Coat of arms portal
The coat of arms portal is an entrance to buildings decorated with coats of arms .
The entrance to palaces and fortresses built with heraldic elements is particularly well known . In the secular building, the entrance to the town hall is decorated with coats of arms. In addition to the city or town coat of arms, that of the sovereign is often also attached here. Churches, monasteries and archways to cemeteries and large parks wear such decorations.
Suitable coats of arms are those of owners, donors and benefactors. The builder's coat of arms is also occasionally placed over the entrance. The design was carried out by elaborate stone carving in sandstone or other suitable materials. The possibility of the relief-like incorporation into the building fabric was a possibility of representation. Another was the plastic protruding form. Colored coats of arms, also with gold leaf , have been made over the portals. The black and white representation with the well-known heraldic signatures as a color substitute is also common. The increase in particularly voluminous artistic productions from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque can be observed. Objectivity is predominant in modern times.
Due to frequent changes of ownership and the associated change of nobility, the redesign of the portal coat of arms was often necessary in order to remain current. Changes were also made and the coat of arms was replaced by a new one. The successors of the same noble family offered to improve their coat of arms. Often, however, the coat of arms was left and is therefore a stone heraldic source. Only with the rising bourgeoisie did this coat of arms spread to residential buildings and other secular buildings.