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La Palma (Island, Canary Islands, Spain)

Flag of La Palma - Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 March 2010

Symbols of La Palma
Municipalities on La Palma

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Symbols of La Palma

The flag of La Palma is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 26 November 1990 by the Government of the Canary Islands and published on 2 January 1991 in the official gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 1, p. 6 (text).
The flag is described as follows:

Flag: Rectangular pane in dimensions 2:3 (one and a half longer than wide), made of two equal vertical stripes, sea blue and white, the first placed along the hoist.
The coat of arms of the Island Council of La Palma shall be placed in the middle of the panel.

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the colours of the flag appear to have been taken from those of the coat of arms: the field azure, the archangel argent (white) and the waves. Moreover, blue symbolizes the sky and the sea while white represents the Virgin of the Snows, the island's patron saint.

The coat of arms of La Palma is prescribed by Royal Decree No. 2,921, adopted on 31 October 1975 and published on 13 November 1975 in the Spanish official gazette, No. 272, p. 23,736 (text).
The coat of arms, validated by the Royal Academy of History, is described as follows:

Coat of arms: Azure over waves argent and azure a tower or masoned sable surmounted by a bust of St. Michael argent clad gules holding dexter a pair of scales or a palm or sinister. A bordure or five violets purpure. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.

According to José Manuel Erbez (Banderas y escudos de Canarias, 2007; website), the coat of arms is based on the coat of arms granted probably by the Catholic Monarchs or their daughter, Joanna the Mad, to the Council of La Palma, which is featured on the Banner of the Conquest (Pendón de la Conquesta), dated 1536/1556. For the sake of differentiation from the arms of the capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma, a bordure featuring an endemic flower was added to the shield.

Klaus-Michael Schneider & Ivan Sache, 17 March 2010

Municipalities on La Palma