Chavez Family Crest framed artprint - the five keys | Family Crests

Celebrate your family heritage with a gift to cherish – the Chaves Family Crest framed and printed on museum-quality matte paper. Beautifully illustrated. Carefully researched. Uniquely personal.

The symbolism of the Five Keys in the Chaves escudo de armas/coat of arms

More than just a beautiful design, this crest tells the epic story of the Chávez family's rise to nobility. According to historical tradition, the legend began during the Siege of 1160 when two heroic brothers, Garci and Rui Lopes, raised a private army to recapture the heavily fortified border town of Chaves from Moorish rule. The five keys prominently featured on the shield symbolize the keys to the five primary gates of the conquered fortress, serving as a permanent testament to the brave strategy that secured the city.

In honor of their remarkable bravery, the King of Portugal granted the brothers the surname Chaves—which translates directly to "Keys".

In Iberian heraldry, having a red border filled with gold St. Andrew's crosses is a massive badge of honor. It almost always commemorates the historic Battle of Baeza in 1227. The small, diagonal "X" shaped crosses on the red border are known in heraldry as saltires, or aspas in Spanish. This specific X-shape is the St. Andrew’s Cross, named after the saint who was famously martyred on an X-shaped cross. The arranged the five elements in a distinct cross-like pattern that mirrored the royal Portuguese seal.

This legendary lineage later crossed into Trujillo, located in the Castile and Extremadura regions of Spain, eventually becoming the prominent ancestral branch from which the vast majority of Chávez families in the Americas descend today.

About the artist

Each coat of arms in the Family Crests Store is an artwork by heraldic artist Éamonn Breathnach. All are carefully researched, drawing from the earliest available records across multiple heraldic archives. Noted for their elegance and attention to detail, these artworks make meaningful and uniquely personal gifts for any occasion with family and friends.

Product details

• Printed with water-based inks.
• Ayous wood .75″ (1.9 cm) thick frame from renewable forests
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil (0.26 mm)
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Acrylite front protector
• Hanging hardware included

No Warehouses. No Waste. Just for you, made to order.

This product is printed especially for you when ordered, one at a time, by royal decree of Mother Nature to keep the realm beautiful. Family Crests Store guarantees your custom treasure meets all EU and USA safety standards.