The origin of the Bogotá flag dates back to 1810, when insurgent movements began against the Spanish authorities. Protestants in the city of Santafé de Bogotá used to wear a cockade on their arms.
The colors of said cockade were yellow and red, which corresponded to both the flag of the New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish colony in America) and the flag of the Spanish Crown.
Over the years, these colors became the official flag of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.
The flag consists of two horizontal stripes of the same thickness. The upper stripe is yellow, while the lower stripe is red.
In the center is the coat of arms of the city, in which a black eagle crowned in gold can be seen holding two grenades.
On the shield you can see an inscription that reads "Very noble and very loyal." This refers to two qualities of the city.
You may also be interested in the flag of Colombia.
History
The flag of Bogotá had its origin in the cry of Independence, made on July 20, 1810. On this day the revolutionaries of the colonies began the fight against the Spanish authorities.
Those who participated in these armed confrontations identified themselves with a red and yellow cockade, which was pinned to one arm.
The colors were those of the flag of Spain, which was the official symbol of the New Kingdom of Granada, a name that received a group of Spanish colonies in America.
In this way, the protesters transformed a symbol of oppression into a symbol of liberation. Later these colors gave rise to the flag of Bogotá.
Current flag
Starting in 1820, Bogotá began to use a flag with two horizontal stripes of the same size as a symbol: the upper yellow and the lower red.
At the beginning of the 1950s, the city authorities began to investigate the history of Bogotá to determine the origin of the yellow and red flag that was used until then.
This research was carried out by two members of the Colombian Academy of History: Enrique Ortega Ricaurte and Guillermo Hernández Alba.
These two scholars determined that it was in the Cry of Independence of 1810 that this symbol began to be used.
Thus, on October 9, 1952, the aforementioned flag was adopted as the official symbol of the capital city of Colombia. This was done through decree 555.
Through this decree, a series of regulations were also established in order to regulate the use of this symbol. Among these standards, those regarding the proportion stand out:
- If the flag is to be used as a banner, then the width must measure twice the length of the flag.
- If the symbol is to be used as a banner, then the length must measure two and a half times the width of the flag.
In the center of the flag is the coat of arms of Bogotá, in which the inscription "Very noble and loyal" is read.
The flag of Bogotá and the coat of arms
The official flag of Bogotá has in the center the coat of arms of the city.
This is the official symbol of the city since 1548, when King Carlos I of Spain decreed through a Royal Certificate that Santafé de Bogotá would have a coat of arms with an eagle in a rampant position.
The blazon designed on the flag shows a black eagle, on whose head rests a gold crown. In each of the claws this animal holds a grenade.
The background of the shield is yellow, while the edges are blue. On the edges are nine gold-colored grenades.
Meaning
The flag of Bogotá shows a strong Spanish influence. To begin, the colors used are the same as those of the flag of Spain.
Likewise, the coat of arms found in the center of the Bogotá flag was designed by King Carlos I of Spain.
Colors
While it is true that the colors are the same as those of the Spanish flag, the meaning varies.
When the independence cry was carried out in 1810, the Colombian revolutionaries gave the colors of the cockade a definition of their own.
The yellow color represented justice, while the red represented freedom, two elements that were sought to obtain through insurrections.
Over the years other connotations have been given to colors. For example, yellow in addition to justice can also signify mercy, kindness, constancy, power, wealth, splendor, joy, prosperity and health.
Red, beyond freedom, can also represent bravery, courage, courage, honor, victory, rage and charity.
The meaning of these colors can be summarized in the inscription on the flag's shield: "Very noble and loyal."
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is also an essential part of the flag of the city. The imperial eagle symbolizes the influence of Spain on Bogotá, which was once a colony of this nation.
Likewise, pomegranates are a symbol of both the Kingdom of Granada, in Spain, and the New Kingdom of Granada, the Spanish colony in America.
The eagle has a three-pointed crown on its head. According to heraldry, which is the study of shields, this represents steadfastness.
The nine pomegranates on the edge of the shield represent the nine provinces into which the New Kingdom of Granada was divided in colonial times.
In turn, the fact that these grenades are made of gold refers to the importance and value of the city of Bogotá.
References
- Bogota Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Bogotá (Capital District, Colombia). Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from crwflags.com
- Bogotá (Capital District, Colombia). Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from fotw.fivestarflags.com
- Bogota - Flag, Coats of Arms, Links. Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from bogota-dc.com
- Coat of arms of Bogotá. Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from wikidata.org
- Flag with Coat of Arms - Bogotá. Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from crwflags.com
- The Flag - Bogota. Retrieved on November 15, 2017, from fotw.fivestarflags.com