The flag of Tacna or the Heroic City, as it is also known, is one of the many flags of Peru whose history is somewhat uncertain. There is no official document that proves, supports or protects the existence of the flag of Tacna.
However, this symbol has been used in various official, public and private events, such as the official flag of the city.
The department of Tacna is one of the twenty-four departments in Peru that experienced the greatest number of historical events, due to the multiple events that impacted the region.
Despite the fact that the current flag is not the official one, it is considered an important part and of great patriotic value for the identity of its people from Tacna.
History
Tacna is a city in southern Peru, founded during the time of the Peruvian Republic in June 1855.
It was named Heroic City by orders of the Congress of the Republic of Peru on May 21, 1821.
August 28, 1929 was the day that the Chilean army left its occupation over the city of Tacna after having invaded it for almost 50 years.
Since then, the return of the city to Peru is celebrated every August 28, as an act of patriotism and jubilation.
This act is called the Procession of the Flag, and since 2009 it was declared by the National Institute of Culture as the nation's cultural heritage.
The current emblem, which is part of the flag, became official on March 13, 2009 after being created in January 1946 by José Jiménez Borja.
Many people believe that the first flag created to represent Peru was the first indigenous flag of Tacna.
This first flag is solid navy blue and has a large golden sun with a face in the center. The reason for this error comes from the emancipation period in the 19th century.
English Admiral Guillermo Miller, of the Peruvian Liberation Army, raised the flag to rally the independent Peruvians. This flag was lost but its description and record remained in history.
Currently the flag of Tacna is part of the Procession of the Flag but it does not have as much relevance as the official flag of Peru, which is with which they decorate the facades of buildings and streets during the procession.
Description and meaning
The flag of Tacna is unicolor, completely yellow, and has the emblem in the center. It is said emblem and not shield because shields can only be awarded to cities with a Spanish foundation, and Tacna never had a Spanish foundation.
Some historians consider that the color of the flag symbolizes the simplicity, rebirth and joy of the people of Tacna.
On the other hand, the rampant lion in the emblem represents freedom from the captivity experienced by the Chilean invasion. It is considered a symbol of bravery and nobility.
The title of Heroic City also appears on the shield under the name of its religious patron Saint Peter.
The idea of creating a shield arose in 1945, after the need to have an emblem to wear it at the ceremony in honor of the departments of Peru.
The artist Enrique Gamarra Hernández captured the ideas described by Dr. José Jiménez Borja, an illustrious person from Tacna.
The shield has a traditional form of Spanish heraldry, with an interior separated into two fields by a diagonal line.
The upper field is red and the lower one is silver, similar to the national colors of Peru. The top field denotes strength, courage, victory, and heroism. The lower field symbolizes purity, integrity, peace and eloquence. In the center of the crown rests a bicolor bow with the white and red colors of the Peruvian flag.
References
- Barreto, Federico (1924). The procession of the flag. Lima: Varieties Magazine. Accessed 2007.
- Basadre, Jorge. (1983). History of the Republic of Peru. Seventh edition. Lima: Editorial Universitaria.
- Contreras, Carlos and v Cueto, Marcos. (2007). History of contemporary Peru. 4th edition. Lima: IEP.
- Procession of the flag (nd). Retrieved on November 19, 2017, from Wikipedia.
- Rivera, Raúl. (1974). History of Peru. Lima Peru.