The current version features a crowned female figure flanked by a lion and a winged serpent, with a golden cup in the centre. Throughout history, these figures have been interpreted in a variety of ways, with explanations ranging from the legendary to the symbolic. Since the Middle Ages, Coimbra’s coat of arms has been a representation of its achievements, resilience and the city’s central role in the history of Portugal.

Among the many legends associated with the coat of arms, the most famous is that of Gray-haired, a Suevian princess offered in marriage by her father, Hermeneric, to the king of the Alans, Ataces, as a way of sealing peace after a military defeat. The female figure on the coat of arms would be Cindazunda, symbolizing sacrifice and union between peoples. The cup would represent the wedding, while the lion and the winged serpent (or dragon) would personify the two kings, who went from enemies to allies. This version, popularized by Friar Bernardo de Brito, captured the imagination of generations and became one of the most accepted explanations for the coat of arms.