Last modified: 2015-03-07 by ivan sache
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![[Municipal flag]](../images/e/es-tf-sp.gif)
Flag of Santa Cruz de la Palma, as seen on 26 January 2014 on the Town Hall - Image by José Manuel Erbez, 9 February 2014
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Santa Cruz de la Palma was founded on 3 May 1493 having the name of Villa de Apurón, located on the shores of a small bay with a natural harbour.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 February 2014
The flag of Santa Cruz de la Palma is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 29 June 2005 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 6 July 2005 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 131, pp. 12,581-12,583 (text). The flag was originally approved on 27 September 2004 by the Municipal Council, as published on 1 November 2004 in the official gazette of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, No. 153, and validated on 7 March 2005 by the Heraldry Commission of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands.
The flag is described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular flag [...] in proportions 2:3 (one and a half longer than wide), crimson red with a cross whose vertical arm is blue in its inner upper part (at hoist) and in its lower outer part (at fly) and white in its upper outer part (at fly) and in its lower inner part (at hoist); and whose horizontal arms is blue in its upper inner and lower outer parts and white in its uper outer and lower inner parts.
The coat of arms of the town shall be placed over the cross.
José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website) designed the flag. Red is the colour of the Pendón de la Conquista (Banner of the Conquest), kept in the Town Hall, and of the tunica of St. Michael. The cross (cruz) is alluding to the town's name. White and blue are the colours of the island's flag.
The coat of arms of Santa Cruz de la Palma is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 28 June 1985 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 15 July 1985 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 85, pp. 1,668-1,669 (text).
The coat of arms, validated by the Royal Academy of History, is described as follows:
Coat of arms: Azure on waves argent and azure a tower or issuant a bust of St. Michael with a diadem or clad gules armoured and winged argent holding dexter a palm or and sinister a pair of scales of the same. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown closed. Motto "Senatus populusque palmensis".
According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the coat of arms is based on the arms granted probably by the Catholic Monarchs or their daughter Joanna, to the Council of La Palma and featured on the Pendón de la Conquista (Banner of the Conquest), dated 1536/1566. The tower surmounted by Archangel St. Michael refers, on the one hand, to the incorporation of the town and island to the crown of Castile, and, on the other hand, to the old name of the town, Santa Cruz de San Miguel de la Palma. The waves symbolize the importance of the sea and of the harbour for the town life. The motto (Latin, Senate and People of La Palma), inspired by ancient Rome ["Senatus Popuusque Romanus"], reflects the citizen's interest in history and culture.
Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 9 February 2014