Last modified: 2020-10-31 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/e/es-ba-vv.gif)
Flag of Villanueva de la Serena - Image by Daniel Galán, 5 July 2002
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The municipality of Villanueva de la Serena (25,667 inhabitants in 2019; 15,200 ha) is located 120 km east of Badajoz. The municipality is composed of the town of Villanueva de la Serena and of the submunicipal entities of Entrerríos (780 inh.), Valdivia (1,784 inh.) and Zurbarán (879 inh.).
Villanueva de la Serena was originally known as Aldeanueva / Aldea Nueva / Aldea Nueva de Medellín (Medellín's New Village). The village was granted in 1303 by Ferdinand IV to the Order of Alcántara, which re-settled it as Aldeanueva de los Freires (The Friars' New Village). In 1309, it was known as Villanueva de Lares, as a dependency of the Commandery of Lares. Subsequently known as Villanueva de Magacela, the town was granted the status of villa on 10 May 1423 by Master Juan de Sotomayor, separating from Magacela and being renamed to Villanueva de la Serena. The Commandery of Magacela was transferred in 1504 to Villanueva.
Villanueva de la Serena was awarded the title of ciudad in 1856 by Isabel II, together with the neighboring town of A HREF="es-ba-db.html">Don Benito.
Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
The flag of Villanueva de la Serena (photo, photo, photo, photo, photo), adopted on 30 December 1981 by the Municipal Council is gray with four blue stripes, representing river Guadiana, and the municipal coat of arms all over.
The coat of arms of Villanueva de la Serena, adopted on 27 September 1956, is divided in four quarters. The first field features the cross of the Order of Alcántara that conquered the zone, the second field features a mermaid (sirena) which is thesymbol of the town, the third field features the Coammandery Castle, and the fourth field – where the flag comes from – represents river Guadiana. The coat of arms is surmounted by a scroll inscribed "PVERTA SOY DE LA SERENA" ("I am the gate to La Serena"), the county that starts in Villanueva.
The siren featured at least since 1583 on the town's arms is the heroin of a well-known local legend. The so beautiful siren, with a goddess' body, green eyes, long brown hair, white skin and shining scales, attracted men with her melodious songs and uncommon beauty, drowning them into the river's water. Another explanation recalls tazt the siren was part of the booty brought back in the 16th century by local conquistadores.
The name of the town was first documented in 1423, as Villenueva de la Serena, before the adoption of the arms. Ir is hughly improbable that the name was derived from an early form, Villenueva de la Sirena.
[Extremadura Misteriosa]
The Commandery Castle was erected by Master Arias Pérez, after the seizure and suppression of the Moorish castle of Mojáfar. The fortress was originally known as Castilnovo (New Castle). Erected atop a hill on the northern bank of river Guadiana, the castle was added in the late 15th century a barbican on its southern side.
[Municipal website]
Daniel Galán & Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
![[Flag]](../images/e/es-ba-en.gif)
Flag of Entrerríos - Image by Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
Entrerríos is located 10 km south-west of Villanueva de la Serena.
The flag (photo,
photo) and arms of Entrerríos, adopted on 27 July 2000 by the Village Council and validated on 31 May 2001 by the Assessing Council of Honors and Distinctions of the Government of Extremadura, are prescribed by an Order issued on 12 July 2001 by the Government of Extremadura and published on 21 July 2001 in the official gazette of Extremadura, No. 84, pp. 8,083-8,084 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular, in proportions 2:3. Horizontally divided, the second and fifth stripes, blue, otherwise, white. Charged in the center with the coat of arms in full colors.
Coat of arms: Argent a row of three houses gules port and wondows sable surrounded by two fesses wavy azure. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.
The arms form a rebus of the town's name, lit. Between Rivers. The village is indeed located between the Guadiana (north) and the Zújar (south).
Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
![[Flag]](../images/e/es-ba-vd.gif)
Flag of Valdivia - Image by Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
Valdivia is located 20 km north-east of Villanueva de la Serena.
