Last modified: 2008-08-09 by ian macdonald
Keywords: sao paulo | porangaba | triangles: 2 (hoist) | coat of arms |
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Adopted 11 October 1984
The flag and coat of arms of Porangaba were designed by Dr. Lauro Ribeiro
Escobar and adopted by municipal law 664/84 of 11 October 1984. The flag
is one of Escobar's standard basic designs: yellow with red and white
triangles superimposed on one another, based on the hoist, forming a red
spearhead pointing toward the fly, symbolizing a promising future. The coat
of arms is placed on the white triangle in the hoist. The shield is red
with a gold castle, masoned sable, its gates opened, in chief two gold
stars, and on a silver base two blue wavy bars. The shield is ensigned with
a silver mural crown with five visible towers and flanked by a stalk of corn
and an orange branch, both with sheaves of rice at the bottom. The scroll
carries the name of the municipality. The colors of the shield are assigned
the symbolism usual in Brazilian civic heraldry. The castle with open gates
is said to be the heraldic symbol of magnanimity, defense, safety, etc., and
recalls the first primitive fortification built by the first pioneers. The
star is said to be represent a reliable guide, a luminous future, splendor,
glory, etc. The wavy bars in base represent the rivers of the municipality.
The flag is 14 by 20 units, with the apex of the red triangle extending 17
units from the hoist and the white one 13.5 units. The coat of arms is 7
units high.
Source:
A História de Porangaba by Júlio Manoel Domingues.
Joseph McMillan, 20 March 2003
According to
Domingues’ history of Porangaba, the city’s first coat of arms
was instituted in 1959 in preparation for the following year's celebration
of Porangaba’s centennial. After much deliberation, a design with a yellow
shield bearing a torch and book was adopted. Twenty-five years later,
without explanation or public reaction, the coat of arms was replaced by the
municipal administration. The instigator of the change was Escobar, an
attorney working for the state government who researched and designed coats
of arms as a sideline. Domingues cites the prefect of Porangaba at the time
the new symbols were adopted as asserting that Escobar approached the
municipal authorities saying that a change in the municipal symbols was
required by the state government [probably to make them conform to "heraldic
correctness"]. He then offered his services, for a fee, to carry out the
redesign. The same thing apparently was discovered in
Botucatu (which didn't fall for it) and,
Domingues speculates, in a number of other small Paulista
municipalities. The result can be seen in the number of basically
identical designs in different colors, including the flags of Americana,
Amparo, Bauru,
Bernardino de Campos, and Populina.
Joseph McMillan, 20 March 2003