This coat of arms was in the Cuéllar Castle outside of Segovia. This castle was not my favorite during the trip however I did learn something very interesting about the coat of arms here that I was unaware of before. Here the guide told us that each family has its own coat of arms and after marriage they are combined. The photo here is a the coat of arms that was hanging in the castle after a marriage. After thinking about this information I decided I was interested in reading more about the coat of arms and its importance in Spain. Many families have their own family coat of arms and that this tradition found its origin in Europe and more specifically England. The current Spanish coat of arms finds its home on the national flag and replaced the Francoist depiction in 1981. A year later the official colors of the Arms of Spain were officially decided. The Spanish coat of arms is comprised of six different coat of arms which includes: the Kingdom of Castille, the Kingdom of Leon, Crown of Aragon, Kingdom of Navarre, Kingdom of Granada, House of Bourbon. Also there are distinct symbols intertwined into the design: Pillars of Hercules- this symbolizes the Straight of Gibraltar, Imperial Crown and the Spanish Royal crown. This image has undergone many revisions over the years however I think that the motto above the pillars of Hercules is very interesting to Spain. It says:"Plus Ultra" or "more beyond". I think this is very fitting considering the tumultuous history we have learned about since arriving here. Between the inquisition, Spanish Civil War and the Dictatorship of Francisco Franco this motto allows for hope and the idea of Spain rising up from the ashes to something greater. Over the past thirty years this has been prevalent through immigration, tourism, and the transition to Democracy. Through change a country can progress and through the national flag and its current model I think Spain has definitely made progress.