Official coat of arms of the Autonomous Province of Trento

The early centuries of the bishopric’s history were often marked by turbulent times that called its very survival into question. It was during one such period that the ‘eagle’ of Saint Wenceslas of Bohemia was adopted as the principality’s coat of arms. In the mid-13th century, the Counts of Tyrol, who were responsible for the defence of the Principality (the aforementioned role of ‘advocate’), made no secret of their ambitions to secularise the principalities of Trento and Bressanone for their own benefit, pursuing this aim through deceit and brutality, whilst competing with the houses of Bavaria and Luxembourg, which openly sought control of the Alpine trade routes.
When, in 1337, the Bohemian Nicolò da Bruna (from present-day Brno, the capital of Moravia in the Czech Republic) was elected Prince-Bishop of Trento, the repercussions of these struggles were still being felt in the fratricidal wars between noble families. His first task was to restore order within the diocese and the Principality, curbing the disputes – with the help of King John of Bohemia, in whose service he had previously been – and reclaiming the usurped fiefdoms.
It was on this occasion that he felt the need to strengthen the Principality’s small army, placing it under a single, prestigious coat of arms that could rival those of the feuding noble families. To this end, he turned directly to King John of Bohemia to request the grant of the emblem depicted on the shield of Saint Wenceslas, ‘the flaming eagle’, which did not appear on any flag, not even that of the Kings of Bohemia. What coat of arms could be more fitting for a bishop than one dedicated to the memory of a prince, venerated as a saint and martyr for the unity of the faith? Wenceslas had, in fact, been King of Bohemia at the dawn of Christianity in his land, paying with his life (935 AD) for his rapprochement with the Church of Rome.
The request was no small matter, but the urgency and gravity of the situation called for measures of great significance. The petition was successful.

“John, by the grace of God, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg, to all and for ever. The sublimity of royal magnificence convinces us that those who, through the proof of their deeds, render themselves pleasing to us, must in turn obtain for themselves and their kin the grace of Our favour in a reward to last for ever.
Therefore, since the venerable Father in Christ, Lord Nicholas, Bishop of Trento, our most dear friend, has informed us that his Church currently has no coat of arms with which, in times of need, the noble ministers, soldiers and vassals—both his own and those of the aforementioned Church—might adorn themselves and hoist upon their banners. And having humbly and devoutly implored us that, with the benevolence that is characteristic of us, we might bestow upon him and his successors in the said Church the coat of arms, now unused, of St Wenceslas the Martyr, the glorious patron saint of our kingdom.
We, considering the loyalty of the said Bishop, which he has shown towards Us in the past and continues to show in the present, and having also considered very carefully that the Bishop himself, through his loyalty and dedication to service, has shown himself to be so zealous that we have never found, nor could we ever find, in him anything other than what true loyalty and a devotion of genuine devotion require, we deemed it our duty to heed him and grant his request, moved by a sense of special gratitude.
Therefore, by virtue of this deed, we wish to notify those living at present and those who shall live in the future that, accepting with benevolent favour the request of the aforementioned Bishop as just and reasonable, in the name of God we bestow, grant and confer upon him and his venerable successors, the Bishops of Trento, as well as to the Church of Trento, the aforementioned most invincible coat of arms of St Wenceslas himself, reproduced at the foot of this deed of privilege of ours, so that it may be held and used by the Bishop himself and by the aforementioned successors, the Bishops of Trento, both at present and in perpetuity for the future. Since, moreover, the same Church of Trento is exposed to the incursions of enemies, like a target to an arrow, and for this reason its rulers, the Bishops of Trento, have in the past been afflicted by the violence of various injustices at the hands of neighbouring nobles and powerful figures, we sincerely promise, both by virtue of the right of advocacy and by virtue of the aforementioned coat of arms, that we, our heirs and successors, the illustrious Dukes of Carinthia and the Counts of Tyrol, to preserve and, with God’s help, to defend with due honour in future the aforementioned Bishop in his rights, dignity and immunities against any encroachment or burden arising from them.
In witness, confirmation and as a perpetual guarantee of the foregoing, we have had this document drawn up and have had it sealed with our greater seal.
Given at Wrocław in the year of Our Lord 1339, on the eve of the feast of the glorious martyr, Blessed Lawrence.”

The official coat of arms of the Autonomous Province of Trento may only be used with the prior authorisation of the President of the Province, in the cases and in the manner specified in Annex A, which forms an integral part of Resolution No. 1784, dated 5 August 2010 - Criteria and procedures for the granting of patronage by the Autonomous Province of Trento and for authorisation to use the coat of arms.

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