***On public buildings all over the city are represented the coat of arms of Paris. First mentioned around 1180 (think the time of the building of Notre Dame), the symbols of Paris have evolved along with the city. Since the survival and prosperity of Lutetia (Paris' early name) were dependent of the river that surrounded and protected its island communities, water and a ship are the coat of arms' earliest components. The ship was also a reference to the powerful Guild of Watermen, the most prosperous and forceful guild in the city. Other additional symbols have included a crown for Paris' stature as the royal capital, and bees, stars and fleurs de lys, depending on who was currently in power.
***The motto of the city, Flutuat nec murgitur (("She is tossed by the waves, but does not sink") was added at the end of the 16th century, referencing not only the boat, but the resilience of the city.
***What I love about the coat of arms (the "coa") is how individual the renditions are. Coming from a society where the sanctity of a trademark is an obsession (think all the lawsuits over any perceived trademark infringement by Coke, Disney, Apple, etc.), the idea of a coa that is markedly variable seems iconoclastic (pun intended.) As near as I can tell, the attitude of the city seems to be "if you've got the basic coa ingredients included and it's recognizable, full speed ahead on creativity." We've seen versions in plaster, marble, bronze, brick, wood and plastic. Warren is probably bored to tears photographing them for me, but I'm asking him to post several for your perusal. I'll be adding more to the collection as we find them in our flaneuring.
I found similar creativity in Munich's coat of arms! Not only has the "official" coat of arms changed with different regimes, but there are many artist renditions that are similar enough to be identifiable but different enough to be interesting.
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