The flag of Huelva, capital of the homonymous province located in Spain, reflects the historical tradition of the city. Many historians assure that Huelva is the oldest city in the Iberian Peninsula.
However, most assure that the first settlement that started the city occurred a thousand years BC. C.
The foundation of Huelva was in charge of the Phoenicians, who called it Onuba Aestuaria. More than 30,000 years later, its inhabitants are still known as Huelva.
Located on the shores of the Atlantic Sea, Huelva and its inhabitants were the protagonists of the discovery of America. Despite its long history, the city's heraldry is much more recent.
History
There is documentary evidence that in 1602 Huelva used the coat of arms of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, Count of Niebla. From there comes the first reference to the phrase Portus maris et terrae custodia
Later, there is another mention of the Latin inscription on a seal of arms of 1762.
In 1676 an official document carried the oldest known seal. It consisted of an oval seal with a black background, in the upper part there was a tree and in the lower part the word "Huelva" was written in white.
A document from about 100 years later contained a seal with a tree culminating in a royal crown, in addition to the writing "Constitutional Mayor's Office of Huelva.
This is how the first known coat of arms of Huelva evolved and emerged, in 1866. It featured an oval shield with a tree at the top and a crenellated tower at the bottom.
The structure was crossed by an anchor and surmounted by a ducal crown. This insignia changed in 1877 and contained an olive tree in the shape of a pine.
At least until the beginning of the 20th century, municipal stamps were made of two adjacent ovals.
Already for the First Spanish Republic the crown was replaced by the allegory of a mother.
Meaning
According to a resolution dated September 29, 2004, the current heraldry was approved, including the flag of Huelva.
This flag is white, rectangular in shape and with a light blue square in the center.
The blue color is associated with the sea and with Huelva, since its coasts receive water from the Atlantic Ocean. In the center, the flag of Huelva contains its shield.
The shield
This shield is the most important heraldic representation of the city. This emblem consists of a silver field in which are three elements: a tree, an anchor and a castle.
The tree is an olive tree in its natural appearance. This symbolizes the vegetation of the city of Huelva.
The anchor of the shield is made of saber; that is, black color. It represents the maritime quality of Huelva.
It also represents the marine wealth of the ancient Onuba Aestuaria. The sea plays a fundamental role in the history, economy and life of this city.
As for the castle, it is a gold colored tower. This symbol recalls the defense and coastal surveillance of Huelva, specifically against the Turks.
Another element of the shield in the Huelva flag is the blue border that surrounds it. In heraldic terms this color is called azure.
On the border there is a phrase in Latin: Portus maris et terrae custodia, which means "port of the sea and sentinel of the land." It indicates the defense of both the sea and the land.
The shield and its border rest on a gold heraldic scroll. Finally, at the top (on the bell) there is a ducal crown.
References
- Caro, S. (2017). Symbols of Huelva. About Huelva - hotels, flights and travel. Available at: sobrehuelva.com.
- Encyclopedia Britannica. (2017). Huelva - province, Spain. Available at: britannica.com.
- of. (2017). Huelva (Municipality, Andalusia, Spain) - Fahnen Flaggen Fahne Flagge Flaggenshop Fahnenshop Versand kaufen bestellen. Available at: fahnenversand.de.
- it is. (2017). Cite A Website - Cite This For Me. Available at: juntadeandalucia.es.
- Google com. (2017). Huelva - Symbols of Huelva. Available at: sites.google.com