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Municipality of Setenil de las Bodegas (Cádiz Province, Andalusia, Spain)

image by Wikipedia Users: Nethunter and SanchoPanzaXXI, 26 Jul 2009

Introduction
Description
Coat of Arms

See also:

Cádiz Province (Andalusia, Spain)
Andalusia (Spain)
Spain

Introduction

The municipality of Setenil de las Bodegas (2,994 inhabitants in 2008; 8,215 ha) is located 160 km north-east of Cádiz. The attribute "las Bodegas" (lit., the wine cellars) recalls that wine-growing has been the main source of income in the region for ages.

Setenil was once believed to be the successor of the Roman town of Laccipo, but it was subsequently proved that Laccipo was indeed the origin of Casares. The modern settlement emerged as a small Moorish village protected by a fortress. According to Bérnaldez's chronicle, Setenil was a main stronghold preventing the reconquest of the Kingdom of Granada by the Catholic Kings; besieged in 1407, to no avail, the fortress was seized only after seven sieges, said to be the origin of the name of the village, from Latin "septum nihil" (seven times nothing). The seventh, successful siege lasted 15 days and required the use of the most modern weapons of that time; due to the strategic location of Setenil, the victory caused a great buzz in Castile and was the source of several legends. Queen Isobel is said to have aborted during the siege, the St. Sebastian Hermitage being therefore built as a tribute to this child named Sebastian; there is, of course, not the least historic evidence of such an event except in the local folklore. After the reconquest, Setenil was declated a Royal town ("villa") and was granted a chart in 1501. The privileges granted to the town were equivalent to those granted to Seville.

Source: Setenil Tourism website

Ivan Sache, 26 Jul 2009

Description

The flag of Setenil de las Bodegas was approved by the Municipal Council and submitted on 25 October 2005 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed it by Decree on 9 October 2005, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 230 on 24 November 2005.

The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:

Flag: Rectangular panel in proportions 1:1.5, tierced at hoist [vertically divided 1:2]. The first area, at hoist, with proportions 1:3, white; the second area, the remaining 2:3, indigo blue. On the dividing line, the heraldic shield with its crown.

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. 230, p. 36, 24 Nov 2005

Ivan Sache, 26 Jul 2009

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms is presented on the municipal website as approved by the Municipal Council on 23 May 1969 (extraordinary session) and confirmed by Governemnt Decree 1571/1970 of 29 May (1969 or 1970?). The arms are "Gules a yoke argent per bend flanked with a strap ["coyunda," that is a strap specifically intended to tie animals to a yoke] interlaced all over the shield. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown open." The yoke and its strap were granted by the Catholic Kings to the town of Ronda on 25 July 1485; Setenil, then dependent of Ronda, used the same arms, and kept using them after its secession from Ronda in 1630. The arms of Ronda differ from those of Setenil by several details and include the Pillars of Hercules.

Source: Setenil Tourism website

Ivan Sache, 26 Jul 2009