pointed yellow (""or"") stars on a blue (""azure"") field. The flag was designed in 1955, and officially launched later that year by the Council of Europe as a symbol for the whole of Europe. The Council of Europe urged it to be adopted by other European organisations, and in 1985 the European Communities (EC) adopted"
"arms of Poland, Germany, and Romania; double-headed eagles can be found on the coats of arms of Russia (without the ermine mantling and crown of the Russian Empire), Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania. Austria uses a single-headed eagle as a supporter for its coat of arms, but this is officially unrelated to and distinct from the double-headed eagle used by the former Austrian Empire; the escutcheon (gules, a fess argent) is however a pre-republic symbol dating back to the middle ages. Eagles also feature prominently as supporters on the coats of arms of Arab states, having been derived from the Eagle"
"detailed correct iconography for paintings of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, which included the circle of stars (he also advised the inquisition in Seville on artistic matters). This was followed by Murillo and his school in very many paintings, and influenced non-Spanish depictions. The European flag consists of 12 golden stars in a circle on a blue background. The stars symbolise the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries, though the circle is a symbol of unity. The European flag, first"
"area. The Luso-Sundanese padrão is a 165 cm high stone pillar. The upper part of the padrão shows an armillary sphere, a symbol of discovery used by King Manuel of Portugal. On top of the sphere is a trefoil. A cross of the Order of Christ has been carved above the first line of the inscription. The inscription itself, ""OSPOR .ESFERЯa/Mo"" is an abbreviation of ""O Senhor de Portugal. Esfera/Espera do Mundo"", meaning ""The Lord of Portugal. Sphere/Hope of the World"". Luso-Sundanese padrão The Luso-Sundanese padrão is a stone pillar commemorating a treaty between the kingdoms of Portugal and Sunda,"
"name. In Germanic regions it is known simply as a ""star."" In English and French heraldry, however, the hexagram is known as a ""mullet of six points,"" where ""mullet"" is a French term for a spur rowel which is shown with five pointed arms by default unless otherwise specified. In Albanian heraldry and vexillology, hexagram has been used since classical antiquity and it is commonly referred to as ""sixagram"". of the House of Kastrioti depicts the hexagram on a pile argent over the double headed eagle. A hexagram also appears on the Dardania Flag, proposed for Kosovo by the Democratic"
"Coat of arms of Basque Country (autonomous community) The current Basque coat of arms (Spanish: ""Escudo del País Vasco"", Basque: ""Euskal autonomi erkidegoaren armarria"") is the official coat of arms of the Basque Country, Autonomous community of Spain. It consists of a ""party per cross"" representing the three historical territories of Álava, Gipuzkoa and Biscay, as well as a fourth, void quarter. The arms are ringed by a regal wreath of oak leaves, symbolic of the Gernikako Arbola. The fourth quarter constituted since the late 19th century the linked chains of Navarre; however, following a legal suit by the Navarre"
"persons increasingly adopted personal devices or emblems that were distinct from their family heraldry. The most famous include Louis XIV of France's sun, the salamander of Francis I of France, the boar of Richard III of England and the armillary sphere of Manuel I of Portugal. In the fifteenth and sixteenth century, there was a fashion, started in Italy, for making large medals with a portrait head on the obverse and the emblem on the reverse; these would be given to friends and as diplomatic gifts. Pisanello produced many of the earliest and finest of these. A symbol, on the"