^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Puerto de la Cruz (Municipality, Canary Islands, Spain)

Flag of Puerto de la Cruz, as seen in the Town Hall in February 2010 - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 March 2010

Symbols of Puerto de la Cruz

See also:

Symbols of Puerto de la Cruz

The unofficial flag of Puerto de la Cruz is white with the municipal coat of arms in the middle. On the flags in actual use in different places of the town, the height of the coat of arms is at least 80% of the height of flag,

The coat of arms of Puerto de la Cruz is prescribed by Decree No. 1,757, adopted on 4 June 1964 by the Spanish Government and published on 20 June 1964 in the Spanish official gazette, No. 148, p. 8,023 (text).
The coat of arms, approved by the Royal Academy of History, is described as follows:

Coat of arms: Or a dragon vert langued gules ensigned by a Latin cross gules the base azure three fesses wavy argent a key sable. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown.

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the arms feature the dragon that watched the golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides, which was allegedly identified with the valley of Orotava. The cross (cruz) recalls the name of the town, the waves its maritime activity, and the key its role of port of commerce of Tenerife with America.
The coat of arms was "rehabilitated" by the Swiss priest and heraldist Bruno Bernhard Heim (1911-2003). Beforehand, Puerto de la Cruz used a coat of arms less compliant with the rules of heraldry. The dragon was portrayed on a sphere and between rocks. The shield had a bordure inscribed with "Con esta señal vencerás", the Spanish traduction of the Latin motto "Hoc Signo Vinces", which appeared to Constantine the Great together with the Holy Cross, the municipality's namesake. The shield was supported by grapevine leaves and bunches of grapes.

Santiago Dotor, Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 18 May 2008