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Municipality of Gines (Seville Province, Andalusia, Spain)

image by Ivan Sache, 07 Jul 2004

Introduction
Description
Coat of Arms

See also:

Introduction

The municipality of Gines (9,600 inhabitants; 2.81 sq. km) is located 8 km south-west of Sevilla, on the road to Huelva.

The traditional economy of Gines is based on agriculture: 10% of the wine of Aljarafe is produced in Gines; there is also a significant production of olive for oil and figs. The ancient olive mills have disappeared and have been replaced by the modern factory "La Española".

History of Gines

In his "History of Spain", Lafuente claims that Gines was known as Vergelium Julii Genitores in the Roman times. Serrano Ortega, in his "Guide of the historical and artistic monuments of the province of Sevilla", says that Gines was known as Abgena during the Roman rule, Genis Levit during the Muslim rule, and was renamed Camero by Alfonso X the Wise (king from 1252 to 1284).Gines is mentioned as Genis Cevid in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, with an area of c. 2.81 sq. km, 30,000 olive trees and 50,000 fig trees.The name of Gines can be read in a document dated 1412, kept in the municipal archives in Sevilla. The name is confirmed by Diego Ortíz de Zúñiga in his Annals of Sevilla (1617).The inhabitants of Gines are called Ginenses or Abgenenses.

In 1370, king Enrique II of Castilie (king from 1369 to 1379) granted the domain of Gines to his almirante mayor Fernán Sánchez de Tovar. The domain was ceded in 1370 to the justicia mayor Don Diego López de Zúñiga, who transfered it in 1412 to his daughter Doña Leonor de Zúniga when she married Don Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, lord of Ayamonte. During the XVIth century, the Guzmán fought against the Cabildo (local administration) of Sevilla for the jurisdiction on Gines. The city was granted a civil and criminal jurisdiction on 20 May 1532.From 1699 to 1734, the lord of Gines was Don Alejo Manrique de Guzmán Pacheco y Zúñiga, count of Fontanal. He often stayed in Gines and is remembered for his good administration and his active contribution to the life and festivals in the city.One of the last lords of Gines was portrayed by Francisco de Goya (1746-1828). The painting, captioned El Sr. Don Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga, Sr. de Gines. Nació en Abril a 2 de 1784" (Lord ..., Lord of Gines, born on 2 April 1784), can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The main monument of Gines is the Belén Virgin's church, originally built in mudéjar style. The name mudéjar was given to the Muslims who stayed in Castilia after the Christian reconquest (XIth-XIVth century). The mudéjar art (XIIIth-XVIth century) is characterized by the use of Muslim techniques and decorative elements. Its influence can be seen as northern as Saintonge and Poitou, in France, where it was probably brought back by local lords who had contributed to the reconquest. The Belén Virgin's church was later revamped in the Spanish Renaissance style at the end of the XVIIIth century. The church is famous for the rococo altarpiece made by Francisco Díaz in 1764, and the holy image of Our Lady of Belén. A painting of interest is St. Catherine's funeral, made by members of the workshop of Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664).

Other main elements of the late XVIIIth century in Gines are the haciendas (farms), which were originally mixed with palaces in the historical center of the city. Those farms were used for the transformation of the traditional products of agriculture (olives and figs). The six main farms in Gines were the Hacienda de la Concepción, Hacienda del Marqués de Torrenueva, Hacienda de Santa Rosalía, Hacienda de la Merced, Hacienda del Santo ángel and Hacienda de Torregines.

Source: Institute of Statistics, Government of Andalucia

Ivan Sache, 07 Jul 2004

The municipality of Gines (12,651 inhabitants in 2008; 290 ha) is located 6 km east of Seville.

Originally known as "Abgena," the town was renamed "Vergelium Julii Genitoris" under Caesar's rule. In the Moorish times, the town declined and was transformed into an "alquería" (estate) named "Genis Levit." After the reconquest, King Alfonso X renamed the town "Camero;" not really popular, this name was subsequently superseded by "Xines" and, eventually, by Gines, which appears on a document dated 1412, kept in the Seville Archives.

In 1370, King Henry II transferred Gines to his Great Admiral, Fernán Sánchez de Tovar. Granted the town in 1388, Diego López de Zúñiga offerred it as her dowry to his daughter Leonor de Zúñiga when she married Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, lord of Ayamonte. The most famous lord of Gines was Alejo Manrique de Guzmán Pacheco y Zúñiga, Count of Fontanal, who strongly committed himself in the management of the affairs and festivals of the town.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 30 Jul 2009

Description

According to the newspaper Diario de Sevilla, the municipal flag of Gines was officially hoisted for the first time on 4 July 2004 on the Consistorio, in presence of mayor Francisco González Cabrera. The design of the flag was unanimously adopted by the municipal council.

The flag is made of three horizontal stripes blue-yellow-green, in proportion 1:2:1.("El nuevo símbolo presenta tres franjas horizontales en colores azul, amarillo y azul, siendo la banda central de doble anchura", quotation of the newspaper)

Source: Diario de Sevilla, online edition<>

Ivan Sache, 07 Jul 2004

The flag of Gines was approved by the Municipal Council on 23 June 2004 and submitted on 24 June 2004 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed it by Decree on 23 July 2004, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 155 on 9 August 2004.

The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:

Flag: Rectangular flag made of three equal horizontal stripes with proportions 1/4, 1/2 and 1/4, flag blue the upper, golden yellow the middle, and flag blue the lower. In the horizontal stripe at left the coat of arms of the place 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 appended to the Decree).

Source: BOJA No. 155, p. 17,703, 09 Aug 2004

A photo of the town hall shows the municipal flag hoisted, but unfortunately without enough detail to decide where to place the coat of arms (the written description in the Decree is quite ambiguous).

Source: www.sevillaweb.info

Ivan Sache, 30 Jul 2009

Coat of Arms

Ivan Sache, 07 Jul 2004

The coat of arms of Gines is shown and described on the website of the Institute of Statistics of the Government of Andalucia (see above). The Spanish blazon is the following:

Escudo partido en palo:En el primero: De azur, dos calderas de oro, gringoladas de sinople, puesta en palo, la bordadura de plata cargada de cuatro calderas de sable.En el segundo: De sinople, la torre del molino de plata. Al timbre: Trae Corona real cerrada.

My tentative rendition of the blazon in English is:

Per pale, first azure two cauldrons or gringoladas [handled?] vert in pale a border argent four cauldrons sable, second vert a mill tower argent".

The cauldrons recall the coat of arms of the Guzmán, former lords of Gines (see above). The mill towers are characteristic elements of the urban landscape in Gines.

I am attaching to this message the image of the coat of arms cropped from the aforementioned website. Note that on the image, silver is shown as pale blue: the border of the dexter part of the shield and the tower on the sinister parts should be silver. Moreover, the smaller cauldrons in the border should be sable and not or.

I guess that the colours of the flag were taken from the main colours of the Guzmán coat of arms, azure and or, but this is only my guess.

Ivan Sache, 07 Jul 2004

The coat of arms is presented on the municipal website, as "in agreement with the report of the Royal Academy of History"; it is "Per pale. 1. Azure two cauldrons or "gringolada" vert, placed per pale, a border argent charged with four cauldrons sable. 2. Vert a mill's tower argent. The shield surmounted with a Royal Crown closed." The cauldrons are taken from the Guzmán coat of arms, while the mill's tower of the estate of the Marquis of Torrenueva is the most characteristic element of the urban landscape of Gines.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 30 Jul 2009