Futebol Clube do Porto, commonly known as FC Porto, is a Portuguese sports club based in Porto. Its crest is built around a blue football bearing the white initials “FCP,” surmounted by the historic arms of the city of Porto, including a dragon and the word “Invicta.”[1]
Design and History
The club’s first emblem was defined by internal regulation in 1910: a blue football lined in white with the lettering “F.C.P.”[1] In October 1922, the club approved a major change, placing the contemporary city arms over the existing blue ball.[1] The proposal came from former player Augusto Baptista Ferreira, known as Simplício, who was also a graphic artist.[2] The club’s official website confirms that the dragon entered definitively into FC Porto’s identity in 1922, when the inclusion of the city’s coat of arms in the club symbol was approved.[3]
The city arms adopted by the club were those configured after the 1837 heraldic reform, which included a crown, the Collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword, and a dragon with an “Invicta” scroll.[4] In 1940, a government order required Portuguese cities to remove monarchical references from their arms, and the city of Porto lost its crown and dragon. FC Porto refused to change its symbol and retained the original city arms.[5]
The club’s museum has marked the centenary of the emblem approved by FC Porto members in October 1922 and used by the club to the present day.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The dragon on the crest comes from the arms of the city of Porto as promulgated in 1837, and was a symbol of the city long before its association with the club.[7] The dragon derives from the heraldry of the House of Braganza, the dynasty of King Pedro IV, whose resistance during the Liberal Wars earned Porto the title “Cidade Invicta” (Unvanquished City).[4] The word “Invicta” appears on a ribbon around the dragon’s neck.[5]
Although the dragon is traditionally shown in green in proper heraldic form, it is often depicted in alternative colors such as blue or gold.[1] The adoption of the dragon as the club’s nickname dates to the early 1980s, when club president Pinto da Costa promoted the designation “Dragões” (Dragons), which found echo in the media and became universally accepted.[5]
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