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Municipality of Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville Province, Andalusia, Spain)

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image by Ivan Sache, 04 Jul 2009

Introduction
Description

See also:

Introduction

The municipality of Los Palacios y Villafranca (36,350 inhabitants in 2008; 10,947 ha) is located 22 km south of Seville.

The two villages of Los Palacios and Villafranca de la Marisma were merged to form the municipality of Los Palacios y Villafranca in 1836.

Los Palacios (lit., "The Palaces") emerged in the 9th century around the small Moorish fortress of Al-mudeyne, one of the watch posts built by Abderraman II to secure the roads to the coast of Andalusia. After the reconquest, the place was renamed "La Atalayuela" (The Watch Post); King Peter I built a palace near the post, the two buildings being known as "Los Palacios de la Atalyuela," eventually shortened to "Las Palacios."

Villafranca emerged as a small farmers and shepherds' village, known in the Moorish period as "Anevel." After the reconquest, the village was renamed "Las Chozas" (lit., "The Huts") , aka "La Marisma" (lit., "The Salt Marsh"), and resettled by colonists and discharged soldiers from Castile and Leon, who lived from agriculture and horse breeding. In 1501, the Town Council of Seville granted privileges to the colonists, founding the new settlement of "Villafranca de la Marisma."

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 04 Jul 2009

Description

The flag and arms of Los Palacios y Villafranca were approved by the Municipal Council and submitted on 13 November 2008 to the General Directorate of Local Administration, which confirmed them by Decree on 11 December 2008, published in the Andalusian official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, BOJA) No. 257 on 29 December 2008.

The relevant parts of the Decree are the following:

Coat of arms: Shield divided per fess in three horizontal fields, separated by stripes argent. In chief, gules a horned animal [a bull]; in the middle, azure the mayors of Villafranca de la Marisma and Los Palacios shaking hands, surrounded by an olive tree and a grapevine vert; in point, or "LOS PALACIOS Y VILLAFRANCA" in letters sable. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown open.

Flag: Rectangular, horizontally divided in three equal stripes, red on top, blue in the middle and yellow on bottom with the municipal coat of arms in the middle 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. 257, pp. 48-49, 29 Dec 2008

The flag is therefore prescribed with the municipal coat of arms but a photo of the flag hoisted over the "Casa de la Cultura" shows the flag without the coat of arms. Similarly, the coat of arms shown on the municipal website differs from the coat of arms prescibed in the Decree. The writing in the yellow field is "LA UNION," while the name of the municipality is placed in a white border, not prescribed either in the Decree. Legally, only the symbols registered on the Andalusian Register of Local Entities can be used.

Source: lospalacios.org

Ivan Sache, 04 Jul 2009