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Barlovento (Municipality, Canary Islands, Spain)

Flag of Barlovento - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 February 2014

Symbols of Barlovento

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Symbols of Barlovento

The flag of Barlovento is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 29 October 1998 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 2 December 1998 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 151, pp. 14,287-14,288 (text). The flag was initially adopted on 29 November 1996 by the Municipal Council, as published on 22 December 1997 in the official gazette of the Las Palmas Province, and validated on 18 September 1998 by the Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands.
The flag is described as follows:

Flag: Rectangular panel [...], whose length is one and half time the height, divided by a yellow diagonal stripe running from lower hoist to upper fly, thus forming two triangles, green at hoist and blue at fly.
When the flag is charged with the municipal coat of arms, the arms should be placed in the middle of the yellow stripe.

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the three colours of the flag also appear on the coat of arms, on other flags in La Palma, and, as far as blue and yellow are concerned, on the flag of the Canary Islands.
Green symbolizes the mountains, while yellow symbolizes gold and the past abundance in grain. Blue symbolizes the limpidity of the sky, which caused the erection of astronomical observatories on the top of mountains.

The coat of arms of Barlovento is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 29 October 1998 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 2 December 1998 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 151, pp. 14,289-14,290 (text). The coat of arms was initially adopted on 29 November 1996 by the Municipal Council, as published on 22 December 1997 in the official gazette of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province. The Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands suggested modifications to the design, which were accepted on 18 June 1998 by the Municipal Council, as published on 1 July 1998 in the official gazette of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province. The arms were eventually validated on 18 September 1998 by the Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands.
The coat of arms is described as follows:

Coat of arms: Quarterly, 1. Vert a Marian anagram argent, 2. Azure a lighthouse sable masoned argent with a lantern and five rays or port and windows vert, 3. Azure a Christian nave sable with sails or charged with three crosses potent gules on waves azure and argent, 4. Vert a dragon tree proper on a base proper. A bordure gules nine windroses argent and azure with the northeastern direction or, placed four, two, two and one. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.

The rationale for the design is as follows.
First quarter: The Marian mmonogram refers to the Virgin of the Rosary and to the Five Ministers of the Holy Rosary who asked Her to be the patron saint of Barlovento.
Second quarter: A representation of the Punta Complida lighthouse, located north-east of La Palma, placed on the shield according to its geographical location, whose light has been guiding the ships sailing off the coast since its inauguration in 1867.
Third quarter: A representation of the Battle of Lepanto, which is re-enacted during the festival honouring the Virgin of the Rosaty.
Fourth quarter: An allusion to the noted group of old, big dragon trees found in the Tosca borough, considered as one of the most important groups of dragon trees in the Canary Islands and symbolizing the agricultural resources of Barlovento.
Bordure: The nine windroses with the north-eastern direction represented or highlight the geographical situation of Barlovento in La Palma, and also represent the nine settlements that administratively form the municipality of Barlovento.

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the connection with the Battle of Lepanto is probably related with Captain Díaz Pimienta, commander of the Barlovento militia, and other inhabitants of La Palam who fought in the battle.

Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 11 February 2014