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Municipality of Moriles (Córdoba Province, Andalusia, Spain)

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider and Ivan Sache, 06 Jul 2009
N.B.: Reconstructed image, no original seen

Introduction
Description
Coat of Arms

See also:

Introduction

The municipality of Moriles (3,985 inhabitants in 2008; 1,954 ha) is located 65 km south of Córdoba.

The municipality was formed by Law of 1 June 1912, with effect on 1 January 1913, which transformed the village of Los Zapateros, then dependent of the municipality of Aguilar de la Frontera, into the new municipality of Moriles.

Still a very small settlement in the middle of the 18th century, Los Zapateros experienced a dramatic growth in the 19th century, its 200 inhabitants being granted in 1818 with an independent parish; 122 families were registered in 1849, for a total account of 543 inhabitants, more than 75% of them being younger than 40. In the early 20th century, Los Zapateros was a big village, with 1,500 inhabitants scattered over 16 streets. The secession from Aguilar became a hot issue; it took four years to the villagers, led by the Conservative Representative José Fernández Jiménez, to obtain a municipal status.

Source: Municipal website

The main activity in Moriles is wine-growing; a local motto says that "the Moriles wine shall always preside the table." The Moriles vineyards are part of the Montillas-Moriles production area, encompassing 11,000 ha scattered over 18 municipalities, producing 800,000 hl of wine every year. The best soils, locally known as "alberos," are found on the heights of the Sierra del Montilla and Morila Altos; due to the warm climate, grapes are harvested in mid August, which is the earliest harvest in Spain. The best Moriles wines, sold as "finos," produced from the local grape variety PX (Pedro Ximénez), are straw-coloured, dry and aromatic wines, particularly suited as starters and with seafood.

Source: www.vinogusto.com

Ivan Sache, 06 Jul 2009

Description

The flag and arms of Moriles were approved by the Municipal Council on 7 December 2006 and submitted on 12 January 2007 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed them by Decree on 3 December 2007, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 27 on 6 February 2007.

The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:

Coat of arms: Made of a crown in its upper part, shaped as an arch, with three central, flower-headed points, two middle outer points, dexter and sinister, and four lesser points inserted between the central and outer points. Under the crown's arch and above the shield is a red area. The shield is made of seven horizontal stripes, covering the half of the shield, in turn yellow and red, starting and ending by the first [that is, or three fesses gules]. The lower half of the shield, ending with a central point, is made of a blue background, with, centered, a bunch of grapes with green leaves. The shield is surrounded, dexter, sinister and in base, with a contourned parchment, of color old gold, with, in its lower part, centered and in a slightly ascendant arched pattern under the base of the shield the writing "AÑO MCMXII" [Year 1912].

Flag: Rectangular flag in proportions 2/3, divided in two equal parts by a virtual diagonal descending from the upper left corner down to the lower right corner. The left, lower triangle, has the green colour of the flag of Andalusia. The upper, right, part has the yellow colour of the flag of Spain. The traditional coat of arms of Moriles is placed in the geometric center of the flag.

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. 27, p. 33, 06 Feb 2007 [PDF]

According to Wikipedia, the coat of arms of Moriles was originally granted on 31 May 1951; the upper part of the shield represents the House of Córdoba. Source: http://www.geocities.com/moriles2001/

Ivan Sache, 06 Jul 2009