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Guillena (Municipality, Andalusia, Spain)

Flag of Guillena - Image by Ivan Sache, 2 July 2009

Presentation of Guillena
Symbols of Guillena

See also:

Presentation of Guillena

The municipality of Guillena (10,654 inhabitants in 2008; 22,663 ha; municipal website), is located 20 km from Seville.

Guillena was named after a Roman colony, Villa Agilius / Gaelius; several Roman ruins have indeed been excavated in the town, for instance a milestone from Roman way No. XXII, marking the distance between Villa Agilius and a place called Mons Marioru, not located yet, eight tombs, a Corinthian capital, remains of houses and an aqueduct. Under the Muslim rule, Guillena became a strategic place, protecting Seville from potential invaders coming down from the Sierra Morena. Sacked by the Castilians in 1213, Guillena (mentioned as Guliena in the Annals of Toledo) was eventually reconquered by King Ferdinand III only in 1247. Seized without fighting, the town proved to be very useful in the subsequent reconquest of Seville. Alfonso X appointed a lord and knights to defend Guillena; in 1286, Sancho IV granted the title of villa to the town, while Alfonso XI granted arms to the town in 1319 as a reward for its resistance to a Moorish attack. In 1631, the domain of Guillena was incorporated into the County of Torre, owned by Perafán de Rivera.

Ivan Sache, 2 July 2009

Symbols of Guillena

The flag and arms of Guillena, adopted on 14 July 2008 by the Municipal Council and submitted on 16 July 2008 to the Directorate General of the Local Administration, are prescribed by a Decree adopted on 23 July 2008 by the Directorate General of the Local Administration and published on 7 August 2008 in the official gazette of Andalusia, No. 157, p. 70 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:

Flag: Flag in proportions 2:3, made of three vertical stripes with respective proportions 2-3-2, the outer stripes blue and the central stripe white. In the middle the municipal coat of arms with a height of 60% of the hoist.
Coat of arms: Shield in Spanish shape. Gules a castle or port and windows azure masoned sable charged with a pomegranate proper surrounded by a tree dexter and a palm tree sinister all argent, in base waves argent and azure 3 + 2. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed [detailed description skipped].

The castle recalls the fortress, today totally ruined, which was depicted on the early seal of the municipality. The pomegranate symbolizes the town's patron saint, Our Lady of the Pomegranate. The waves represent the Huelva river. Trees and palms are abundant in the region. [Símbolos de las Entidades Locales de Andalucía. Sevilla (PDF file)]

Ivan Sache, 30 July 2009