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Encina de San Silvestre (Municipality, Castilla y León, Spain)

Last modified: 2015-01-17 by ivan sache
Keywords: encina de san silvestre | salamanca |
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Presentation of Encina de San Silvestre

The municipality of Encina de San Silvestre (124 inhabitants in 2009; 2,376 ha; unofficial website) is located in the west of the Salamanca Province, 40 km from Salamanca.

Encina de San Silvestre is the birth place of the musician and writer Juan del Enzina (1469-1530), precentor of Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, the second Duke of Alba, and, later, private tutor of Infant Juan. Del Enzina composed his masterpiece, La tragedia trovata in 1467, after the Infant's unexpected death. He then moved to Rome, working for the Pope's court and made in 1519-1521, like several humanists of the time, a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Back to Castile, he was appointed Canon of León by Pope Leo X; some historians say he was also have been Professor at the Salamanca University. Del Enzina composed in polyphonic style several songs, romances and villancicos (Christmas carols), compiled in Cancionero, published in Salamanca in 1496 and reprinted several times. He also wrote a tenth of religious and non religious eclogues, as well as poems.

Ivan Sache, 31 January 2011


Symbols of Encina de San Silvestre

The flag and arms of Encina de San Silvestre are prescribed by a Decree adopted on 27 March 2002 by the Municipal Council, signed on 22 April 2002 by the Mayor,and published on 10 May 2002 in the official gazette of Castilla y León, No. 88, p. 6252 (text).
The symbols are described as follows:

Flag: Rectangular, tricolor. Three horizontal stripes of same height, the upper stripe blue, the middle stripe green and the lower stripe yellow. In the middle of the flag is placed the municipal coat of arms.
Coat of arms: Tierced, 1. Or a holly oak proper fructed rooted and outlined sable on a terrace vert, 2. Azure a St. Silvester's staff or and a St. Michael's sword proper per saltire in base a fleur-de-lis purpure, 3. Vert a parchment proper dexter an inkpot azure fimbriated sable, over the parchment a quill azure and purpure fimbriated sable. The shield surmounted with a Royal crown closed.

The symbols (unofficial website) were designed by Ángel Gil, winner of a contest organized by the municipality.
On the flag, the color arrangement represents the local landscape, as the blue sky over the green oak forests over the yellow crops and drylands.
On the coat of arms, the upper triangle represents the three patron saints of the village, St. Michael (sword), St. Silvester (staff), and the Virgin (fleur-de-lis). The Virgin is venerated in the Castillo chapel, built on the site where a statue of the Virgin was found by a shepherd searching for a lost ewe. The holly oak (encina) makes the arms canting ; the fruits represent the villagers' work.

Ivan Sache, 31 January 2011