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Antioquia Department (Colombia)

Departamento de Antioquia

Last modified: 2021-08-26 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: antioquia | colombia | palm tree | plane tree | matron |
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Official Flag
image by Jaume Ollé'



See also:


Overview

Communication from Esteban Rivera, based on the information of the Tourist Guide "Antioquia: World of Delights" -Turantioquia - 2th ed. 199, page 28:
"The flag has its origin in the University of Antioquia (Universidad de Antioquia - founded in 1822), that nearly since its foundation had between its emblems a green and white flag that was hoisted in all its official acts. In 1962, by order of the departmental Assembly it was decreed the use by the department of the same flag as that of the University of Antioquia.
With respect to the department’s coat-of-arms the government of the State of Antioquia determined by decree of 23 August 1812 to represent the coat-of-arms in the following form: a matron dressed and adorned like an Indian, sat at the bottom of a golden hill between the plane tree and the palm tree, with a copious river at her feet, wearing in her head the cap of the French revolution. The golden hill represents wealth and virtue; the palm tree, triumph and victory; the plane tree, abundance; the cap, freedom; the matron, the Antioquian race."
Jaume Ollé'

Antioquia adopted the flag by Ordenanza 6 of 10 December 1962 ; CoA adopted on 23 August 1812 by Decerto number 21.
Felipe Carrillo, 15 July 2002

The official information can be found at www.antioquia.gov.co/escudo.htm (official description of the Coat of Arms in Spanish) and www.antioquia.gov.cos/bandera.htm (official description of the flag in Spanish).
E.R., 12 September 2005


Flag of Regular Use

(2:3) image by Jaume Ollé
Flag of Regular Use


Flag with Coat of Arms

image by Eugene Ipavec and Jaume Ollé, 12 September 2005

Flag of Antioquia with Coat of Arms as seen at photo at www.metroseguridad.gov.co.
E.R., 12 September 2005

image by Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2018

I came across a variant flag featuring the flag charged with the coat of arms with a different color scheme for the coat of arms where the hills are yellow, a native woman wears a red dress and holds in her right arm a Phrygian cap. The flag also includes the words "DEPARTAMENTO DE ANTIOQUIA" in golden letters surrounding the shield in a green ring, and below are two laurel wreaths.

A (more or less) official description is found on the official website (translated directly from Spanish):
"On August 23, 1812, the Senate Chamber (as it was denominated to the corporation made up of the deputies of the different cantons and provinces) (which is currently the Asamblea Departamental, or Department Assembly), issued Decreto No. 21 according to the following terms: "(the) Senate Chamber, Antioquia, (dated) August 23, 1812 ...
That the State takes for Arms in its public blazons and in the Great Seal of the business bureau, a matron dressed and adorned in Indian form, seated between a banana (tree) and a palm tree, reclining to the foot of a hill of gold, with a mighty river at its feet, holding in the most graceful attitude, the cap of freedom ... " which symbolizes the following: the hill stands for wealth and virtue; the palm tree stands for the triumphs and the victories; the banana tree stands for abundance; the (Phrygian) cap stands for the freedom; and with the
matrona (a woman leader), the "Antioquian race"."
Source: http://www.antioquia.gov.co/index.php/antioquia/datos-de-antioquia (which in turns quotes https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escudo_de_Antioquia).
Image cropped from a screenshot from TV news Hora13 aired today.
Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2018


Vertical Flag

image by Eugene Ipavec, 19 June 2006

I went to this gas station here in Medellin and saw several vertical flags. Among them is the vertical flag of the Department of Antioquia.
E.R., 19 June 2006


Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley

Medellín and its Metropolitan Area - Medellín, the capital of the Department of Antioquia, together with  other municipalities, form the "Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, or Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley.  This is for economic purposes, in order to get more funds from the central government.  They have an English page available at www.metropol.gov.co
This "Area" is made up of 10 municipalities, which are as follows:
Caldas
La Estrella
Sabaneta
Itaguí
Envigado
Medellin
Bello
Copacabana
Giradota
Barbosa
Each one has its own flag, anthem and Coat of Arms.
Esteban Rivera Velez, 5 September 2001


Coat of Arms

image contributed by Felipe Carrillo, 7 July 2002


Seal - Historical

image contributed by Esteban Rivera, 09 August 2013

The fist Seal (which eventually developed into the first Coat of Arms) of the Department of Antioquia.
Source: http://www.banrepcultural.org/sites/default/files/lablaa/revistas/credencial/marzo2010/imagenes/escudo2.jpg taken from this website. The respective GIF image is here.

The inscription reads: "FE PVBLICA DEL ESTADO LIBRE E YNDEPENDIENTE DE ANTYOQVA" (in old Spanish), in current Spanish would be "Fé Pública Del Estado Lybre E Independiente De Antioquia", which translates as "Public Faith of the Free and Independent Antioquia"), surrounded by a palm (right) and and olive branch (left). Inside the Coat of Arms, in the first quarter, there's a tree with a crow (being the Coat of Arms of Santa Fé de Antioquia, the second quarter is a tower (being the Coat of Arms of Medellín, the third quarter is a lion (being the Coat of Arms of Rionegro, and the fourth quarter being two holding hands (being the Coat of Arms of Marinilla). Below, are the initials R.Z.C.B.Y.C., that stand for Remedios, Zaragoza, Cáceres, San Bartolomé, Yolombó y Cancán (hoy Amalfi).
Independence was declared on August 11, 1813 and this Seal was approved by the President of Antioquia, José María Montoya Duque, by Decree, naming it the "Gran Sello de Antioquia" (Great Seal of Antioquia) on September 2, 1813.
Sources: http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/historia/primera/antioquia.htm and http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escudo_de_Antioquia#Sello_de_la_Rep.C3.BAblica_de_Antioquia
Esteban Rivera, 09 August 2013