The coat of arms of Córdoba (Colombia) stands out for the effigy of General José María Córdova, hero of the independence of Colombia and eponymous of this federal entity, and the indigenous symbolism of the jaguar.
This shield is the representative emblem of Córdoba, a department located in the north of the country in the Caribbean region. Its capital is the city of Montería.
The author of the shield is the Antioquia academic Abel Botero Arango, who in addition to the coat of arms also created the flag of that department. Both symbols were approved by the Junta Central Pro Departamento in December 1951, a few months before the founding of Córdoba.
History
Before the foundation of Córdoba, on June 18, 1952, the historian Abel Botero Arango proposed the design of the shield and the flag to the members of the department's promoter board.
The idea was to generate official and representative emblems of the nascent Colombian department.
On December 12, 1951, the commissioners of the board meeting at the Hotel Granada in Bogotá approved this design with the express mandate that the departmental authorities, which would be appointed months later, should incorporate it as a department insignia on the stationery. and other instruments for government use.
Although there is officially only one version of the Cordoba Coat of Arms, throughout its history at least seven other versions of this emblem have been introduced by public and private organizations, altering its content in some way.
These versions of the Cordoba Shield contain errors in form and design that can be observed in the arrangement of the elements that make up the shield.
For example, in the images of General José María Córdova and the jaguar, as well as in the use of the colors of the fields and in the writing of the motto.
Meaning
The straight top and rounded shape at the bottom of the shield border is traditional Spanish heraldic style.
The border is decorated with the colors of the Colombian flag, which symbolize national values, and is divided into two silver-colored fields cut by a horizontal line.
In the upper field, the effigy of General José María Córdova stands out; and in the lower field, the image of a jaguar, the magical-religious symbol of the sinúes, ancient inhabitants of the territory currently occupied by the department of Córdoba.
The image also symbolizes the agility and strength of this pre-Columbian indigenous ethnic group.
In this way, the pride of the Cordovan people by the ancestors who populated that territory and contributed to shaping its cultural appearance is reflected in the shield.
The Latin expression on the tricolor border "Omnia Per Ipsum Facta Sunt" is translated as follows: "All things were made by themselves", or also "All that we are is a product of ourselves."
This phrase alludes to and highlights the fertility of the Cordovan countryside and the economic self-sufficiency of this Colombian people, since the department's economy has historically revolved around agricultural, forestry and livestock production, among other items.
References
- Symbols of Cordoba. Retrieved on September 25, 2017 from cordoba.gov.co
- Government of Córdoba. Coat of arms of Córdoba. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- Shield of Córdoba (Colombia). Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
- Different Shields of Córdoba. cordoba.gov.co
- Biographies and Lives. José María Córdoba. Retrieved on September 25, 2017 from biografiasyvidas.com
- Brief history of Córdoba. Consulted of cordoba.gov