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Los Realejos (Municipality, Canary Islands, Spain)

Flag of Los Realejos, as seen on 31 January 2007 in front of the Town Hall - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 April 2007

Symbols of Los Realejos
Banner of Los Realejos

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Symbols of Los Realejos

The flag of Los Realejos (municipal website) is rectangular, in proportions 2:3, horizontally divided in two equal stripes, celestial blue at the top and white at the bottom. In the middle is placed the coat of arms, in height 2/5 of the flag's height.

The coat of arms of Los Realejos is prescribed by Decree No. 223, adopted on 12 February 1959 by the Spanish Government and published on 24 February 1959 in the Spanish official gazette, No. 39, p. 26,681 (text).
The coat of arms, validated by the Royal Academy of History, is not described in the Decree.
According to the municipal website, the coat of arms (image) is "Per pale, 1. Or the Cross of the Order of St. James gules (red) in base the purple banner of Castile on a spear and a Guanche añepa decorated with palm leaves crossed per saltire, 2. Gules (red) three castles linked by a chain superimposed with a key all or. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown open."

The 1st quarter features the arms of the former town of Realejo Alto [Upper Realejo], as registered in 1929 by Francisco P. Montes de Oca García, official Chronicler of the Canary Islands. The field or represents the resources of the place, while the charges symbolize the peace set up by the conqueror of Tenerife, Alonso Fern㌻dez de Lugo, repersented by the banner of Castile, and the Guanche Menceyes (kings), represented by the añepa. The tradition says that a chapel dedicated to Apostle St. James was erected the day of the peace, therefore the Cross of St. James.
The 2nd quarter features the arms of the former municipality of Realejo Baja [Lower Realejo]. The origin of the arms is unknown since the archives were lost during a blaze that destroyed the Town Hall. They were featured on the reverse of the municipal banner, while the obverse features the arms of the Catholic Monarchs; the banner was used in the procession dedicated to Martyr St. Vincent, according to the vow emitted in 1610 by the municipal corporation following a black plague epidemic. The arms might allude to a fortress called Hacienda de los Principes (Domain of the Princes), represented by the castle in the base, which was defended by another two castles erected on the coast, Guindaste and Mayorzago (aka Fajana). Access to fortress required to open the chained gates of the two coastal castles, therefore the chains and the key on the arms. Or represents safety and strength, while gules represents the firmness of the defenders of the fortress prepared to shed their blood. Another explanation involves the three coastal fortresses of Rambla de Castro, Guindaste and Gordejuela.
The shield is surmounted with the crown of the Catholic Monarchs, who incorporated Tenerife to the crown of Castile.

Valentin Poposki, Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 21 March 2008

Banner of Los Realejos

Banner of Los Realejos - Image by José Manuel Erbez, 1 April 2008

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the banner of Los Realejos is square, dark red with a yellow inner border and the coat of arms in its centre.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 1 April 2008