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Albudeite (Municipality, Region of Murcia, Spain)

Flag of Albudeite - Image by Ivan Sache, 22 April 2015

Presentation of Albudeite
Symbols of Albudeite

See also:

Presentation of Albudeite

The municipality of Albudeite (1,383 inhabitants in 2014; 1,702 ha; municipal website) is located in the geographical center of the Region of Murcia, 30 km of Murcia.

Albudeite was first mentioned in a document signed on 25 July 1296 in Elche by King John II, listing the commanders of the castles of Alhama, Librilla, Abanilla, Las Alguazas and Albudeite. The name of the municipality is derived from Al-Budayd, in Arab, "a place with rare water". Albudeite emerged near the permanent source of Los Baños and the banks of river Guatazales (today, Mula). The village, watched by a small fortress, belonged to the bigger town of Mula.
After the Christian reconquest, Albudeite and the village of Levadura were transferred to Manuel, Infante of Castile and León. The Infante bequeathed Albudeite to his son, the writer Juan Manuel (1282-1346). His natural son Sancho Manuel eventually sold the town to Pedro López de Ayala, Adelentado of the Kingdom of Murcia. Aldonza Fajardo y Ayala, Dame of Albudeite in 1401, defended the rights of the town against the neighbouring councils, obtaining several rights from the Council of Mula. Luis de Guzmán and his wife Isabel de Molina acquired the town in 1510; the sale charter was ceremoniously read on 16 October 1510 from the porch of the church. José Puxmarín Fajardo Dávalos y Guzmán was made Marquis of Albudeite on 31 August 1711.

Ivan Sache, 22 April 2015

Symbols of Albudeite

The flag and arms of Albudeite, approved on 8 July 2005 by the Municipal Council, are prescribed by Decree No. 283, adopted on 15 December 2006 by the Government of the Region of Murcia and published on 26 December 2006 in the official gazette of the Region of Murcia, No. 296, pp. 35,639-35,640 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:

Flag: Panel in proportions 2:3, lemon yellow, charged in the middle with a red medieval castle, with white port and windows, covering 2/4 of the width and surrounded by two black wolves in opposed position.
Coat of arms: Shield in Spanish shape. Per pale, 1. Argent two wolves sable per pale a bordure azure eight saltires or, 2. Or a castle gules ports and windows argent. The shield surmounted with a Marquis' coronet [detailed description skipped].
The flag features the main charges of the coat of arms, the wolves and the castle.
The two wolves sable are the heraldic symbol of Pedro López de Ayala and his lineage, recalling their significant contribution to the consolidation and independence of the place.
The castle existed in the Middle Ages and in the beginning of the modern period. The castle symbolizes the historical courage of the inhabitants to survive in an harsh, arid environment, while the field or symbolizes lemons, the main source of income for the town.

A correction to the Decree was published on 10 February 2007 in the official gazette of the Region of Murcia, no. 34, pp. 4,475-4,476 (text). The original decree, while showing the image of the flag in Appendix II, omitted Appendix I, which shows the image of the coat of arms.

The flag (photo, photo, photo, photo) was designed by Luis Lisón Hernández.

Ivan Sache, 22 April 2015