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Cantimpalos (Municipality, Castilla y León, Spain)

Flag of Cantimpalos - Image by Ivan Sache, 19 March 2011

Presentation of Cantimpalos
Symbols of Cantimpalos

See also:

Presentation of Cantimpalos

The municipality of Cantimpalos (1,421 inhabitants in 2010; 2,629 ha) is located 20 km from Segovia.

Cantimpalos, resettled during the 12th century, was mentioned for the first time in a document of the Segovia Cathedral dated 1 June 1247, as Cam de palos.

Cantimpalos is the centre of the production area of the famous Cantimpalos chorizo, celebrated by Camilio José Cela in Judíos, moros y cristianos (1956) - "Cantimpalos, famous for its chorizos". A family business for ages, chorizo production was industrialized in the early 20th century. At the time, chorizo was shipped from Cantimpalos up to Mexico in sealed tin cans filled with oil. A document dated 12 May 1928 mentions cheap imitations; accordingly, some local producers sought for legal protection in 1927, 1946 and 1961, to no avail. In 1984, several producers founded an association to defend their property rights; in 1999, the municipality of Cantimpalos granted to the association permission to use the name of the village in the to-be protected indication, "Chorizo de Cantimpalos".
The Protected Geographical Indication, "Chorizo de Cantimpalos" (website), was granted by the Government of Castilla y León in a Decree published on 11 December 2006 in the official gazette and confirmed at the national level by a Decree published on 31 December 2007 in the Spanish official gazette. A Decree published on 10 March 2008 in the official gazette of Castilla y León confirms the Protected Geographical Indication, listing the specific production and location (an area of 2,574 sq. km) characteristics of the "Chorizo de Cantimpalos".

Ivan Sache, 19 March 2011

Symbols of Cantimpalos

The flag and arms of Cantimpalos (presentation) are prescribed by a Decree adopted on 22 April 1999 by the Provincial Government, signed on 7 May 1999 by the President of the Government, and published on 27 May 1999 in the official gazette of Castilla y León, No. 100, p. 5,675 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:

Flag: Quadrangular, with proportions 1:1, gyronny green and yellow. In the middle is placed the municipal coat of arms in full colors.
Coat of arms: Per pale, 1a. Azure a church tower argent surrounded by two cog wheels or, 1b. Vert four pales argent, 2. Gules a two-staged aqueduct argent masoned sable over ten rocks argent. The shield surmounted with a Royal Spanish crown.

The symbols were designed by Instituto de Heráldica Municipal Borbone, commissioned in September 1996 by the municipal administration.
The first quarter of the arms shows the tower of the parish church and two cog wheels, as an allegory of industry. The second quarter is canting for the medieval name of the village, "Cam de palos", read as "Campo de palos", "a field with pales". The third quarter recalls that Cantimpalos belonged to the Community of Town and Land of Segovia, represented by the Segovia Roman aqueduct.

Ivan Sache, 19 March 2011