Last modified: 2015-03-07 by ivan sache
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![[Municipal flag]](../images/e/es-tf-gr.gif)
Flag of Garachico, as seen on 3 May 2000 and on 27 January 2014 on the Town Hall - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2008
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The flag of Garachico is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 15 October 1998 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 11 November 1998 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 142, pp. 13,430-13,431 (text). The flag was originally approved on 27 May 1995 by the Municipal Council, as published on 18 March 1998 in the official gazette of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, and validated on 18 September 1998 by the Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of Canary Islands.
The flag is described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular panel [...], one and a half longer than wide, made of three equal horizontal stripes, the first (upper) black, the central white, and the lower turquoise blue.
When the flag is charged with the municipal coat of arms, this should be placed in the middle of the flag, with a height of 2/3 of the flag's height, and, preferably, on both sides of the flag.The rationale for the use of the colours is the following.
Black symolizes on the flag the extended lava flows that nearly totally destroyed the town in 1706, filling up its sea port that was then the main port in the island. Black is the symbol of a cardinal virtue, prudence; and of human qualities: mourning, affliction, pain, science, knowledge, honesty, firmness, obedience, silence and secret.
White is used on two quarters of the municipal coat of arms. White is a symbol of the whiteness of the settlement and of water, abundant on the municipal territory. White is the symbol of virtues: chastity, temperance, humility, innocence and truth, and of human qualities: beauty, limpidity, integrity, eloquence and triumph over the enemies without shedding blood.
Blue recalls the importance of the sea port and is the dominant colour of one of the quarters of the coat of arms. Blue is the symbol of a cardinal virtue, justice; and of human qualities: praise, loyalty, perseverancy and sweetness.
Santiago Dotor, Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 7 August 2008
The coat of arms of Garachico is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 19 October 1992 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 11 November 1992 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 156, pp. 9,263-9,264 (text).
The coat of arms is described as follows:
Coat of arms: Quarterly, 1. Gules a tower or, 2. Argent a volcano proper ensigned with flames gules, 3. Argent a rock proper (El Roque) semy with trees proper a nave with sails argent in base fessy wavy azure and argent, 4. Gules an anchor or. Grafted in base or a pine cone proper. All over an escutcheon vert a scallop or. The shield supported by two hounds rampant langued gules and four flags gules. Beneath the shield a scroll azure inscribed with "Glorious en su adversidad" in letters or. The Gold Medal of Fine Arts appended. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.
According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the coat of arms was derived from the former coat of arms adopted in 1987.
The 1st quarter represents fort San Miguel, erected in 1575 and still standing. The 2nd quarter (new) alludes to the disastrous volcanic eruption of 1706. The 3rd quarter represents El Roque islet, located off the town. The 4th quarter (new) recalls the sea port. The base quarter (new) represents the hinterland. The escutcheon features a scallop symbolizing St. Roch, who protected the municipality during the 1601 black plague epidemic. The hounds are taken from the arms of the Canary Islands, while the flags recall that Garachico was the headquarters of the Regiment of Provincial Militias. The Golden Medal of Fine Arts was granted on 7 March 1980 y King John Charles.
The former coat of arms of Garachico is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 17 March 1987 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 27 March 1987 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 37, pp. 845-846 (text).
The coat of arms, validated by the Royal Academy of History, is described as follows:
Coat of arms: Quarterly, 1. Gules a tower or, 2. Azure an anchor argent in base fessy wavy azure and argent, 3. Argent a rock proper (El Roque) semy with trees proper a nave with sails argent in base fessy wavy azure and argent, 4. Gules a windrose or and sable. All over an escutcheon vert a scallop or. The shield supported by two hounds rampant langued gules and four flags gules. Beneath the shield a scroll azure inscribed with "Glorious en su adversidad" in letters or. The Gold Medal of Fine Arts appended. The shield surmounted by a Ducal coronet.
According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the coat of arms was derived from the first coat of arms, designed in 1832 and unofficially used since there.
The main differences with the coat of arms in current use are the 2nd quarter, charged with a windrose that symbolizes the maritime expeditions that left the port to America and other places before the 1706 eruption, and the Duke's coroneet, which recalls that Garachico was a place of residence for most of the Tenerife nobility.
Santiago Dotor, Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 7 August 2008
![[Flag]](../images/e/es-tf-g4.gif)
Banner of Garachico - Image by José Manuel Erbez, 1 April 2008
The banner (pendón) of Garachico is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 15 March 1994 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 27 April 1994 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 52, p. 2,460 (text). The banner was validated by the Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of Canary Islands.
The banner is described as follows:
Banner: Square flag, turquoise blue, charged in the middle of the panel with the municipal coat of arms. Two red and golden yellow cords ending with a golden yellow tassel are attached to the upper part of the staff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 1 April 2008
![[Municipal flag]](../images/e/es-tf-g3.gif)
Flag of Garachico - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 April 2007
The flag of Garachico shown in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Military Museum is white with the municipal coat of arms in the middle.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 March 2008
![[Flag]](../images/e/es^gpmr.gif)
Standard of the Garachico Regiment of Provincial Militias, as seen on 30 January 2007 in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Military Museum - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 1 April 2008
The standard of the Garachico Regiment of Provincial Militias is a squarish white flag charged with a red Cross of Burgundy cross and an inscription in red letters "REGIMIENTO" (top) / "DE GARACHICO" (bottom, mirrored; with the "E" of word "DE" superimposed on the "D").
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 1 April 2008