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Valencia (Carabobo, Venezuela)

Municipio Valencia

Last modified: 2009-08-08 by dov gutterman
Keywords: carabobo | valencia |
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image contributed by Eudhen Perdomo and José Manuel Erbez, 27 March 2009



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Overview

Valencia is one of the most important industrial cities of my country: it's located on the Center North of Venezuela and is the Capital of Carabobo State.
Raul Jesus Orta Pardo, 2 April 2003

In "El Carabobeño", 3 December 2008, Alfredo Fermín reports that the newly elected municipal administration plans to change the municipal flag, arms and anthem.
The leaflet "Símbolos de la Ciudad", including even more details, can be downloaded (at least for the moment) from the municipal website.
Ivan Sache, 6 December 2008

The rules of the competition "Creation of the new flag of the Municipality of Valencia" are available on the municipal website.
Everybody, aged 15 or more, can compete, except the members of the Municipal Council, of the municipal administration, of the jury, and their relatives.
The municipal flag will be used, alongside with the flags of Venezuela and of Carabobo, in all official events and ceremonies.
Each contender, individual or as a group, shall present a single, brand new, proposal. A black and white construction sheet shall be appended to the colour design, as well as a description of the flag and its meaning.
The competition, opened on 2 February 2009, shall end on 27 February 2009. The jury will then have 20 days to select the winning design.
On 25 February 2009, "El Carabobeño", reminding the competition deadline and basic rules, stated that only 15 proposals had been received yet.
Ivan Sache, 28 February 2009

"El Carabobeño", 25 March 2009, reports that the Municipal Council of Valencia has presented the new municipal flag on 24 March 2009"
"Last Tuesday Municipal Council presented the new Flag of Valencia, where predominate colors are red and terra-cotta’s brown and where was eliminated the figure of Virgin del Socorro, Celestial Matron of our city for almost 400 years.
The flag is conformed by eight elements: the colors silver gray, vermilion red and terra-cotta’s brown; the little feminine figure called “Valencioide” with white borders, mixed black lines, the Lake of Valencia and internal black borders
The flag was selected between 25 proposals. His designer was the Information Engineer Alvaro Manuel Bramante, 23 years old, Unitec’s graduate and born in Santa Rosa Parish
In the act were present among other persons the Councilmen Alexis López, Oswaldo Di Lorenzo, Víctor Suárez, Luis Ortega. There were also César Dao, Alfredo Barrios y Ramón Belisario which jointly with Maricinia Alvarez and Laura Rojas conformed the Jury which choose the winning project.
Gray represents the industrialization process which transformed Valencia in a productive city of the Country. Vermilion red symbolizes the blood spilled by Tacariguas Indians during the conquest and colonization process and also the blood spilled by the patriots in the immortal Field of Carabobo.
The little feminine figure “Valencioides” represents the so called “Venus Tacarigua”. With her is emphasized the great original historical, ethnic and cultural value of our city emanated from its original settlers, who reverenced her as universal goddess.
The white borders of the little feminine figure symbolizes the virginity, purity and innocence of Tacariguas Indians, as well as the value of the cultural knowledge which they bequeathed to Valencian people. Terra-cotta brown means the original idiosyncrasy, the cultural value and historical legacy of Valencia as a city, besides its agricultural fertility.
Mixed lines represent Cabriales River and the great route that it does through Valencia and also the commitment of the citizens to recover it. Lake of Valencia alludes to that on their margins gave rise  the establishment of the original settlers, besides constituting a paradisiac reserve of flora and fauna. The black borders represent the enigmas, fears or mysteries which were object Tacariguas Indians during Valencia’s colonization and also the Patriotic Army during the fight for the independence of Venezuela.
The winner of the contest will receive 6 thousand strong bolivars as prize. Four thousands will be contribution from the Mayorship and 2 thousand from Municipal Council. The flag  is not still official, because it’s required to approve it in the second reform to the Decree about Civic Symbols”
Ivan Sache and Raul Jesus Orta Pardo, 25 March 2009


Previous Flag

(2:3)
image by Guillermo T. Aveledo, 22 October 2003

Flag of Valencia is available at <www.valencia2002.com>.
Dov Gutterman, 2 April 2003

