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Municipality of Bentarique (Almería Province, Andalusia, Spain)

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image by WP User:Miguillen, 12 Jul 2009

Introduction
Description

See also:

Introduction

The municipality of Bentarique (277 inhabitants; 1,100 ha) is located in the Valley of Andarax, part of the Alpujarra mountains, 30 km north-west of Almería.

Bentarique is locally said to mean "venta rica," a rich house, this popular etymology being "proved" by the Moorish treasure found in the village in 1896. Indeed of Moorish origin, the name of the village rather recalls that it was settled by the sons ("ben," the Andalusian form of "ibn," "the son") of Tariq. However, the region was settled much earlier; the geographer and chronicler Al-Idrisi (12th century) mentions Roman thermae and a healing source, probably the fountain of Poznilla.

In the 9th century, Bentarique was one of the 20 fortresses of the Urs al-Yaman administrative division. Four centuries later, Al-Andalus was reduced to the Kingdom of Granada and Bentarique was part of the "taha" (administrative division set up by the Nasrid rulers in the Alpujarra) of Marchena; Bentarique was a secondary fortress, the main fortress being at Marchena, ruled by a governor from the al-Nayar family. The aforementioned treasure dates back to the 16th century; made of a golden necklace, a silver bracelet and a chain bracelet, it is kept in the National Archeological Museum of Madrid. After the surrender of Baeza and the so-called "Almería Surrendders" (1489), Bentarique remained Muslim but was progressively Christianized; in 1494, the former "taha" of Marchena was transferred to Gutierre de Cárdenas y Chacón, as a reward for his contribution to the reconquest. Resettled in 1574 after the expelling of the Moriscos in 1570, Bentarique did not reemerge until the 18th century. In the middle of the 19th century, the cultivation of the local grape variety known as "uva de Johanes," mostly grown in the Valley of Andarax, boosted the development of the village.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 12 Jul 2009

Description

The flag of Bentarique was approved by the Municipal Council on 6 October 2006 and submitted on 17 October 2006 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed it by Decree on 7 November 2006, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 231 on 29 November 2006.

The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:

Rectangular panel, in proportions 2/3, horizontally divided in three equal parts, the upper red, the central yellow and the lower azure. All over in the middle of the panel the coat of arms in its colours.

The symbols should be registered on the Andalusian Register of Local Entities, with their official written description and graphics (as originally submitted, but unfortunately not apprended to the Decree).

Source: BOJA No. 231, p. 27, 29 Nov 2006

Ivan Sache, 12 Jul 2009