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Porangaba, São Paulo State (Brazil)

7:10 by Joseph McMillan

Adopted 11 October 1984

About the Flag
About the Coat of Arms

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About the Flag of Porangaba

The flag and coat of arms of Porangaba were designed by Dr. Lauro Ribeiro Escobar and adopted by municipal law 664/84 of 11 October 1984. The flag is one of Escobar's standard basic designs: yellow with red and white triangles superimposed on one another, based on the hoist, forming a red spearhead pointing toward the fly, symbolizing a promising future. The coat of arms is placed on the white triangle in the hoist. The shield is red with a gold castle, masoned sable, its gates opened, in chief two gold stars, and on a silver base two blue wavy bars. The shield is ensigned with a silver mural crown with five visible towers and flanked by a stalk of corn and an orange branch, both with sheaves of rice at the bottom. The scroll carries the name of the municipality. The colors of the shield are assigned the symbolism usual in Brazilian civic heraldry. The castle with open gates is said to be the heraldic symbol of magnanimity, defense, safety, etc., and recalls the first primitive fortification built by the first pioneers. The star is said to be represent a reliable guide, a luminous future, splendor, glory, etc. The wavy bars in base represent the rivers of the municipality. The flag is 14 by 20 units, with the apex of the red triangle extending 17 units from the hoist and the white one 13.5 units. The coat of arms is 7 units high.
Source: A História de Porangaba by Júlio Manoel Domingues.
Joseph McMillan, 20 March 2003

About the Coat of Arms of Porangaba

According to Domingues’ history of Porangaba, the city’s first coat of arms was instituted in 1959 in preparation for the following year's celebration of Porangaba’s centennial. After much deliberation, a design with a yellow shield bearing a torch and book was adopted. Twenty-five years later, without explanation or public reaction, the coat of arms was replaced by the municipal administration. The instigator of the change was Escobar, an attorney working for the state government who researched and designed coats of arms as a sideline. Domingues cites the prefect of Porangaba at the time the new symbols were adopted as asserting that Escobar approached the municipal authorities saying that a change in the municipal symbols was required by the state government [probably to make them conform to "heraldic correctness"]. He then offered his services, for a fee, to carry out the redesign. The same thing apparently was discovered in Botucatu (which didn't fall for it) and, Domingues speculates, in a number of other small Paulista municipalities. The result can be seen in the number of basically identical designs in different colors, including the flags of Americana, Amparo, Bauru, Bernardino de Campos, and Populina.
Joseph McMillan, 20 March 2003