Last modified: 2019-01-13 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/e/es-bu-sg.gif)
Flag of Santa Gadea del Cid - Image by Ivan Sache, 22 March 2011
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The municipality of Santa Gadea del Cid (160 inhabitants in 2010; 2,898 ha; unofficial website) is located 70 km of Burgos.
Santa Gadea del Cid was mentioned for the first time in 1008, as Término, a name (lit. "limit") probably alluding to its geographical situation, on the border of the Kingdoms of Castile and Navarre. Count Sancho García, then ruler of Castile and of the Álava Province, stayed in 1012 in the castle of Término, mentioned there for the first time but most probably older. A document dated 1175 inconsistently uses the names of Término and Santa Agata / Agatea, the patron saint of the village while subsequent sources use only Santa Agueda, eventually transformed into Santa Gadea. The epithet "del Cid" was added in the 19th century to the village's name for distinction from Santa Gadea del Alfoz, also located in the Province of Burgos; however, there is no particular historical fact linking El Cid Campeador to the village.
Ivan Sache, 22 March 2011
The flag (photo) and arms of Santa Gadea del Cid are prescribed by a Decree adopted on 13 May 1999 by the Burgos Provincial Government, signed on 21 May 1999 by the President of the Government, and published on 2 June 1999 in the official gazette of Castilla y León, No. 104, pp. 5,895-5,896 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:
Flag: Castilian flag, the lower part vertically divided; the upper part gules and the lower part argent and vert. In the middle of the flag an open book or over it a hand sable.
Coat of arms: Per fess, 1. Gules a castle or an otter proper over the gate, 2a. Argent a St. Agatha holding a palm proper, 2b. Vert a book or over it a hand sable. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown closed.
The Royal Academy of History rejected the proposed coat of arms. The
use of the arms of the Kings of Castile on a new coat of arms is not
acceptable, especially with the extravagant addition of a small
animal, which, moreover, is totally invisible on small-sized
representations. Using the figure of a saint proper as a charge is not
compliant with good style. Finally, it would be better to drop the
open book; the open hand is adequate to represent an oath.
The flag shall be modified accordingly and no longer called "Castilian
flag". The square dimensions are derived from an erroneous
interpretation of the word cuadra in the Partidas, where
"rectangular" was intended.
[Boletín de la Real Academia de la Historia, 2001, 198, 1: 182]
Ivan Sache, 4 March 2015
