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Coat of Arms of Santa María La Antígua del Darién
by E.R., 24 July 2005
Last modified: 2006-06-17 by dov gutterman
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Antioquía is the only Colombian Departmental flag with a 1:2
flag. The rest is 2:3. It could be that each Department chose
what proportion to use for their municipal flags or maybe
not. There has been presentations of Antioquian flags in
both proportions as well as some cities from other
Departments. At this time I am not quite sure of the
official proportions of some of these flags.
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 26 July 2002
Coat of Arms of Santa María La Antígua del Darién
by E.R., 24 July 2005
In 1509 (other sources mention 1510) the Spanish conquerors
Alonso de Ojeda, Francisco Pizarro and Rodrigo Bastidas landed on
the Western side of the Caribbean coast of the northern part of
South America (present day Colombia) to establish, one year
later, the first township (or Municipality if you will) in this
territory, called San Sebastián de Urabá. Then on 1511 (other
sources mention 1514) the Spanish conqueror Vasco Núñez de
Balboa and Martín Fernández de Enciso established the second
oldest township, called Santa María La Antígua del Darién. The
place called San Sebastián de Urabá is around present day Necoclí, a Municipality of the
Department of Antioquia. A curious comment arises because Santa
María La Antígua del Darién (which ceased to exist in 1524) is
officially recognized as the first modern city in the American
Continent (because it was the first true civilized village with
its proper authorities and permanent population, not a garrison
as San Sebastián de Urabá is considered today). The Coat
of Arms of Santa María La Antígua del Darién seems very
similar (I would say it's the same!) to the Coat of Arms of the
Department of Chocó. This
"coincidence" may be because the "city" known
as Santa María La Antígua del Darién was founded in what is
today the Department of Chocó. The Coat of Arms was granted by
the King of Spain, Fernando de Aragón, receiving the title
(name) and Arms on 1515. The Golden Castle on the Arms resembles
the name "Castilla de Oro" (Golden Castille) which was
the name given to the western side of the Caribbean coast of the
northern part of South America (present day Colombia). There is a
lion on the left of the castle and an alligator on the right.
There is a sun on top of the castle (it is almost exactly the
same as the Coat of Arms of the Departmen of Chocó).
For further reference see: <www.museonacional.gov.co>
(historical cannonand some facts), <www.lablaa.org>
(description of the town), <museo.udea.edu.co>
(Museum of Antoiquia historical investigation), <es.wikipedia.org>
(Santa María La Antígua del Darién on Wikipedia), <www.members.tripod.com/~Panamahistoria>
(Chronic of the foundation of by Santa María La Antígua del
Darién on Wikipedia Fray Bartolomé de las Casas), <www.raicespaisas.org>
(Routes of the Spanish conqueroros, including maps).
E.R., 24 July 2005
I would like to add that the second established Municipality
(but officially recognized as the first one), Santa María La
Antígua del Darién, is located in the jurisdiction of the
current Municipality of Acandí, in the Department of Chocó.
E.R., 9 August 2005
There is a book by an Anthropologist who conducted the
excavations on the first recognized municipality established by
the Spaniard conquerors in what is now Colombia. The book is
called "Santa María la Antígua del Darién", by
Graciliano Arcila Vélez. It was published by the Secretaría de
Información y Prensa de la Presidencia de la República de
Colombia, on July 1986 The investigation was carried out
in January, February and March of 1977 with the support of the la
Fundación de Investigaciones Arqueológicas del Banco de la
República (FINARCO) (a foundation created by Colombia's Central
Bank, named Banco de la República). Here are some extracts from
the book:
- On the cover of the book there is an artist impression of the Coat of Arms of the city.
- Page 3 - This page states that this city was the first city on
Continental America and the first Episcopal city [These claimes
however are not all true, since there was another township before
Santa María la Antígua del Darién].
- Page 29 - This page states that the title of City was granted
by Spain by Real Cédula issued on Burgos on July 10, 1515 by
King Fernando el Católico "Titulo e nombro cibdad
de Santa María de Antígua de Darién e mando qe de oy sea por
todos nombrada..."(exact words of the document in old
Spanish). The name was given on behalf of Our Lady of Antigua de
Sevilla (Spain).
- Page 30 - This page shows that by Spanish eal Cédula
issued on June 9, 1508 by King Fernando el Católico two
Gobernaciones (Governments) were created: the Gobernación
de Castilla de Oro (Government of Golden Castille), headed
by Diego de Nicuesa and Gobernación de Nueva Andalucía
(Government of New Andalucía) headed by Alonso de Ojeda. So in
the period between October 1509 and February 1510, Alonso de
Ojeda established the first town, called San Sebastián de
Urabá. It lasted only a few months for the folloiwng reasons:
1) Lack of supplies, which Ojeda had to bring from Santo Domingo
(in the Dominican Republic), and;
2) One of the Pizarro family members who was the head of the
garrison had to abandon it because of the armed pressure of the
local natives.
Pizarro was left in charge of the garrison and was delegated on
the foundation and establishment of the township while Alonso de
Ojeda went to Santo Domingo and warned Pizarro that if in 50 days
he did not return, the men under his command were at free will
(either to stay and establish the township or leave
elsewhere). At the end of that same year, another
Spaniard, Martín Fernández de Enciso, together with explorer
Vasco Núñez de Balboa, comes back from a journey to
Santo Domingo with a well equipped expedition, headed towards San
Sebastián de Urabá, and picks up Pizarro and his men who had
fled seeking Santo Domingo. However when they arrived to San
Sebastián de Urabá, the garrison and everything else had been
burned by the local indians. Given the facts, Enciso decided to
go towards the left side of the Gulf of Urabá, sugested by
Balboa, on the land of Cacique Cémaco (the local tribal leader).
So, Enciso, fearful of the forthcoming fight, prayed to the
Virgin of Santa María de la Antígua de Sevilla for luck, and in
case he wins, he would name the new town on her bhalf. So once
Cacique Cémaco (of the ethnic tribe called ) he established
Santa María la Antígua del Darién. For a map of the
territory (taken from page 22 of this same book) see <museo.udea.edu.co>.
- Page 35 - This page shows the actual Coat of Arms, according to
the tex of the Real Cédula.
E.R., 11 January 2006
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