Tha coat of arms of Jose I at Valladolid

The following text is a translation of an entry in the blog of Miguel Angel Garcia Garcia, Guerra de la Independencia :

In the facade of the church of the monastery of San Benito el Real of Valladolid (Spain), remains possibly the last symbol of the reign of Jose I in Spain: his coat of arms. The church of San Benito was one of the ammunition depots and barracks of the imperial Army. Some time ago, I put myself in contact with Teófanes Egido, chronicler of the town of Valladolid, to know more about the coat. This was his amiable explanation:

"The shield of Jose I Bonaparte located in the facade of San Benito, was placed during the French occupation, after the first exclaustración of the monks. Although it is not documented, it seems of historical common sense that it replaced a previous royal coat of arms. Naturally, after the war the flat coat of arms of Jose Bonaparte was covered with plaster, and it remained hidden until 2001, when the porch of the church was restored ... / ... In 1897, or shortly after, when the temple was reopened to the cult by the Barefoot Carmelite order (Carmelitas Descalzos), the space occupied by the josephine coat of arms was covered with a plank painted with the coat of arms of the Carmelite monastic order. In August 1996, the plank was retired, hoping to find under it a relief of the time of the benedictines, as shown in engravings and drawing of the 18th century. However, a flat without reliefs plaster surface, hiding the coat of arms of Jose I was found instead. This coat of arms is maybe the only that has been recovered in a public building in Spain, and corresponds exactly with the currencies emitted at that time."

The blog of Miguel Angel Garcia Garcia, Guerra de la Independencia, is worth of a visit!