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Somondoco (Boyaca, Colombia)

image by Ivan Sache, 26 September 2008

Overview
Coat of Arms

See also:

Overview

Somondoco is a municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the the subregion of the Eastern Boyacá Province. It was founded on 1 November 1537.
The flag of Somondoco is horizontally divided green-blue-purple. It was adopted by decree 007 of 1 December 1979.
Source: municipal web site
Dov Gutterman, 13 September 2008

Translated from municipal web site: "According to Decree No 007 on 1 December 1979: The following flag is adopted as the municipa flag: three horizontal stripes of equal dimensions, green, blue and purple. The colours are the same as those of the coat of arms and followed the hierarchy on it. The flag shall be one third longer than high."
The municipal coat of arms was adopted by the same Decree as the flag.
The shield is oval, supported by a stylized eagle.
The chief of the shield is charged with Mount Somondoco, the main emblem of the town, on top of which the inhabitants have built the emblem of their faith, the Christ of the Mount. The flanks of the mountains are bristeld with huge caves, locally said to lead to the underground road built by the first inhabitants of the place to reach the plains of San Martín and Casanare and to hide the treasures of the cacique from the Conquistadores' greed. The foreground of the landscape shows the new, artificial laguna of Chivor, set up on river Somondoco to contribute to electrification of Colombia. In the middle is placed a cut emerald, recording that Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada commissioned Captain Pedro Fernández de Valenzuela to find the emeralds mines, whose location had been revealed by a Muisca under torture.
The dexter canton, azure, represents the professional involvment of the people from Somondoco. The charges, argent, are a toga, a book and a judge cap, as symbols of the moral force of the inhabitants of Somondoco.
The sinister canton, purple, represents the religious feelings, aspiration to perfection, respect of justice and dedication to truth and faith. The charge is a bishop's miter argent, recalling the foundation of the parish of St. Sebastian og Somondoco 200 years ago and the parish priests who were subsequently appointed Bishops of Tunja and Pamplona, Severo García, José Benigno Perilla and Indalecio Barreto.
This is not the first occurrence of a flag prescribed to be "one third longer than high". I am wondering if this is not a general prescription for all the municipalities of the department of Boyacá.
Ivan Sache, 26 September 2008

Coat of Arms

image from municipal web site