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Gaucín (Municipality, Andalusia, Spain)

Flag of Gaucín - Image from the Símbolos de Málaga website, 18 September 2016

Presentation of Gaucín
Symbols of Gaucín
Flag used in the re-enacting of the seizure of Gaucín (1810)

See also:

Presentation of Gaucín

The municipality of Gaucín (1,670 inhabitants in 2015; 9,800 ha; municipal website) is located 130 km west of Málaga.

Gaucín is believed by many historians to be of Roman origin, although there is no evidence of such an origin. The village was never known to another name that the present one, of clear Arab origin.
The Eagle's Castle, known to the Moriscos as Arrabalete, was an impregnable fortress watching the south of the region. Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, lord of Niebla, Nebrija and San Lucar de Barrameda, was killed on 17 September 1309 when fighting the Muslims in the Prados de León, close to the Eagle's Castle.
After the Christian reconquest of the village in 1485, the Muslims were allowed to stay; in 1488, Ferdinand the Catholic established a garrison, which was slaughtered by the villagers upset by the Christian rule. Fearing reprisal, the Moors from the neighbouring villages called for help the Marquess of Cádiz and the Count of Cifuentes, leading troops from Seville; the revolted village was reconquerred and all the survivors of the assault were sold as slaves.

Ivan Sache, 18 September 2016

Symbols of Gaucín

The flag and arms of Gaucín, adopted on 14 December 2001 by the Municipal Council and validated on 9 October 2002 by the Royal Academy of Córdoba, is prescribed by Decree No. 54, adopted on 18 February 2003 by the Government of Andalusia and published on 6 March 2003 in the official gazette of Andalusia, No. 44, pp. 4,906-4907 (text). This was confirmed by a Resolution adopted on 30 November 2004 by the Directorate General of the Local Administration and published on 20 December 2004 in the official gazette of Andalusia, No. 246, pp. 28,986-29,002 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:

Flag: Rectangular panel, in proportions 2:3, vertically divided into two equal parts, the closest to the hoist, blue, and the closest to the fly, white. Charged in the center with the municipal coat of arms.
Coat of arms: Gules a castle or masoned sable over waves argent and azure. A bordure azure charged with eight caldrons chequy gules and or handled vert. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.

The Preamble of the Decree states that the symbols were designed from scratch. The flag was designed as a combination of colours with visual aesthetic. The coat of arms features the rivers that water the place, the old castle and the arms of the Guzmán, Dukes of Medina Sidonia.

Ivan Sache, 18 September 2016

Flag used in the re-enacting of the seizure of Gaucín

Re-enaction flag used in Gaucín - Image by Ivan Sache, 18 September 2016

After a fifth assault of the village on 8 July 1810, the French troops slaughtered all the villagers they met and burned down the parish and municipality archives.
During the 7th re-enacting of the event, organized in 2016, French soldiers held an odd flag, vertically divided red-white-blue (photos).

Ivan Sache, 18 September 2016