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Municipality of María (Almería Province, Andalusia, Spain)

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image by WP User:Miguillen, 16 Jul 2009

Introduction
Description

See also:

Introduction

The municipality of María (1,504 inhabitants in 2007; 22,500 ha) is located on the flank of the Sierra María at an elevation of 1,200 m asl, in the extreme north of the Province of Almería, 180 km north of the provincial capital.

Built above the village at 1,400 m asl on the site where the Virgin had appeared to a shepherd, the Hermitage of Our Lady of Cabeza is the place of a famous "romeria" (Catholic celebration made of a trip or peregrination ending at a sacntuary). The hermitage was sponsored by famous local people, such as the Marquis of los Vélez and Captain Miguel Sánchez Palomera. Andrés Gómez Guijarro, born in María in 1607 fought the Turks in the service of Philip IV for decades; he offerred to the hermitage a flag captured at sea from the Ottomans in 1652. The flag is kept today in the Museum of the Almería Cathedral.

Source: María unofficial page

Ivan Sache, 16 Jul 2009

Description

The flag, arms and anthem of María were approved by the Municipal Council on 25 February 2005 and submitted on 17 March 2005 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed them by Decree on 11 April 2005, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 80 on 26 April 2005.

The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:

Coat of arms: Azure an eagle regardant supported by two branches of belladonna argent surmounted with a Marquis' coronet all argent. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown closed.

Flag: Flag in proportions 2/3, blue with an eagle regardant over two branches of belladonna and surmounted with a Marquis' coronet, all in white.

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 appended to the Decree).

Source: BOJA No. 80, pp. 60-61, 26 Apr 2005

Ivan Sache, 16 Jul 2009