City of France
The arms of Le Puy-en-Velay, prefecture of Haute-Loire and historic capital of the Velay, show a silver eagle with lowered wings over a blue field strewn with gold fleurs-de-lis, the shield set between two green palms. According to Malte-Brun, they were granted to the town by Hugues Capet, a claim French Wikipedia finds surprising, most historians placing the birth of heraldry more than a century later.
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Coat of Arms
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| City | Le Puy-en-Velay (Le Puy until 1988), prefecture of Haute-Loire, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region |
|---|---|
| Inhabitants | Ponots (formerly Podots), more rarely Aniciens |
| Arms | Azure semy of fleurs-de-lis Or, an eagle with wings lowered Argent over all; the shield set between two palms Vert tied Azure |
| Known for | Its lace, its green lentils, its verbena, and as the start of the Via Podiensis, one of the four French ways of Saint James |
The coat of arms of Le Puy-en-Velay.
D’azur, semé de fleurs de lis d’or à une aigle d’argent au vol abaissé, brochant sur le tout ; l’écu accolé de deux palmes de sinople liées d’azur.
That is: on a blue field strewn with gold fleurs-de-lis, a silver eagle with its wings lowered, over all; the shield is set between two green palms tied with blue. This is the blazon given by French Wikipedia’s article on the city. Its armorial of the communes of Haute-Loire adds that the eagle is armed, beaked and langued red: D’azur semé de fleurs de lys d’or à l’aigle au vol abaissé d’argent, armée, becquée et lampassée de gueules, brochant sur le tout ; l’écu accolé de deux palmes de sinople liées d’azur. The same armorial notes a heraldic conflict: the drawing does not show the green palms around the shield.
In the notice on Le Puy in La France illustrée, Malte-Brun states that these arms were granted to the town of Anis by Hugues Capet, at the request of Gui Foulques, bishop of the Velay. French Wikipedia calls this surprising at the very least, since most historians place the birth of heraldry in the course of the 12th century, more than a century after the reign of Hugues Capet.
Le Puy-en-Velay, called simply Le Puy until 1988, is a commune and the prefecture of Haute-Loire. Historic capital of the Velay, in the south-east of the Massif central, it is known for the making of Le Puy lace, the growing of the green lentil of Le Puy and the production of Velay verbena, and as the starting point of the Via Podiensis, one of the four French ways of Saint James.
The name puy comes from the Latin podium, a height or small eminence; the local Occitan form is Lo Puèi. An older name, probably Gallo-Roman, is attested from the end of the 6th century: Anicium, which survives in one of the names of the inhabitants, the Aniciens. By a decree of 10 March 1988, effective on 18 March 1988, Le Puy became Le Puy-en-Velay.
On a blue field strewn with gold fleurs-de-lis, a silver eagle with lowered wings, over all; the shield is set between two green palms tied with blue.
Malte-Brun says so, at the request of Gui Foulques, bishop of the Velay; French Wikipedia finds this surprising, since most historians place the birth of heraldry in the 12th century, more than a century after the reign of Hugues Capet.
No. The armorial of the communes of Haute-Loire notes a heraldic conflict: the blazon mentions two green palms around the shield, but the drawing does not show them.
From the Latin podium, a height or small eminence; the town was called Le Puy until a decree of 1988 renamed it Le Puy-en-Velay.
They are called Ponots, formerly Podots, and more rarely Aniciens, from the old name Anicium.
Illustrations: coat of arms by Syryatsu, Wikimedia Commons (public domain); flag drawn by Emblema Mundi from these arms.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 6 November 2026.