I've recently been trying some new things with my art style by drawing the arms of two artists I greatly enjoy :)

Coat of Arms of the Cao de Benós de Les surname, a rare triple-barrelled surname originating from the towns of Benós and Les in the Aran Valley (historically part of the county of Ribagorza in Aragon, and today in Lleida, Catalonia). This is an ancient and well-known hidalgo lineage, with records dating back centuries in the Chamber of Castile and the Crown of Aragon. From this family tree come the barons of Les and the marquesses of Rosalmonte, with branches spreading out to southern France and Antequera in Málaga, where one line linked up with the last heir of the counts of Argelejo. Plus, various branches have historically held the Grandeeship of Spain (Grandeza de España). 

The barons of Les were legendary for their fierce loyalty to the crown through centuries of wars, from the conquest of the Kingdom of Sobrarbe all the way through the reigns of James I, James II, Philip IV, Carlos II, and the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 1700s. During that last conflict, they were one of the very few families in Catalonia who stood by Philip V of Bourbon, taking a lot of heat while defending their rights against the allied armies of Austria and Germany. Because of all that loyalty, they earned the honorary title of "the Loyal" (leal). Special shoutout to Don Ramón Cao de Benós, who proved his absolute grit during the 25-year war against France. 

As for the shield itself, it is a party per pale layout. The first side features a field of gold with a rampant lion in gules, contourned and sinistered by a rootless green cypress. The second side features a field of azure with a gold lion next to a silver tower, topped with a silver crescent moon and three silver stars. It is all wrapped in a silver bordure carrying the family speaking motto in black letters: “Conserve tu lealtad Cao de Benós”, which translates to “preserve your loyalty Cao de Benós”. 

According to data from Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE), this triple-barrelled surname is still kept as a first surname by 5 people.

This particular version of the CoA is inspired by the historical illustrations found in Francisco Pifferer's Nobiliario de los Reinos y Señoríos de España from 1858. I created this rendition few years ago, inspired by those classic armorial plates. 

Hope you like it ✌🏻💯 I will be sharing more designs I made some time ago very soon.

Made this with only Canva (and CoA Maker)

Found in a church in Belgium.