Last modified: 2017-07-01 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/e/es-cm-ab.gif)
Flag of the Province of Albacete - Image from the SEV website, 12 February 2017
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The Province of Albacete (392,118 inhabitants in 2016; 14,926 sq. km) forms the south-eastern part of Castilla-La Mancha. More than 50% of the population of the province lives in the Albacete Metropolitan Area.
Ivan Sache, 12 February 2017
The flag of the Province of Albacete (photos, photo, photo, photo) is red with the provincial coat of arms in the middle. The flag does not appear to have been officially registered.
The coat of arms of the Province of Albacete is prescribed by an Order adopted on 5 May 1994 by the Government of Castilla-La Mancha and published on 20 May 1994 in the official gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, No. 27, p. 1,968 (text).
The coat of arms is described as follows:
Coat of arms: Per pale, 1. Gules two keys argent tied in saltire by a chain, 2. Gules a winged hand or holding a sword argent. Grafted in base, argent the sword-cross of the Order of St. James gules. Inescutcheon argent three towers proper 1 and 2 the upper ensigned by a bat sable. The shield surmounted by a Royal Spanish crown.
Adopted on 30 July 1992 and 12 February 1993 by the Provincial Council, the new arms were inaugurated on 7 June 1994, superseding the previous "escutcheon" and "greater coat of arms".
The dexter quarter features the simplified municipal arms of Alcaraz.
The sinister quarter is the emblem of the Manuel, first lords of Villena.
The escutcheon is the coat of arms of the town of Albacete.
[Official website]
Ivan Sache, 12 February 2017
![[Flag]](../images/e/es-cm_ab.gif)
Former flag of the Province of Albacete - Image by Ivan Sache, 12 February 2017
According to Manual del Estado Español (text), the "historical" [meaning there is no known adoption date] flag of the Province of Albacete was crimson red with the former provincial coat of arms in the center.
The Provincial Council of Albacete originally used the arms of the town of Albacete on its seal; from 1837 to 1854, the upper tower was ensigned by an eagle, which was replaced by a bat on the seal used from 1878 to 1956.
On 28 November 1956, Andrés Masiá Martí, President of the Provincial Council, announced the initiation of the search for of a genuine provincial coat of arms. Commissioned one month later, Vicente de Cadenas y Vicent (1915-2005). Chronicler King of Arms, proposed a "greater, complete coat of arms featuring the arms of the judiciary parties forming the province" and a "lesser and simpler escutcheon". The two proposed symbols were approved on 27 December 1956 by the Provincial Council.
The "greater arms" feature the arms of the capitals of the eight judiciary parties, as follows:
1. Albacete. Argent three towers proper 1 and 2 the upper ensigned by a bat sable.
2. Yeste. Argent an eagle sable. Inescutcheon quarterly 1. and 2. A fleur-de-lis, 3. and 4. A lion rampant.
3. Alcaraz. Gules a castle argent surrounded by two keys argent tied by a chain sable. A bordure inscribed with "Clavis hispaniae et capvt totivs extramatvrae" in letters argent.
4. Chinchilla. Vert a castle argent two eagles affronty surrounded by two stags proper.
5. Hellín. Argent a castle proper surmounted by a Marquis' coronet or ensigned by an armed arm and surrounded by two lions rampant affronty.
6. La Roda. Azure a tower argent ensigned by a king armed and surrounded by the letters "R F" (roda fuerte) argent.
7. Casa Ibañez. Gules an obelisk or.
8. Almansa. Per pale, 1. Azure a castle or on rocks ensigned by two armed and winged arms argent, 2. Gules an obelisk argent ensigned by a lion rampant crowned and armed and surrounded by three flags on each side.
Inescutcheon. Argent three castles 1 and 2 proper the upper ensigned by a bat sable. A chief per pale, 1. Gules a castle or, 2. Azure three fleurs-de-lis or a bordure gules.
The shield surmounted by a Royal crown open.
The "escutcheon" is indeed the shield used as inescutcheon on the greater arms. It is made of the municipal arms of Albacete, with a chief added for the sake of differentiation, The first quarter of the chief recalls that the province once belonged to the Kingdom of Castile, while the second quarter features the arms of the Bourbon dynasty. which established the administrative division of Spain into provinces.
[Official website]
Santiago Dotor & Ivan Sache, 12 February 2017