The flag and arms of Valdivia, adopted on 12 February 1999 by the Village Council and validated on 16 November 1999 by the Assessing Council of Honors and Distinctions of the Government of Extremadura, are prescribed by an Order issued on 22 December 1999 by the Government of Extremadura and published on 18 January 2000 in the official gazette of Extremadura, No. 6, pp. 509-510 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular, in proportions 2:3. Composed of three vertical stripes, in proportions 1:5 at hoist, green, 3:5 blue, and 1:5 at fly, yellow. [Charged in the center with the coat of arms in full colors].
Coat of arms: Or a fess vert in fess supported by two snakes affronty of the same in base argent two waves azure. A bordure gules five fruits or. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.
The arms' main charge features the arms of the village's namesake, Pedro de Valdivia (c. 1500-1553).
Born in Villanueva de la Serena, Valdivia supported Francisco Pizarro against Diego de Almagro, being rewarded in 1540 with the title of Governor of Chile. He founded in 1541 Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura, now Santiago de Chile.
Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
![[Flag]](../images/e/es-ba-zu.gif)
Flag of Zurbarán - Image by Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020
Zurbarán (municipal website), located 20 km north-east of Villanueva de la Serena, was established by Decree No. 13 issued on 10 March 1987 by the Spanish Government and published on 11 April 1987 in the Spanish official gazette, No. 10,993 (text).
Zurbarán was originally established on the municipal territories of Don Benito and Villnueva de la Serena. This oddity was suppressed by Royal Decree No. 1,497 issued on 19 May 1978 and published on 28 June 1978 in the Spanish official gazette (text), which prescribed the transfer of 50 ha from Don Benito to Villanueva de la Serena.
Zurbarán was established from scratch in 1953 in the aftermath of the expropriation of the La Matilla, El Machal, Torrevirote and Torrevirotillo farms. Irrigation was supplied to enhance the development of the agricultural colony.
As a colonization village, Zurbarán was designed according to a grid plan organized around the central square in wide streets all connected with other streets and very few dead ends. Most houses were originally designed according to their owner's requirements, farmers, workers or craftsmen. Farmer's houses are the largest, incuding a yard to keep machinery, an enclosure to keep cattle and a dependency. In the first phase of colonization, total area was 900 m2, to be reduced to 530 m2 in the second phase. Worker's houses are the smallest (104 m2), while craftsmen's houses, moistly lining the main square are in intermediate size (290 m2). Additional houses were built for the doctor, the accountant, the school teachers, the priest and secretary, as well as shops, pubs and a cinema.
Houses built more recently have a much smaller yard and no enclosure.
The village was named for the paintor Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664), one of the most influential artists of the Spanish Golden Age.
Born in Fuente de Cantos, in the extreme south of the province of Badajoz, the painter spent most oh his life in Seville and Madrid. He kept, however, strong connections with Extremadura; he maintained a flourishing workshop in Llerena from 1617 to 1628 - unfortunately, all his works from this period have been lost. As the main illustrator of the Catholic reform set up during the Spanish Golden Age, he was commissioned by several religious orders in Andalusia but also in Extremadura, which highly prized his use of chiaroscuro to emphasize religious feelings and represent monastic life. Among his masterworks is the decoration of the Hieronymite monastery of Guadalupe: eight big paintings (1638-1639) decorating the sacristy feature less-known episodes of Hieronymite monks' lifes, while the adjacent chapel is decorated with three episodes of St. Hieronymus' life (1645-), painted in Ribera's tenebrist style. In 1644, Zurbarán designed an altarpiece for the collegiate church of Zafra.
[Prado Museum]
The flag (photo,
photo,
photo,
photo) and arms of Zurbarán, adopted on 27 February 1998 by the Village Council and validated on 16 February and 5 October 1998 by the Assessing Council of Honors and Distinctions of the Government of Extremadura, are prescribed by an Order issued on 22 October 1998 by the Government of Extremadura and published on 31 October 1998 in the official gazette of Extremadura, No. 125, pp. 7,969-7,970 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular, in proportions 2:3. Horizontally divided into three stripes, the upper, green, the central, white, and the lower, blue, in respective proportions 1:4, 2:4 and 3:4. Charged in the center with the coat of arms in full colors.
Coat of arms: Per bend sinister, 1. Vert a palette or with three paintbrushes of the same, 2. Azure furrows proper with plants vert. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.
Ivan Sache, 17 March 2020