BOGOTA COAT OF ARMS: HISTORY AND MEANING - HISTORY - 2025

The Bogotá coat of arms is the official emblem that represents the city of the Capital District of Colombia and its neighboring towns. It was granted by Emperor Carlos V, on December 3, 1548 in Valladolid, Spain, to the then New Kingdom of Granada.

It was used until independence, when the new republic of Gran Colombia adopted a new shield; however, it continued to be the unofficial symbol of the city. In 1932 it was formally adopted again as a coat of arms.

Together with the flag and the anthem, the shield is part of the official symbols of the District. The blazon is present in all administrative acts, in acts of protocol and in the official stationery.

It is also used in furniture and in public works, and was even adopted as a symbol on the Archbishop's Cross by the archdiocese of the city.

History

The coat of arms of Bogotá was granted by King Carlos I of Spain and by Queen Juana I of Castile at the request of the city councilor, Pedro Colmenares, and the royal clerk, Alonso Téllez.

The basis of this request was that the city of Bogotá had acquired importance, both political, military and religious.

For this reason it was necessary to have a symbol that would represent it before other colonial cities.

King Carlos I understood the need for the colony and on December 3, 1548 he issued a Royal Decree approving the creation of the coat of arms.

In said Royal Decree the king expresses his agreement with the actions of Bogotá. It also indicates that, the city being as loyal as it has been, it deserves to carry a coat of arms that differentiates it from other colonies.

The shield according to the Royal Decree of 1548

The Royal Decree issued by King Carlos I of Spain describes the forms that the coat of arms of Bogotá would have. In the following fragment, you can see this description

"… in the middle of the beech there is a whole rampant black eagle crowned with gold that in each hand has a colored pomegranate on a gold field and for the border some bouquets with gold pomegranates on a blue field as painted and figuratively…"

Current shield

Over the years the coat of arms of the city was subject to a series of changes, which were generated by mistakes made by the people in charge of its reproduction.

For example, some changed the shape of the blazon, others enlarged the dimensions of the eagle or the crown, among other aspects.

For this reason, in 1932 investigations were carried out in order to determine what would be the definitive characteristics of the coat of arms of Bogotá.

By the end of the year, the artist Leonardo Uribe Prada offered an illustration of the city's coat of arms.

In that same year the official coat of arms of Bogotá was adopted, which has remained in force to this day.

Description and uses

In the center of the shield is a golden eagle with its wings spread and its head turned to the left side.

On his head he wears a golden crown. In each of its claws the bird carries a red pomegranate.

The eagle perches on a yellow background, which is surrounded by a blue stripe. Nine gold colored grenades rest on this strip.

It is usually accompanied by the inscriptions "Mayor de Bogotá DC" or just "Bogotá DC", written in Arial typeface.

It is used as a symbol of the Bogotá mayor's office as well as a symbol of the city. It is usually used in official documents and communications, in buildings and vehicles of the mayor's office, in plaques and decorations, among others.

It is also used in the flag that is in the mayor's office.

The law stipulates that the colors of the shield, the proportions and the typeface used to write the name of the institutions should not be altered. Nor can the elements of the blazon be separated or replaced by others.

Meaning

Eagle

The rampant black eagle is a symbol of steadfastness. Being seated entirely on a golden field, it represents a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, in which King Charles I held the title of Emperor Charles V.

The eagle, considered the queen of birds, wears a small gold crown on its head.

Red pomegranates

The red pomegranates that the eagle holds in its claws refer to the Kingdom of Granada, which was conquered by Isabel I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragon, grandparents of the King.

Golden pomegranates

The nine golden pomegranates on the blue border, refer to the nine territories into which the New Kingdom of Granada was divided at that time.

They symbolize courage, fearlessness, love and charity to friends and to strangers, values ​​with which this city receives and welcomes those who live there and visit it.

References

1. Mayor's Office of Bogotá. (05 of 03 of 2015). Retrieved on September 26, 2017, from bogota.gov.co
2. Bacatá Tours. (sf). Retrieved on 09/26/2017, from mariaymonica.wixsite.com
3. We are Cundinamarca. (sf). Retrieved on September 26, 2017, from somoscundinamarca.weebly.com
4. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (January 30, 2017). Coat of arms of Bogotá. Retrieved on September 26, 2017, from es.wikipedia.org
5. Wikipedia, TF (10 of 08 of 2017). Coat of arms of Bogotá. Retrieved on September 26, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org