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Andradas, Minas Gerais (Brazil)

Last modified: 2012-02-11 by ian macdonald
Keywords: minas gerais | andradas |
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[Flag of Andradas, Minas Gerais image by Dirk Schönberger, 27 May 2010

based on http://andradas.mg.gov.br


See also:

About the Flag

An upright cross, dark red, fimbriated deep yellow on dark green, and in the center a deep yellow lozenge bearing the municipal arms.

Official website at http://www.andradas.mg.gov.br. Flag is shown on the official site, at http://andradas.mg.gov.br/portal/index.php?route=conteudo/conteudo&pag=simbolos_cidade.
Dirk Schönberger, 27 May 2010

The municipality of Andradas (37,302 inhabitants in 2010; 467 sq. km) is located in southwestern Minas Gerais, on the border with the São Paulo State, 460 km of Belo Horizonte. The municipality is known as "Terra do Vinho" (Wine's Land), wine-growing having been introduced by Italian colonists in the beginning of the 20th century.

Andradas was settled, as Samambaia, at the end of the 18th century. Samambaia was made a district in 1860 and renamed São Sebastião do Jaguary, for the patron saint of the village, to which a chapel had been dedicated in 1845. The "vila" of Caracol, established in 1888, was made a municipality on 22 February 1890. Made a "cidade" in 1925, Caracol was renamed Andradas in 1928, as a tribute to Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada (1870-1946), President of Minas Gerais in 1926-1930.

The municipal website gives the full text on the Law(s?) on the municipal symbols, unfortunately undated. The symbols were designed by Arcinóe Antônio Peixoto de Faria.

The flag was designed according to the traditions of the Portuguese heraldry. The coat of arms represents the municipal power, placed on a yellow triangle representing the seat of the municipality. The stripes represent the municipal power spreading over the whole municipal territory while the quarters represent the rural estates located on the municipal territory. (Article 6) The flag should have the same dimensions as the Brazilian national flag, that is 14 x 20 units. (Article 7)

The coat of arms is "A Samnitic shield surmounted by an eight-towered mural crown argent ports gules, a helmet argent feathered gules over three crossed arrows argent, two hunting horns or, in base a triple mantle or a snail sable. The shield supported by branches of grapevine fructed proper, in base a scroll gules inscribed in letters argent "ANDRADAS", flanked by the years '1848' and '1890'."

The Samnitic shield, introduced from France to Portugal, symbolizes the Latin race as the main colonist and founder of the Brazilian nation. The mural crown is the heraldic representation of power; its eight towers represent a town of second rank, that is the seat of a country ("comarca"). Vert (green) is a symbol of honor, civility, courtesy, abundance and joy, as well as the the symbol of hope, alluding in the greenness of the field in spring, promising good harvest. The Roman helmet and the arrows represents St. Sebastian, the patron saint of the town and its early namesake. Argent (silver) represents peace, friendship, work, prosperity, purity and religious feeling. The hunting horns recall cattle breeding, one of the sources of income for the municipality. Or (gold) is a symbol of glory, splendor, highness, wealth and sovereignty. Sable (black) represents the municipality. The triple mantle with the snake represents the Sierra de Caracol (Snail's Mountains) where the early settlements thrived. The grapevines recall that local wine-growing is of national and international fame for the quality of its wines. The scroll gules (red), a color symbol of commitment, patriotic feeling, audacity, intrepidness, courage and valiance, is charged with the place's name and its dates of establishment and political emancipation, respectively.
http://andradas.mg.gov.br/conteudo.php?id=39 - Municipal website

Ivan Sache
, 28 January 2012