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Albánchez (Municipality, Andalusia, Spain)

Flag of Albánchez - Image from the Símbolos de Almería website, 9 May 2014

Presentation of Albánchez
Symbols of Albánchez

See also:

Presentation of Albánchez

The municipality of Albánchez (726 inhabitants in 2008; 3,510 ha; municipal website) is located on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Los Filabres, 80 km south of Almería.

A typical Moorish village with white houses and narrow streets, Albánchez was reconquered by the Christian Kings in 1488; transfered to Pedro Manrique Lara, the village was incorporated in the 16th century to the Marquisate of Los VŽlez. In 1518, the village was rebuilt by Moriscos; after their expelling from Spain, the village was resettled by Catholic families from 1572 onwards. Citrus growing increased the wealth of the village, whose population peaked at 3,425 in 1882. Since then, population has dramatically decreased due to immigration to other parts of Spain and South America, not compensated yet by foreign immigration, especially from Britain.
The aqueduct locally known as "Los Arcos" (The Arches) was built in the late Roman Empire and subsequently used by the Morisco and Christian settlers of Albánchez; abandoned long ago, the monument has however been completely preserved and restored several times. Made of five arches, the bridge is 45 m in length and 16.4 m in height.

Ivan Sache, 1 July 2009

Symbols of Albánchez

The flag of Albánchez, approved on 22 April 2008 by the Municipal Council and submitted on 12 June 2008 to the Directorate General of Local Administration, is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 23 June 2008 by the Directorate General of Local Administration and published on 4 July 2008 in the official gazette of Andalusia, No. 132, pp. 58-59 (text).
The flag is described as follows:

Flag: Panel in proportions 2:3 (hoist to length), divided into three vertical stripes of equal size: white in the middle and green on the borders. In the middle, the municipal coat of arms.

The coat of arms of Albánchez, adopted on 12 August 1997 by the Municipal Council and maintained on 5 June 1999, in spite of rejection on 23 April 1998 and 14 January 1999 by the Royal Academy of Cordóba, is prescribed by Decree No. 3, adopted on 10 January 2000 by the Government of Andalusia and published on 10 February 2000 in the official gazette of Andalusia, No. 17, pp. 1,756-1,757 (text). This was confirmed by a Decree adopted on 30 November 2004 by the Government of Andalusia and published on 20 December 2004 in the official gazette of Andalusia, No. 246, pp. 28,986-29,002 (text).
The coat of arms is described as follows:

Coat of arms: Per pale, 1. Azure per pale in chief a radiating sun or, a crescent pointing downwards of the same, in base on a mount argent a ruined castle or masoned sable port and windows of the same, 2. Or on wavy fesses azure and argent three symbolic mounts proper planted with three nettle stems leaved of seven [all vert]. Grafted in base or a pomegranate vert. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown closed.

The castle symbolizes the ruins of El Castellón. The inverted crescent is a symbol of the Islamic past while the sun is a symbo of the benign weather. The second quarter features the arms of the Fajardo, once feudal lords of Albánchez.
[Símbolos de las Entidades Locales de Andalucía. Almería (PDF file)]

Ivan Sache, 1 July 2009