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Tarrafal Municipality (Cabo Verde)

Konsedju di Tarrafal

Last modified: 2017-03-18 by antónio martins
Keywords: tarrafal | waves | cloth | lace | national ornament | prison | portal | mountain | martins (pedro rolando dos reis) |
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Tarrafal mun. flag
image by António Martins, 30 Mar 2016


See also:

External links:

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About the flag

The flag was designed by architect Pedro Rolando dos Reis MARTINS (no relation); he was once an inmate of the local penal colony for political prisoners.
António Martins, 31 Mar 2016

The flag is blue with the municipality logo in center.
Jens Pattke, 03 Jun 2012

The municipal flag of Tarrafal, as is the case for other municipal flags, comes in two forms, differently designed: The flag is blue and the banner is blue and white.
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

It is not clear when exactly these flags and emblem were adopted, but it has to have been not before June 2007 and not long after (assuming the publication date of [c9v07] is accurate).
António Martins, 31 Mar 2016

I found photos of both flags, shown in use in 2014 (photos: 584, 576, 573, and 580; context here).
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

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Banner version

Banner of Tarrafal
image by Jens Pattke, 03 Jun 2012

The banner is quartered blue and white, in center the logo of Tarrafal municipality.
Jens Pattke, 03 Jun 2012

The banner is blue and white — differing from that of Sal by the order of the colors of the banner (blue-white vs. white-blue) and the shade of blue, which is light in Tarrafal and a very pale light blue, almost white, in Sal.
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

I found high quality photos of both flags, shown in use in 2014 (photos 584 and 580; context here).
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

The detailed image of the banner, in aprox. 25:24 ratio with fringe, rope and tassels, as given by Jens Pattke on 03 Jun 2012, is not shown in this article [c9v07], which is illustrated with photos of flags, tightly cropped to show the central emblem and leaving their edges off-frame; this design is legended «estandarte».
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

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Official description

Memória Descritiva dos Símbolos Heráldicos do Município

A presente Memória dos Símbolos Heráldicos leva em consideração o estabelecido no Decreto-Regulamentar nº 8/2000, de 28 de Agosto, publicado no B.O. nº 25-26 I Série, e os Termos de Referência da Câmara Municipal do Tarrafal. Na sua concepção, procurou-se uma ideia fundamental que pudesse ser expressa de uma forma simples, com força suficiente, capaz de caracterizar e individualizar o município, no contexto da sua importância na ilha de Santiago de Cabo Verde.

Simultaneamente, é um poderoso elemento de marketing e das potencialidades do concelho. Como esse símbolo será integrado numa bandeira, a expressão dessa ideia deverá ser apercebida a uma distância de, pelo menos, 30 metros. Uma eventual proliferação de elementos gráficos e de dimensões reduzidas dos mesmos, necessariamente, enfraqueceria a composição estética e a expressão de força que se pretende atribuir a esse símbolo.

A composição do presente Símbolo Heráldico é formada por três áreas:

  1. A área exterior, formada por ondas do mar;
  2. A área intermédia, formada pelo desenho de Pano d’Obra Bitcho, e;
  3. A área central, formada pelo Monte Graciosa e o ex-Campo de Concentração.

O elemento gráfico dominante, as ondas do mar, simbolizam o labor dos pescadores/agricultores, a extraordinária beleza litoral do município e o futuro do seu desenvolvimento, apoiado na indústria turística.

O desenho geométrico, integrado no losango, elemento principal da composição do Pano d’Obra Bitcho, é um símbolo poderosíssimo da História e da Cultura do concelho do Tarrafal. Este Símbolo também representa a assunção plena da herança cultural africana que Tarrafal conserva e desenvolve com muito orgulho.

O ex-Campo de Concentração é representado pela estrutura arquitectónica do seu portão principal, sobre o desenho do Pano d’Obra Bitcho.

O desenho do gigante Monte Graciosa, tendo como característica principal o seu aspecto omnipotente e omnipresente em todo o município, e cujos contornos se assemelham a um elefante deitado, vigiando e protegendo as belas planícies do norte do município e, particularmente, a sua capital, simboliza o esplendor da beleza natural e o orgulho que os tarrafalenses nutrem pelo seu chão-natal. Por ser o elemento principal, foi colocado na zona focal do símbolo heráldico.

A cor azul, o azul-marinho, o alguemarine, a cor do mar na linha costeira do município de Tarrafal, é a cor dominante no concelho, condizendo com o espírito de paz e tranquilidade dos tarrafalenses, é a cor de lugares nos trópicos que atrai visitantes.

O autor dos Símbolos é o arquitecto Pedro Rolando dos Reis Martins, ex-presidiário do Campo de Concentração do Tarrafal.

quoted by Jens Pattke, 03 Jun 2012, from [c9v07]

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Emblem detail

Tarrafal mun. emblem
image by António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

The emblem of Tarrafal municipality is white, with a vertically symmetrical pattern of stylized waves in light blue, shown in six rows, converging to the midline; these stand for the importance of the sea for the life and culture of the municipality.

Centered on the round shield, and covering the midpart of the four central wave rows, a lozenge (a square standing on one of its points at 45°) bearing the iconic elephant-shaped outline of «Monte Graciosa» (sic! in [c9v07] — should be Gracioso), an omnipresent landmark that towers over the whole municipal territory, shown above a stylized representation of the main gate of the Tarrafal Penal Colony (an infamous camp for political prisoners, in use in 1936-1954 mostly for ethnic Portuguese and in 1961-1975 for Colonial War prisoners — the designer of the flag was once an inmate here); both charges are white.

The lozenge is thickly edged in light blue and has a denticulated border made of white right-angled triangles poiting inwards, four on each side of the lozenge (or rather six, but those adjoining the corners of the lozenge fuse to form a larger triangle); the field of the lozenge, whereon the mountain outline and the gate are set, is filled with a lacy pattern stylized from the local panu di obra bitxupano d’obra bitcho» in [c9v07]) for a kerchief of which the whole lozenge, with its brodering, stands for, symbolizing local crafts and heritage.

António Martins, 31 Mar 2016, based on [c9v07]

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Scroll

The scroll (which shows both on the flag and on the banner) is an even lighter blue (a midway shade between light blue and white, since it shows on a background of both colors in the quartered banner?) and reads "TARRAFAL" between two round bullet points, all in black sans-serif capitals; the scroll itself is shaped in an unusual fashion, its stylized cloth tied to vertical poles on each side — maybe resembling drying fishing nets, in line with the meaning of the waves? The scroll is however not covered in the article [c9v07].
António Martins, 31 Mar 2016

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About the municipality

Tarrafal, the municipality that takes the NNW tip of Santiago isl., Cabo Verde.
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016

Tarrafal located in the northern part of the island of Santiago in Sotavento islands of Cabo Verde. The municipal population is around 18 000. Under Portuguese dictator Salazar the Tarrafal Concentration Camp was built on the plain south of town (Chão Bom) to contain opponents of the political regime. The logo of Tarrafal municipality included the dark history of this place.
Jens Pattke, 03 Jun 2012

A tarrafal is a place where throwing fishnets (tarrafas) are woven or stored.
António Martins, 25 Apr 2016

There is another town with the same name in São Nicolau island; it is also a mun. seat and it has a flag. Another Tarrafal, a village in Santo Antão island, is seat of neither municipality nor commune and probably has no flag.
António Martins, 30 Mar 2016


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