Official coat of arms of the Autonomous Province of Trento

The first centuries in the history of the Episcopal Principality were often marked by troubled moments that called its very survival into question. Linked to one of these is the adoption of the 'eagle' of St Wenceslas of Bohemia as the coat of arms of the Principality. In the middle of the 13th century, the Counts of Tyrol, who were responsible for the defence of the Principality (the already mentioned task of lawyer), did not conceal their aims of secularising the principalities of Trent and Brixen in their favour, pursuing their goal with deceit and brutality, competing with the dynasties of Bavaria and Luxembourg who openly aimed at the possession of the Alpine communication routes.
When the Bohemian Nicolò da Bruna (today's Brno, capital of Moravia in Czechoslovakia) was elected prince-bishop of Trento in 1337, the repercussions of these struggles were still active in the fratricidal wars between noble families. His first task was to put order in the territory of the diocese and the Principality, curbing the disputes with the help of King John of Bohemia, whose servant he had been, and regaining possession of the usurped fiefs.
It was on this occasion that he felt the need to strengthen the Principality's small army, placing it under a unified and prestigious coat of arms that could compete with those of the contending nobility. That is why he approached King John of Bohemia directly to ask for the emblem on the shield of St Wenceslas, the 'flaming eagle', which did not appear on any flag, not even that of the Kings of Bohemia. What coat of arms better suited a bishop than that consecrated 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 death (935 A.D.) for his rapprochement to the Church of Rome.
The request was no small one, but the urgency and gravity of the moment demanded prestigious action. The petition was successful.

"John by the grace of God King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg to all and sundry. The sublimity of royal magnificence convinces us that those who by the proof of their deeds make themselves pleasing to Us, must in turn attain for themselves and theirs the grace of Our favour in a reward to be worth forever.
Therefore, our venerable Father in Christ the Lord Nicholas, Bishop of Trent, our dearest friend, having declared to us that his Church at present has no coat of arms with which, in times of necessity, the noble ministers, soldiers and vassals, his own and those of the aforesaid Church, may decorate themselves and hoist the banners. And having humbly and devoutly begged us, that with the kindness that is congenial to us, we might make a gift to him and his successors in the aforesaid Church, of the now unused coat of arms of St. Wenceslas the Martyr, glorious patron of our kingdom.
We, looking at the loyalty of our Lord Bishop himself, which he has shown us in the past and shows us in the present, and taking into careful consideration that our Lord Bishop has been so zealous in his loyalty and willingness to serve us that we have never found or could find in him anything other than what true loyalty and true devotion require, have decided that we are obliged to listen to him and grant his request out of a special debt of gratitude.
Therefore, by the tenor of the present deed, we wish to notify those who live in the present and those who will live in the future that, accepting with benign affection as just and reasonable the request of the aforesaid Lord Bishop, in the name of God we give, grant and donate to him and to his venerable successors, the Bishops of Trent, as well as to the Tridentine Church, the aforesaid invictorious coat of arms of St. Wenceslas himself, reproduced in the original in the form of a coat of arms. Wenceslas, reproduced at the foot of this our deed of privilege so that it may be possessed and used by the same Bishop and by his aforesaid successors, the Bishops of Trent, in the present and transmitted in perpetuity for the future. Since then the same Tridentine Church is exposed to the incursions of enemies, as to the arrow the target, and for this reason its rectors, the Bishops of Trent, in the past were afflicted by the violence of various injustices on the part of noble and powerful neighbours, we sincerely promise, both by the right of avowal as well as by virtue of the aforesaid coat of arms, we, our heirs and successors, the illustrious Dukes of Carinthia and the Counts of Tyrol, intervening, to preserve and with God's help worthily defend in the future the mentioned Lord Bishop in his rights, dignity and immunity against all undertakings and burdens coming from them.
In witness, manifestation and force to be valid in perpetuity of the foregoing, we have caused the present document to be drawn up and have strengthened it by our greater seal.
Given at Wroclav in the year of our Lord 1339, on the eve of the glorious martyr the blessed Lawrence."

The official coat of arms of the Autonomous Province of Trento may only be used with prior authorisation from the President of the Province, in the cases and according to the procedures indicated in Attachment A, an integral part of Resolution no. 1784, dated 05.08.2010 - Criteria and procedures for granting patronage of the Autonomous Province of Trento and authorisation to use the coat of arms.

Go to the PAT Patronage Request page