The coat of arms is the most important element of the visual identity of the University of El Rosario and has been changed over time
Different faces through time: the coat of arms in the University of El Rosario Magazine
A clear evidence of the changes introduced to the coat of arms is the covers of the institutional magazine. From issue No. 1 to No. 100 published in November of 1915, a round coat of arms can be seen, which had at the center the Calatrava Cross, three stars in the upper part and a flower and a spike separated by the Rosary, as the central symbol of the composition.
From issue No. 111 to No. 299 -300 dated November 1935, a new coat of arms was used where the stars, the flower and the spike had been removed and only the Calatrava Cross was left, encircled by a Rosary.
In the next edition No. 301, the new coat of arms designed by Renart García appeared, including the external elements of the former symbol.
The last change took place in 1998, with the only purpose of emphasizing and better defining the elements of the composition.
Today’s Coat of arms
According to the documents that rest in the Historical Archive of the University of El Rosario, the coat of arms used at present was adopted in the times of Monsignor José Vicente Castro Silva (Rector 1930 -1968) and was placed at the pedestal of the statue of the Founder Brother Cristóbal de Torres, situated in the the Main Patio.
The artist, sculptor Dionisio Renard García, explained:
“I hope that in a particular manner, this coat of arms will be appreciated, since this was the only space in which I have enjoyed the freedom of composing and decorating with trims of the renaissance of the XVII century, following the style of the monument.”
This testimony reveals the unrestricted design in which the Calatrava Cross was removed. From then on, the border and some elements of the coat of arms were adopted, and can be seen at the pedestal where the Calatrava Cross was inlaid at the center.
The Calatrava Cross: a central element of the Coat of Arms
As it is known in heraldry, the Calatrava Cross is a composition of four fleurs-de-lis divided at their center in white and black and inscribed within an oval by the Rosary that encloses the inferior composition with a Cross.
Each of the four ends of the Cross is crowned by a small fleur-de-lis. The mantle has a crown on top of it and encircles the oval. When the coat of arms is black and white, the mantle is grey.
Brother Cristóbal de Torres, after receiving the authorization of His Majesty Philippe IV to found the University and make use of the honors conferred to the University of Salamanca, decided to adopt the Calatrava Cross to honor the Dominican Order and thus, it became a symbol of the University of El Rosario.
The Cross is a family symbol of Saint Domingo de Guzmán, the founder of the Preachers Order, one of the strongest religious communities of the Catholic Church.
This symbol was hoisted more than a thousand years ago by the Crusaders of the Military and Religious Order of Calatrava. Its four fleurs-de-lis were then deep red or gules.
Many centuries later, Domingo de Guzmán, son of a Knight of Calatrava, drew the flowers in white and black as the habit of the Order he had founded. Thus, the beloved traditional emblem of the University of El Rosario was inherited from the founder of the Dominican Order.
The Rosary: a religious symbol
University of El Rosario is commonly known among students as "El Rosario", which is one of the most meaningful symbols of the Institution. The Rosary encircles the Calatrava Cross. In the coat of arms the points symbolize the beads and the cross outstands in the lower border.