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Tijarafe (Municipality, Canary Islands, Spain)

Flag of Tijarafe - Image by Santiago Dotor, 21 May 2002

Symbols of Tijarafe

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Symbols of Tijarafe

The flag of Tijarafe is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 17 July 1998 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 19 August 1998 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 105, pp. 9,461-9,462 (text). The flag was initially adopted on 2 March 1998 by the Municipal Council, as published on 27 March 1998 in the official gazette of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, and validated on 27 May 1998 by the Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands.
The flag is described as follows:

Flag: Rectangular panel one and a half longer than wide, white with a red diagonal stripe running from the upper hoist to the lower fly. The width of the diagonal stripe shall be 1/10 of the panel's width.
When the flag is charged with the municipal coat of arms, this should be placed in the middle of the panel, preferably on both sides of the flag.

The coat of arms of Tijarafe is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 17 July 1998 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 19 August 1998 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 105, pp. 9,463-9,464 (text). The coat of arms was initially adopted on 2 March 1998 by the Municipal Council, as published on 27 March 1998 in the official gazette of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, and validated on 27 May 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. Gules a balconcillo argent, 2. Or a dragon or devil sable pierced by a candle gules, 3. Azure a cave with a sun or on the sea, 4. Azure a rock proper. A bordure argent five funnels gules. Beneath the shield a scroll vert inscribed "Sitio de sombra y frescura" sable. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.

The rationale for the design is the following.
1st quarter. Gules is a symbol of the values of the people of Tijarafe all along the history: charity, valiance, nobleness and magnanimity. The balconcillo represents the bell tower of the church of Our Lady of the Candle.
2nd quarter. Or is a symbol of justice, benignity, clemence, generosity, love and purity. The dragon is modelled on the one featured on the statue of Our Lady of the Candle (1515), the patron saint and honorary and perpetual Mayor of Tijarafe.
3rd quarter. The entrance of the Cueva Bonita (lit., Beautiful Cave).
4th quarter. The mirador of Time, a monumental promontory allowing the observation of the Aridane valley and of the [Taburiente] caldera.

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the bordure features the funnels found in the Los Gomeros ravine, which are characteristic pieces of native pottery.

Dov Gutterman, Santiago Dotor, Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 21 May 2002