Last modified: 2013-12-07 by antónio martins
Keywords: belgrano (manuel) | charles 3 (spain) | saint mary | cockade |
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The Argentine standard was conceived by General Belgrano, at the place
where today is located the city of Rosario. He got the inspiration while
he was staring at the sky, just before a battle, at the shores of
the Paraná. [myth#1]
Felipe Flores Pinto, 23 Feb 1998,
translated by Santiago Dotor
These are not «the colours of the Bourbon family» which would be
yellow and blue (utmostly adding red), the Bourbon-Anjou Arms being
«Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or, a bordure Gules».
Santiago Dotor, 11 Apr 2000
Actually, the origin of the Argentinian (and thereafter the
Uruguayan and Central
American) colours are the colours of the (Spainsh) Order of
Charles III rather than «the white cloud on a blue sky»
seen by Belgrano.
Santiago Dotor and Eugenio Grigorjev, 13 Apr 2000
The first revolts in Argentina were intended to fight the rule of Joseph I
Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother, appointed King of Spain). Patriots in Spain
but also in the South American provinces showed their allegiance to the
“legitimate” Bourbon (more precisely Anjou) dinasty by showing the colours
they most associated with them, those of the Order of Charles
III, at the time and up to nowadays the most important State Order in
Spain (after of course the very exclusive Order of the Golden Fleece).
In Goya's picture, several members of the Royal Family are wearing the sash
of the Order of Charles III (Charles IV's father) the same way some of them
are wearing the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece around their necks.
They had been awarded these Orders by the King.
Santiago Dotor, 11 Apr 2000
The authorisation passed by the Triunvirate governement to adopt the national cockade inspired Belgrano to create a flag with those colours. On February 27th 1812, while presenting two new artillery batteries nearby Rosario city, Belgrano showed the new national flag to the troops. He reported to the government thus, «Having been necessary to raise a flag and lacking one, I ordered it be made white and sky blue as the colours of the national cockade; I hope this shall be approved by Your Excellency».
The government disapproved Belgrano’s measure, and asked him to replace the new flag with that used on the Buenos Aires Fortress (red and yellow). Belgrano did not receive this order as he was already marching North to take command of the army. Therefore, he ordered once again his flag to be hoisted on the second anniversary of the May Revolution, in the Jujuy Cathedral, where Juan Ignacio Gorriti blessed the flag after a Te Deum. The government understood this as a disobedience by Belgrano, who answered that he would reserve the flag for the final battle to victory.
The First Assembly of the XII I [12th or 13th?] Year allowed the flag to be used but with no written consent, so as to avoid total breach with Spain. The Constituent Congress of Tucuman adopted it officially on July 20th 1816, under the initiative of congressman Esteban A. Gascón. But the sky blue and white flag had already been used on many important occasions, for example, when Montevideo surrendered on June 23rd 1814 it replaced the Spanish flag, and the Buenos Aires Fortress adopted it on April 17th 1815.
In 1818 Congress determined that any national flag was to be blue and white and that the war flag was to be defaced with a sun on the white stripe.
Santiago Dotor, 15 Jun 1999, translating from this website
Among the four flags atributed to
Belgrano, none had a Sun.
It shows for the first time on the argentine flag in
1818.
Gus Tracchia, 02 Feb 2000,
translated by António Martins
Frequently asked questions:
There is a clear relationship between the colours (and their layout)
of the Order of Charles III (which were used both in continental Spain
and in the — then — overseas provinces by opponents to the then King
Joseph I Bonaparte, whose supporters used a plain red cockade) and the
Argentinian flag.
Santiago Dotor, 14 Jul 2000
The Order of Charles III, as it was originally created by this king on
September 19th 1771 (published 24th October), had a light blue sash
fimbriated white. An image of Charles III (by Goya, 1784-1788) showing
that early version cam be seen
here.
Santiago Dotor, 14 Jul 2000
Charles III’s son Charles IV issued a Royal Decree on June 12th 1804,
changing the Order’s statutes and making the sash light blue-white-light
blue. An image of Charles IV and his family (by Goya, 1800) most of them
wearing the sash of the Order can be seen
here.
Santiago Dotor, 14 Jul 2000
So from the point of view of the Argentinian flag and colours, the
original 1771 sash is irrelevant, since the
later 1804 colours (still used today in Spain)
were issued long before the Argentinian anti-Napoleonic, later
independentist, use of such colours.
(Extensive information on the Order of Charles III, with Spanish text
only but many illustrations, can be found
here.)
Santiago Dotor, 14 Jul 2000