The Moquegua shield is an insignia that represents the different historical and cultural periods of the entity over time. Before 1975 there was no shield representing the region.
Moquegua is a Peruvian department located in the south of this country. Its limits are: to the north with Arequipa, to the south with Tacna, to the east with Puno and to the west with the Pacific Ocean.
In pre-Inca times, the Cochunas mobilized to Cerro Baúl to resist the siege of the Quechuas of Maita Capac for 50 days. The Cochunas did not resist and the Quechuas ended up conquering Moquegua.
During colonial times this region enjoyed great popularity thanks to the production of spirits and wines, especially for the cultivation of a plant called vine or vitis vinifera.
With the establishment of the Republic, Moquegua was awarded the titles of "city" (1823) and "worthy of the nation" (1828) in recognition of his various services in the search for independence.
History
As previously stated, before 1975 Moquegua did not have any representative coat of arms.
Many believed that the Moquegua coat of arms was carved on the facade of an old food market near Jirón Ayacucho, but this is not true.
Despite the fact that this symbol found in Jirón Ayacucho was not legally recognized as the city's coat of arms, there were several speculations generated by the disclosure of the design through various sources, including some official ones.
The departmental shield of Moquegua has its origin in 1975 through a contest in commemoration of the 434 anniversary of the founding of the city. It is engraved in stone on the facade of the Provincial Council of the city.
Of the 42 works that were submitted for the contest, the winner turned out to be designed by Marco Augusto Zambrano Pomareda, better known by his pseudonym as Troubadour.
Description and meaning
The Moquegua shield is divided into three fields: the first is located on the left side with a royal blue background that colors both the sky and the sea.
Inside there are two figures that stand out for their white color: two fish facing to the right and a fishing boat.
This field represents the historical development of production in the city's fishing industry.
The second field, located in the center, is quite colorful because it represents the spring climate of Moquegua.
In this section appears the archaeological site Cerro Baúl. Above it is a yellow sun on a blue background.
Below is the figure of the green vine plant, which symbolizes the importance of its cultivation in the region.
Finally there is the third field on the right side. On a red background there is a pickaxe and a yellow mining helmet that has the silhouette of a refinery inside.
This symbolizes the technological and industrial advance of the processing of natural resources extracted from its soil.
The shield has a square copper outline with the following inscription "Moquegua noble city worthy of the homeland."
At the top there is a waving ribbon with the colors green, red and blue, which are the colors of the Moquegua flag.
Holding this ribbon, a condor appears with both wings spread, symbolizing the hope and greatness of the capital.
In the lower part of the shield there are two olive branches that allude to the plantations of this plant in the Ilo valley.
References
- AngloAmerica, 101 Reasons to Be Proud of Moquegua, PeruExperience, May 2011.
- Great history of Peru. (2000). Lima, Libris. Retrieved on November 17, 2017, from El Comercio.
- Moquegua (sf). Retrieved on November 19, 2017, from Wikipedia.
- Rivera, Raúl. (1974). History of Peru. Lima Peru.
- Vargas, Rubén. (nineteen eighty one). General History of Peru. Volume VI. Editor Carlos Milla Batres. Lima Peru.