Last modified: 2015-02-21 by ian macdonald
Keywords: rio grande do sul | cristal |
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image by Paulo RS Menezes, 26
January 2015
Official site:
http://www.cristal.rs.gov.br/
Arms and flag law:
http://www.cristal.rs.gov.br/p.php?id=23&S%EDmbolos+Municipais
Link with
high quality image:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandeira_de_Cristal_%28Rio_Grande_do_Sul%29.svg
Paulo RS Menezes, 26 January 2015
The municipality of Cristal (7,280 inhabitants; 655 sq. km) is located in center-southern Rio Grande do Sul. Cristal was established on the Cristal estate, originally granted as a "sesmeria" (feudal domain) by King of Portugal John VI to Lieutenant Joaquim Gonçalves da Silva, the father of General Bento Gonçalves da Silva (1788-1847), one of the leader of the Ragamuffin War ("Revolução Farroupilha", 1835-1845). The municipality of Cristal was established by Law No. 8,583 of 29 April 1988, following a plebiscite organized on 20 December 1987.
The symbols of Cristal,
designed by the architect Eloisa Caldasso Becker, are prescribed by Municipal
Law No. 266, adopted in 1993.
The flag is horizontally divided green-red,
with a yellow triangle placed along the hoist. The fields are separated by white
stripes forming a "Y" placed horizontally. Over the intersection of the stripes
is placed a white disk charged with the municipal coat of arms. White is a
symbol of peace. Green, red and yellow, the colours of Rio Grande do Sul,
identify the municipality as part of this State and highlight the historical
participation of General Bento Gonçalves to the battle fought by the people of
the region.
The coat of arms is based [in shape] on the arms used at the
time of the Portuguese crusades, at the origin of the country. The shield is
divided into three fesses. On the first fess, the trees represent the native and
planted (acacia and eucalyptus) forests. The plow is a symbol of agriculture. On
the second fess, the bridge represents the union of Rio Grande do Sul. On the
third fess, the colonial house symbolizes the origin and the culture of the
town, highlighted in the Bento Gonçalves da Silva Historical Park. The bovine's
head is a symbol of cattle-breeding. The shield is surrounded by two emblematic
crops, rice, the main crop, and maize, the King of grains and main source of
income. The shield is surmounted by a five-towered mural crown, representing a "cidade".
Beneath the shield is a scroll inscribed with the municipality's name, date of
emancipation [29.04.1988] and two words translated from Latin ["Justiça e
Trabalho", Justice and Work] and representing the people's expression.
Ivan Sache, 28 January 2015 
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