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Pirapozinho, São Paulo State (Brazil)

Last modified: 2013-02-02 by ian macdonald
Keywords: sao paulo | pirapozinho |
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Pirapozinho, SP (Brazil) image by Ivan Sache, 15 January 2013
Based on: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirapozinho
[The primary source is Neif Taiar's "Enciclopédia dos Municípios do Extremo-Oeste do Estado do São Paulo" - see below]


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Description of the Flag

An off-centred white cross on a deep yellow field with the municipal arms in the cross on a white disk with an inner gold ring, with four white four-pointed stars on it, and a fifth star in the lower hoist.

Official website at http://www.pirapozinho.sp.gov.br 
Dirk Schönberger, 7 January 2013

The municipality of Pirapozinho (24,718 inhabitants in 2010; 48,080 ha) is located 580 km of São Paulo. The municipality is made of the districts of Pirapozinho (capital) and Itororó de Paranapanema (established by Law No. 2,456 of 30 December 1956).

Pirapozinho was originally a small clearing in the forest, owned by Francisco Bertasso and Benedito Reis Barreiro. In 1933, Albino Gomes Teixeira, Municipal Engineer in Presidente Prudente, was commissioned to sell the land by lots. The first colonists, Francisco Nanci, Augusto Nanci, Francisco Marques, Sebastião Giroto, Arlindo Nogueira and the brothers Artur, Manoel, João and Joaqium Gouveira, settled on 15 November 1933. The district of Pirapozinho was established by Law no. 2,794 of 26 December 1926, as part of Presidente Prudente. The municipality of Pirapozinho was established by Law No. 233 of 24 December 1948 and inaugurated on 9 April 1949.

The pride of Pirapozinho is the Fejupi festival, organized for the first time in 1988 by Mayor Waldemar Cazesse. The three-days festival culminates on St. John's night, when a huge bonfire made of eucalyptus wood given by the inhabitants is set to fire. The bonfire, 40-50 m in height, is claimed to be the highest in Brazil, and, "maybe", in the world. The festival attracts every year more than 50,000 visitors.

The symbols of Pirapozinho are presented in Article 4 of the Municipal Constitution, adopted on 30 March 1990 and last amended on 6 November 2012, as "the coat of arms, the flag, the anthem and the Fejupi bonfire, which represent the culture and history of Pirapozinho". This article was amended on 22 September 2009, I guess to add the bonfire in the symbol list.
http://www.camaradepirapozinho.com.br/legislacao/arquivo/lei_organica.html - Municipal Constitution

The flag is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 1,503, adopted in 1984, amended in 2002 by Municipal Law No. 3,006. The flag is golden yellow with a white, off-centered cross. Over the intersection of the cross' arms is placed a white disc charged with the municipal coat of arms inscribed in a golden yellow ring with four white-pointed stars. A fifth white-pointed star is placed in the lower left part of the flag.

The cross symbolizes the Christian faith of the pioneers. The golden yellow background represents the resources of Pirapozinho. Golden yellow and white are the official colours of the municipality, as prescribed by Municipal Law No. 2,963 adopted in 2001 upon proposal by the Municipal Councillor Nilson Cristóvam de Almeida. The golden yellow ring and the four shining stars recall the nickname of the town, Upper Sorocabana's Jewel Town ("Cidade Jóia da Alta Sorocabana"). Located on the four main compass directions, the stars also represent the territorial divisions delimiting the urban zone, surrounded by boroughs located in the rural zone. The lone star in southwest represents the district of Itororó de Paranapanema.

Photo of the flag http://camarapprudente.sp.gov.br/historia/hist_oeste/cidades/pirapozinho/simbolos.html 

Older photos (53rd anniversary of the municipality, therefore, 1991) show the flag with the ring around the shield orange instead of yellow, a light pink ring around it and an orange border all around the flag, except the cross' arms. This design might have been changed by the amendment to the law adopted in 2002.

http://camarapprudente.sp.gov.br/historia/hist_oeste/cidades/pirapozinho/fotos_pessoas.html (photos No. 31 and 32)

The coat of arms is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 1,503, adopted in 1984. The arms are "Per fess 1. Azure a Mercury's head argent and a cog wheel or, 2. Vert an oxen or and a eagle argent issuant from a Bible or. The shield surmounted by a mural crown or ports sable. The shield supported dexter by a branch of coffee and sinister by a branch of cotton, the two proper. Below the shield a scroll gules inscribed with the motto 'SIGO O BEM, CONSIGO A PAZ' ["Follow the Good to Obtain Peace] in letters argent."

The shield in Portuguese / peninsular style, evokes the Lusitanian origins. The mural crown is the symbol of a municipality. Blue represents the sky and the mild climate of Pirapozinho, as well as serenity and determination that inspire the life in the town. Argent is a symbol of beauty, triumph and purity. Mercury is a symbol of commerce. Or is a symbol of nobleness, strong-mindedness, power and wealth. The cog wheel represents the industrial potential of the municipality. Green, taken from the national flag, is the symbol of the soil, powerful, opulent and beautiful, in primary forests as well as in agricultural lands. The oxen recalls that cattle-breeding significantly contributed to the development and wealth of the municipality. The eagle on the Bible represents the strong spirit of the inhabitants, who venerate Saint St. John the Baptist, the patron saint and origin of the municipality [the eagle and the book would rather symbolize St. John]. Coffee and cotton are the tow main sources of income of the municipality. Red is a the colour of struggle.

http://camarapprudente.sp.gov.br/historia/hist_oeste/cidades/pirapozinho/simbolos.html - Neif Taiar's "Enciclopédia dos Municípios do Extremo-Oeste do Estado do São Paulo"
Ivan Sache, 15 January 2013