Last modified: 2009-11-21 by eugene ipavec
Keywords: cortegana | sun (yellow) | castle | crown: royal (closed) | waves: 5 (white) |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
The municipality of Cortegana (5,026 inhabitants in 2008; 17,400 ha) is located 120 km north of Huelva. The town, watched by the ruins of a big castle, is a main center of production of cork and mountain ham.
The origin of the castle of Cortegana is unknown because of the lack of written sources and archeological investigations. According to an oral legend reported by Juan de Ledesma in 1633 and, again, by Rodrigo Caro in 1634, the castle was built by the knight Pedro Domingo, who had been banned from the Royal court after having upset a higher lord. The first governor of the castle, Domingo defended it against the Portugueses, then threatening Castile, which allowed him to return back to the Court with great honours, therefore "winnning the Court," "corte ganó." Pedro Domingo is indeed an historic character, listed by Caro as granted a few houses during the share of the Moorish goods in Seville in 1252; Ledesma adds he was born in Ciudad Rodrigo. However, there is no evidence that Domingo ever built the castle of Cortegana, not to add that Cortegana was already mentioned by Ptolemy, as "Corticata." In 1293, King of Castile Sancho IV allowed the town of Seville to build several castles in the neighborhood, but Cortegana was not listed among them. It is therefore possible that the castle already existed at the time. There is no mention either of the castle in the Moorish sources, but there was probably a small "alcázar" here.
Cortegana was mentioned for the first time on the chart sharing Seville, signed by Alfonso X in 1253; the wording is ambiguous and Cortegana can be read as a the name of a place, town or castle; at least, the place was already significant at the time. The castle, mentioned in Alfonso XI's ordinance granted to the Council of Seville in 1344, was subsequently used to watch the north-western border of Castile during the wars againt Portugal.
Source: Website of the Association of the Friends of the Castle of Cortegana
Ivan Sache, 31 Jul 2009
The flag and arms of Cortegana were approved by the Municipal Council on 30 September 2004 and submitted on 7 October 2004 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed them by Decree on 27 October 2004, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 217 on 8 November 2004.
The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:
Coat of arms: Spanish shield. Azure a castle proper masoned sable port and windows of the same, surmounted by a sun or. In base five waves argent. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown closed.Flag: Rectangular flag in proportions 11 x 18. Ochre panel with blue openwork. Centered the local coat of arms.
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. 217, p. 25,829, 08 Nov 2004
On 2 August 2008, Antonio Rodrigo Torrijos reported on his blog that, following the transfer of the ownership of the castle by the Municipality of Seville to the Municipality of Cortegana, the local flag was hoisted over the highest tower of the castle.
Source: http://antonio-rodrigo-torrijos.blogspot.com
Ivan Sache, 31 Jul 2009
The coat of arms of Cortegana is shown on Wikipedia. Unfortunately, the companion image of the flag is shown with 2:3 proportions instead of 11:18.
Ivan Sache, 31 Jul 2009
