Arrecife (Municipality, Canary Islands, Spain)

Last modified: 2013-11-06 by ivan sache
Keywords: arrecife |
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Flag of Arrecife - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 February 2011

• Symbols of Arrecife
• Arrecife Bicentenary flag (1998)

See also:

• Spain
• Canary Islands (Autonomous Community, Spain)
• Las Palmas Province (Canary Islands, Spain)
• Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands, Spain)

Symbols of Arrecife

The flag of Arrecife is in proportions 2:3, divided red-blue per bend sinister with the municipal coat of arms in the center.

The coat of arms of Arrecife is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 25 October 1962 by the Spanish Government and published on 13 October 1962 in the Spanish official gazette. The coat of arms is "Per fess, 1. Gules two cauldrons or per pale decorated with snake's head vert a bordure gules right cauldrons or (prescribed as sable], 2. Azure a fishing eagle argent holding in his claws a fish or. The shield surmounted with a Marquis' coronet.
According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the 1st quarter shows the arms of the Herrera family, Marquis of Lanzarote. In the 2nd quarter, the fishing eagle (guinche) represents the traditional link of the inhabitants with fishing and the sea. The fishing eagle sometimes glids too close to the surface of the sea and can be drowned together with its prey. The eagle, therefore, also symbolizes that fishermen, although being nourished by the sea, sometimes have to pay a tribute by giving their life.

Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 22 February 2011

Arrecife Bicentenary flag (1998)

Arrecife Bicentenary flag - Image by Santiago Dotor, 3 June 1999

The Arrecife Bicentenary flag, still hoisted in 1999, shows the "200 Years Arrecife Port" logo on white.

Santiago Dotor, 3 June 1999