Symbols possess power. And in South Tyrol, there is perhaps no more powerful symbol than its coat of arms: the Red Tyrolean Eagle.
Spend any amount of time in South Tyrol and you can’t miss the ancient emblem of the eagle. Throughout the land, you’ll encounter it waving from red and white banners or gracing weathered walls wearing centuries of ruin. From our very first visit to South Tyrol, the brilliant red heraldic eagle captured our imagination.
According to historians, coats of arms arose during the 11th century. Knights of the period originally placed them on their shields to broadcast their battle-born accomplishments to enemies. Thus, the first coats of arms were unique to each warrior. In time, the emblems became uniform to represent family lineage and allegiances to a throne.
By the 13th century, coats of arms were commonplace — stirring fear from banners in battle and high above the crenelated towers of strongholds. However, only royalty and those granted a king’s blessing could harness their representative might. When a royal family claimed one as their own it became a unifying symbol through the centuries. Each generation passed its coat of arms to the next.
Red Wings Rising
The earliest known depiction of South Tyrol’s Red Eagle coat of arms is found in Castle Tirol, a striking fortress constructed in the 1100s. This castle became the ancestral seat of the Counts of Tyrol, which ultimately wielded such power in the region they named an entire land. A remarkable feat considering no other castle in Europe can claim the same.
The Red Eagle coat of arms in Castle Tirol is located in the stronghold’s chapel above a portal. It is in fresco form, but even with nearly 900 years of wear much of the eagle’s red plume still boldly remains. Imagine how brilliant it must have been when knights wandered the castle’s halls.
Viewing the emblem in Castle Tirol casts it an almost mythical light. One comes away with a deeper understanding as to why those from the region see themselves as Tyrolean first rather than Italian or Austrian.
⇒ READ MORE: Castle Tirol: Ancient Might of the Alps
The Outlaw Hero of Tyrol
Through the centuries the Red Eagle of South Tyrol has been regarded as a symbol of freedom. Possibly no more so than in the early 1800s when Tyrolean patriot Andreas Hofer led peasant rebellions against French and Bavarian occupation and rule.
A common man from South Tyrol’s Passer Valley, Hofer possessed such magnetic eloquence and esteem that when he pronounced the famous line “Men, the time has come!”, his fellow countrymen valorously sprang into arms. His iron resolution, dauntless courage and burning love for Tyrol inspired thousands into deeds of valor and sacrifice for their motherland.
Labeling Hofer an outlaw, Napolean put a price on his head. A fellow countryman named Franz Raffl betrayed Hofer earning him notoriety as the “Judas of Tyrol”. On January 28, 1810, Napoleonic forces captured Hofer in a mountain hut at nearly 5,000 feet above the village of St. Martin just 11 miles north of Merano.
Under direct orders from Napolean, Hofer was executed by firing squad less than a month after his capture. He faced his fate with courage and dignity — refusing to kneel or be blindfolded.
Instead, he stared sternly at his murderers and when the commanding officer floundered in giving the order to shoot, Hofer gave it himself yelling “Fire!”. Even in certain death, he blazoned forward brandishing rare bravery few can muster.
An Ode to the Red Eagle of South Tyrol
As much as the Red Tyrolean Eagle inspired the spirit of freedom long ago, it still does today. The emblem remains a unifying symbol of the land. In fact, many South Tyroleans can still recite the following ode to the winged warrior from ages past.
Why Are Thy Plumes So Red?
Eagle, Tyrolean eagle,
Why are thy plumes so red?
“ In part because I rest
On Ortler’s lordly crest;
There share I with the snow
The sunset’s crimson glow.”
Eagle, Tyrolean eagle,
Why are thy plumes so red?
“ From drinking of the wine
Of Etschland’s peerless vine;
Its juice so redly shines,
That it incarnadines.”
Eagle, Tyrolean eagle,
Why are thy plumes so red? “
My plumage hath been dyed
In blood my foes supplied;
Oft on my breast hath lain
That deeply purple stain.”
Eagle, Tyrolean eagle,
Why are thy plumes so red?
“From suns that fiercely shine,
From draughts of ruddy wine,
From blood my foes have shed,—
From these am I so red.”
The Red Eagle Across the Land
South Tyrol doesn’t lack stunning sights to capture no matter where you wander in this Alpine-Mediterranean jewel. But whether beaming from the heavens or adorned in the subtlest of ways, we have always found the South Tyrolean flag and coat of arms a must to shoot whenever coming across it.
Below are a few unique Red Eagle scenes we have encountered during our travels.