The Flag - Attributes and Semiology: Consists of a field with approximated ratio 2:3; this is, square and half of length vertically divided in three stripes: a yellow one on the center occupying 2/4 parts of the field and two reds, one to the hoist and the other to the fly occupying the rest 2/4 parts. Completes the design the Municipality Coat of Arms on the center an two escutcheons French shaped at the cantón on the hoist red stripe: one with the image of Our Lady of Socorro (Succour) and another one with a colonial facade slightly descended with respect to the previous one. Even though it seems to be inspired on the Flag of Spain, the official description determines that the yellow stripe remembers the radiating light of the sun which appeared when concluding the Battle of Carabobo on June 24th, 1821, illuminating the definitive independence of the Venezuelan Mother country. The red stripes symbolizes the heroic blood spilled by the Valencians patriots during the sites which underwent Valencia on March and Juy of 1814. The Coat of Arms reaffirms the municipal identity. The image of Our Lady of Socorro raises this Marian invocation as secular Matron of the people, the city and the Arquidiocese of Valencia alluding to its religious spirit. The colonial facade represents the so called "Casa de la Estrella" (the Star's House): historical place where was signed the first National Constitution of the Republic of Venezuela and its separation of  Great Colombia.
Historical Synthesis: It was created by Professor Pedro Gramcko.
Coat of Arms - Attributes: Consist in an Hispanic shape divided per fess. The Quarter of the Chief enameled in Azure (blue) reproduces the scene of the Announcement with the Holiest Virgin postroad to the sinister and the Archangel Saint Gabriel to her dexter, both in their colors. The Quarter of the Base enameled in Argent (white) reproduces the image of Saint John the Baptist terraced in its colors. As external ornaments the blazon shows a extended and bicephalous eagle in Sable (black), with delineated pens in Gules (red) and crowned put behind to the field holding with its claws two Jonic columns in Or (yellow) and Argent (white) laced with pennants of Gules (red) that loads as mottoes the Latin inscriptions "PLUS" (More) to the dexter "ULTRA" (There) to the sinister, all rounded by the Great Cord of the Orden Toisón de Oro (Order of Golden Fleece).
Semiology: Its configuration exposes that probable and unofficially these Arms derives from the Imperial ones of Charles I of Spain and V of Germany. The First Quarter emphasizes the invocation of Our Lady who was dedicated to Valencia from its foundation which is commemorated on March 25th, the Announcement Day. The Second Quarter reminds the town of Borburata at which arrived the first settlers of Valencia and whose Patron, Saint John the Baptist, have been and continuous being venerated by the Venezuelan coast's inhabitants; in addition, the image of this Saint has been present since remote times on the Coat of Arms of the city, according to testify acts of the Municipal Councill and old inhabitants of the place. The eagle under this configuration remembers the House of Austria (Hapsburg) that reigned on Spain between 1517 (Charles I of Spain and V of Germany) and 1665 (Charles II of Spain) soon to be happened by House of Borbón, ruling at the moment. The crown alludes to the kingdom of Spain. The columns reminds the so called "Pilares de Hercules" (Hercules Pillars) on the Strait of Gibraltar, place where concluded the world according to belief of the old Romans. The original motto was "NON PLUS ULTRA" (Not more there') until Charles I of Spain commanded to omit the word "NON" in order to indicate that his kingdom extended beyond the "Pillars". The Great Cord of the Golden Fleece, Order established by Spaniard king Felipe "El Bueno" (Phillipe, called "the Good") seems to evoke the classic legend of the Golden Fleece: legendary lamb whose wool was golden and to which were attributed extraordinary powers that arrived at hands of Jason, captain of the Argos and its Argonauts: although its presence in this Coat of Arms is discussed because is granted exclusively by the Spanish monarch, it can be considered legitimate because embellishing the Valencian Arms since its first well-known representation. Doesn't fit doubt about the ancient Hispanic root of Valencia which reveal the ornaments of this blazon.
Historical Synthesis: Its first well-known illustration dates since 1804 although doesn't know its origin. It happened through a period of latency until was rescued by Sr. Oswaldo Feo Caballero and Dr. Julio Centeno, Jr., being based on acts of the Municipal Council of Valencia; the historical contributions of Mr. Sr. Rafael Saturno Guerra, First Official Chronicler of Valencia and Don Enrique Bernardo Núñez, First Official Chronicler of Caracas and the artistic contribution of Professor Pedro Gramcko.
Sources:  Bulletin elaborated by Dr Guillermo Mujica Sevilla, Municipal Chronicler, emitted by the Council of Valencia Municipality and provided by Prof. Julio César Centeno Rodriguez, Chronicler of San Diego Municipality, November 2001.
Raul Jesus Orta Pardo, 22 October 2003

Charles II (and the Spanish Hapsburg branch with him) reigned until 1700. Philip the Good was not a Spanish king - his descendant Philip the Handsome was (but did not establish the Order, only introduced it in Spain). It was not exclusively since the Austrian Hapsburgs continue(d) to do so.
Santiago Dotor, 6 November 2003

The Device


image by Guillermo T. Aveledo, 22 October 2003

The Banner


image by Guillermo T. Aveledo, 19 April 2002

This is an image which I did after visiting Valencia in Christmas several years ago, with my notes of Valencian banners that the mayor office had placed, hoistings it in each post of light of the most centric avenues of the city.
Guillermo T. Aveledo, 19 April 2002


Coat of Arms


image by Guillermo T. Aveledo, 19 April 2002

Based on <www.alcaldiadevalencia.gov.ve>.
Guillermo T. Aveledo, 19 April 2002