Flag of La Rioja (Spain)
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The flag of La Rioja is one of the symbols of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain). It was approved by the old provincial council in 1979 and is described in the 1982 Statute of Autonomy, according to which the flag is made up of four horizontal stripes of equal size, red, white, green and yellow.
In addition, and as in the national flag, the shield may appear in the center of the flag, although, unlike the national flag, its inclusion is not mandatory for official bodies.
History
Plebiscite
Once the provincial government declared its predisposition to carry out the procedures for the autonomy of the region, a period began in June 1977 for the people of La Rioja to send their suggestions for the election of a flag through popular consultation and published it in the Official Gazette of the Province. The local press —La Gaceta del Norte, among others— turned to the idea and began a publicity campaign during June and July. While some politicians call for calm and the need not to rush, others considered the issue as not a priority.
Of the 260 proposals received, 11 are shortlisted with the advice of the vexillology specialist Vicente de Cadenas y Vicent. On August 5, a general assembly is held, and five models are taken to carry out the popular consultation. Between September 1 and 15, the plebiscite is held, directed by Felipe Abad León, official chronicler, and between 15 and 20 thousand ballots are collected.
However, the process did not succeed. The statements and opinions found about the precipitation and appropriateness of the election caused it to be paralyzed by the then president of the Provincial Council, Julio Luis Fernández Sevilla.
After the failed referendum, the question of the flag is forgotten by politicians.
Popular Movements
In the spring of 1977, the Colectivo Riojano, a group of university students residing in Madrid, asked the heraldist José María Ignacio Oria de Rueda y García-Manso for a design, who made several models with the five colors of the shield: red, white, green, yellow and blue.
The September vote of that year, though it did not produce a winner, did popularize the issue, and moved the issue to civil society. Although one of the proposals of the young university students was chosen, the results were never made official.
During La Rioja week in Madrid (November 1977), organized by the Collective, a flag was raised, painted with 'spray' with four colors: white vertically and red, green and yellow horizontally. After that, in the spring of 1978, the collective itself distributed some oval stickers with the four-color flag, already in its current form. Also in that year, this flag began to be seen in the festivals of some towns, despite the fact that it still lacked any kind of official status, as in the recovered festival of San Juan in Arnedo, where the Peña Lubumbas placed it for the first time. time in that town.
An important boost to this proposal was its use on the "I Day of La Rioja", held in Nájera in October 1978. Since then, various regional groups have assumed this flag as their own. In January 1979, a group of people from Haro asked the mayor to place him in the town hall, as was done in other regions. Likewise, the association "Friends of La Rioja" he addresses a letter to the president of the council asking that it be waved in the Palacio de la Diputación.
The flag, already known as the four-color flag, is seen in all corners of La Rioja on these dates and in many of them the red color acquires a wine red tone.
In May 1979, the flag flies on Mount Laturce during all the "Día de Clavijo" celebrations.
On July 1, 1979, after paying homage to Carmen Medrano (singer of Carmen, Jesús e Iñaki, a group that provided the soundtrack to the struggle for autonomy), an improvised demonstration was held which, upon arriving at the small palace of the provincial council, placed on its gate the flag asking for its officialization.
Officialization
Popular pressure, as well as the approval of the flag in June 1979 by the plenary session of some city councils in the region, accelerated the officialization processes. In August of that year, the survey carried out in all the town councils had already been completed: 115 towns voted in favor, 51 abstained and 8 voted against.
On August 14, 1979, the plenary session of the Provincial Council finally approved the flag, with 17 votes in favor (UCD and PSOE) and the Democratic Coalition (7 members) abstained. On September 15, the feast of the Virgin of Valvanera, the four-color flag was hoisted for the first time on the balcony of the Regional Council.
Later, and with the creation of the autonomous community of La Rioja, it defined the flag as one of its identity signs.
Colors
Tones
The colors of the flag are defined in the statute as red, white, green and yellow, without giving further specifications. The law was completed with a "Corporate Identity Program" developed in 1985, where its specifications and correct use are detailed. According to it, the colors to use are:
- Red: Pantone Warm Red
- Green: Pantone 354
- Yellow: Pantone 109
(pure white is used, no Pantone equivalent)
However, in 2003 a graphic identity manual of the Government of La Rioja was created again, and the colors were modified:
- Red: Pantone 485
- Green: Pantone 368
- Yellow: Pantone 123
As the manual explains, it is an adaptation, and not a substitution, so the change should not be made in a traumatic way.
In the beginning, before becoming official, the wine red tone was used very frequently instead of red, but the agreement of the provincial council and the autonomous law made reference to the color red without further ado.
Significance
The meaning of the colors varies slightly depending on the sources consulted. The explanation given in the act of approval of the flag was:
- Red: vineyards
- White: light
- Green: orchard
- Yellow: fertility
And the one officially given today is:
- Red: wine.
- White: rivers, sky
- Green: fields, orchards, mountains, forests
- Yellow: lands, monuments
The four colors appear, together with blue, in the coat of arms of the council, currently used for the community.
Use
Law 4/1985 of May 31, specifies in its Title I (articles 3, 4 and 5) the correct uses of the community flag:
- It will be used together with that of Spain and will have to wave abroad and occupy a preferred place inside all civil public buildings located in the territory of the Autonomous Community.
- It will be used in all official acts held within the territorial area of the Autonomous Community.
- When the Flag of La Rioja is used together with that of Spain, it will always correspond to the preeminent and most honorable place of Spain, according to article 6 of Law 39/1981 of 28 October. If the number of flags flowing was unstoppable, the place of the autonomic will be that of the left of Spain, for the observer. If the number of flags that fly together were pairs, the position of the flag of La Rioja will be of the right of Spain, for the observer. The size of the Flag of La Rioja cannot be greater than that of Spain, nor less than that of other flags when they wave or show together.
Likewise, in article 10, it indicates that its use as the main symbol of political parties, unions, business associations, private entities and individuals is prohibited. Its use as a brand or distinctive of origin of products or merchandise requires express and prior authorization from the Governing Council.
The flag in the media
- Although the flag has no name, it was popularly known as the "quatricolor". Acronym was also informally proposed roblanvera (ro♪blanco-Seede-amarillo), as its own name for the flag in a manner similar to the terms arbonneida, ikurriña, labaro or señera.
Gallery
La Roblanvera (rijana flag) and the Federal Republic Constitution of the Rioja State of 1883. For La Rioja to be one of the states within a federal Spain that was proposed to constitute at the time
La roblanvera is very present in sporting events. As in this professional hand ball game in the Adarraga de Logroño
Balcony with a Roblanvera during the celebration of La Rioja Day, 2016
Stunned balcony with a Roblanvera.
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General references
- Political and Constitutional Studies Centre. Dossier: The symbols of the Autonomous Communities https://web.archive.org/web/20090611004232/http://www.cepc.es/include_mav/getfile.asp?IdFileImage=567