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Itajaí, Santa Catarina (Brazil)

image by Joseph McMillan

Municipality
Description of the flag

See also:

Municipality

The municipality of Itajaí (223,112 inhabitants in 2020, therefore the State's 6th most populated municipality; 28,926 ha) is located 100 km north of Florianópolis.

Itajaí was first settled in the 17th century by João Dias de Arzão, from São Paulo, who was granted a domain located at the mouth of river Itajaí-Açu. Mostly interested in gold and gems he expected to extract in the hinterland, Dias did not attempt to develop a permanent settlement; the failure of his expeditions prompted him to abandon the place and to move to the mouth of river Itajaí-Mirim. After his leave, his former domain was settled by Botocudos, Tapuias and Carijós natives.

Itajaí was established in 1820 under the leadership of Antônio Menezes Vasconcelos de Drummond, who coveted the local timber resources. In 1823, the Portuguese merchant Agostinho Alves Ramos settled in Itajaí; he obtained from the bishop of Rio de Janeiro the establishment of the parish of Santíssimo Sacramento de Itajahy.
The district of Itajaí was established in 1833, to be elevated to a municipality by Resolution No. 464 adopted on 4 April 1859, separating from Porto Belo, and inaugurated on 15 June 1860.

https://www.itajai.sc.gov.br/
Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 3 November 2021

Description of the Flag

This flag basically follows the Portuguese pattern for flags of major cities, being gyronny of eight, yellow and blue, with the coat of arms on the center. The coat of arms is blue, signifying Itajaí's seaside location, with a wavy silver stripe representing the Itajaí-Açu River, from which the city takes its name. The anchor shows that Itajaí is a port city, with its gold color signifying wealth. The silver chief with a cross crosslet for the Christian traditions of the earliest settlements. The coat of arms was adopted by law no. 1200 of 21 December 1972.
Joseph McMillan, 15 August 2002

The flag of Itajaí is prescribed by Law No. 5,539 promulgated on 25 June 2010.

Article 2.
The flag of the municipality shall have the following heraldic description, in compliance with the best Luso-Brazilian tradition.
I - Gyronny, that is, the quadrilateral field divided into eight equal parts shaped like right-angled triangles, each named gyron, by four right lines that cross each other in the center, two starting from the quadrilateral's angles, vertical and horizontal, and the two other equidistant from the sides.
II - Azure and yellow, considering that the colors of an armored flag shall be derived from those featured on the coat of arms and that the basic colors of the arms of the municipality of Itajaí prescribed by Law No. 1,200 promulgated on 21 December 1972 are azure (blue) and golden yellow, that color being substituted by yellow, which matches gold on the heraldic chromatic scale, the upper gyron close to the hoist azure, the second yellow, and so on.
III - Charged in the flag's center with the coat of arms of the municipality, placed over the intersection of the lines that form the gyronny. The coat of arms shall be displayed without outer ornaments, that is, the scroll azure inscribed "Itajaí" and the yellow border, which means that the borders of the shield shall have a thin yellow outline.

Article 3.
The design of the municipal flag shall obey the following rules.
I - The flag's width is 20 units.
II - The flag's length is 28 units.
III - The coat of arms, border excluded, is distant of 6 units from the flag's upper edge.

https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/sc/i/itajai/lei-ordinaria/2010/553/5539/lei-ordinaria-n-5539-2010-altera-a-bandeira-do-municipio-de-itajai-e-da-outras-providencias
Leis Municipais database

Photos
https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-796729579-bandeira-oficial-municipio-itajai-santa-catarina-128-x-90-m-_JM
https://www.noticiasdepenha.com/2019/11/13/prefeitura-de-itajai-abre-concurso-com-87-vagas/
https://www.facebook.com/CamaraItajai/photos/2551179131761381
https://www.facebook.com/CamaraItajai/photos/2400200456859250
https://www.facebook.com/CamaraItajai/photos/1698362067043096
https://www.facebook.com/asepiitapoa/photos/1990936697847136

The arms of Itajaí are prescribed by Law No. 1,200 promulgated on 21 December 1972.

Article 1.
The new arms of the municipality, in compliance with the appended model and description, shall be blazoned as follows: "A Portuguese shield. Azure an anchor or superimposed by a barrulet wavy argent. A chief argent a cross crosslet gules. A mural crown or with four towers port and windows gules. The writing 'Itajaí' argent on a scroll azure.'

https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/sc/i/itajai/lei-ordinaria/1972/120/1200/lei-ordinaria-n-1200-1972-institui-as-novas-armas-do-municipio-de-itajai
Leis Municipais database

The source for the explanation of the arms given above by Joseph McMillan is the municipal website

https://itajai.sc.gov.br/c/brasao

The first flag of Itajaí was prescribed by Municipal Law No. 683 promulgated on 23 December 1965.

Article 2.
The flag, an original design by the Samis Publicidade company, has the following characteristics.
a) The colors shall be white and blue, arranged in a white field with two horizontal stripes.
b) In the center is placed the coat of arms of the municipality, as prescribed by Law No. 338 promulgated on 24 May 1960.

https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/sc/i/itajai/lei-ordinaria/1965/68/683/lei-ordinaria-n-683-1965-institui-a-bandeira-do-municipio
Leis Municipais database

The first coat of arms of Itajaí was prescribed by Municipal Law No. 338 promulgated on 24 May 1960.

Article 2.
The coat of arms, originally designed by José Ferreira da Silva and amended by Acary Margarida, has the following characteristics and description.
a) A shield surmounted by a mural crown.
b) A wavy stripe argent crossing the shield from the lower left to the upper right corner, representing river Itajaí-Açu that crosses the whole municipal territory.
c) In the upper left field, the Southern Cross argent, highlighting the Christian faith that always shine and the municipality's material and cultural development, as well as patriotism and dedication to Brazil.
d) On the same field, a small field chapel erected in 1824 by Colonel Agostinho Alves Ramos and Friar Pedro de Agote.
e) In the lower left field, leaves of taiá, the river and town's namesake.
f) In the same field, the mouth of the river in the Atlantic Ocean, which is featured in the lower right quarter.
g) In the lower right field, the prow of a ship moored at a wharf, which represents the most important source of income for the municipality and the safety of its port.
h) In the lower part of the shield, a blue scroll inscribed "EX FLUMINE MAGNITUDO MEA", meaning "My Greatness Comes From The River".

https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/sc/i/itajai/lei-ordinaria/1960/33/338/lei-ordinaria-n-338-1960-institui-o-brasao-do-municipio-de-itajai
Leis Municipais database

Ivan Sache, 3 November 2021