The hearts of Viana have a markedly religious origin.

In classical antiquity, the heart represented the center of life, solidarity, fraternity and love, these being the most prominent characteristics in the lives of the saints, which is why they were represented with the heart outside the chest.

These hearts highlighted the heat of love with the flames that sprouted from the upper part, this part being a stylization of those same flames, hence they were called flaming or double hearts. They appeared in Portugal with the cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and that's why people like to wear it on their chest as a sacred symbol.

The hearts can be made of metal, filigree or embossed or engraved metal.

Source used: Museu da Ouroivesaria.