Last modified: 2014-02-05 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/e/es-m-puv.gif)
Flag of Puentes Viejas - Image by Ivan Sache, 24 May 2013
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The municipality of Puentes Viejas (639 inhabitants in 2012; 5,810 ha; municipal website)
is located in the north of the Madrid Community, 75 km from Madrid.
The municipality was established by the Decree-Law of 24 July 1975, which
merged the former municipalities of Mangirón (municipal seat; 372
inh.; 2,866 ha, including Cinco Villas, 47 inh., since 1833), Serrada
de la Fuente (90 inh.; 1,040 ha) and Paredes de Buitrago (130 inh.;
1,904 ha).
The municipality is named for the Puentes Viejas dam, located on the
middle course of river Lozoya. The name of the dam, lit. Old Bridges,
refers to the two raw bridges once used to cross the river.
The villages forming Puentes Viejas all belonged to the Community of
the Land and Town of Buitrago, depending on Guadalajara and owned
since the 14th century by the Mendoza, Dukes of the Infantado.
Mangirón is named for an Arabic word meaning "big head", referring to the rock (1,012 m asl) dominating the village. Cinco Villas is named
for five (cinco) shepherd's hut that originally formed the village.
Serrada de la Fuente is named for the location of the first houses of
the village, on a gorge surrounded by the mountains of the Mujer
Muerta (Death Woman) range. Paredes de Buitrago is named for a wall (pared) or a cattle
enclosure older than the Spanish village.
Ivan Sache, 24 May 2013
The flag and arms of Puentes Viejas were approved on 16 May 2013 by the
Madrid Community (Madrid Diario, 16 May 2013).
The flag is blue with the municipal coat of arms in the middle,
surrounded by four yellow stars. The stars must represent the four
villages forming the municipality.
The coat of arms is "Vert a four-arched bridge or a base wavy argent
and azure. The shield surmounted by a Royal Spanish crown".
The green field represents the green landscape of the region.
The base represents river Lozoya, once used to power grain mills and
as a source of fish.
The bridge makes the arms canting; the golden colour represents the
ochre colour of the local stone.
Ivan Sache, 11 July 2011