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image by Ivan Sache, 13
September 2019The Santa María Department (22,548 inhabitants in 2010; 5,740 km2) is located
in the north-east of the Province of Catamarca, on the borders with the
Provinces of Salta and Tucumán. The department is composed of the municipalities
of Santa María and San José.
Santa María was the cradle of the
pre-Colombian eponymous culture, characterized by urban development, stone
houses and the use of pottery; the Incas imposed their cultural imprint to the
area in the 25th century. The Yocabil, Tolombon, Pacioca, Colala, Ingaman,
Acalian and Quilme communities opposed a fierce resistance to the Spanish
colonization; they were nearly eradicated in the aftermath of the Calchaquí Wars
(1534-1665). Diego de Almagro crossed Santa María in 1536, on his way to Chile;
so did Diego de Rojas in 1543.
In 1618, the Society of Jesus established
the mission of Santa María de los Ángeles de Yocavil on the village of Yokavil,
which they promptly renamed to Santa María. Argent and copper mines were
exploited in 1688 in Punta de Balasto. The town of Santa María was founded in
1710 by Captain Ambrosio Muñiz Cancinos. In 1716, Juan Cristóbal Retamozo
founded the Juán Ingamana estate, today the town of San José.
In 1782,
the territory was incorporated to the Intendencia of Salta del Tucumán, as the
District of Santa María. Following the establishment of the Catamarca Province,
it became the Departmental Section of Santa María, whose limits were eventually
prescribed in 1895.
http://www.atlas.catamarca.gov.ar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160&Itemid=106
Atlas Catamarca
Ivan Sache, 13 September 2019
Other sites:
The flag of Santa María is prescribed by Municipal Decree No. 5, approved in
2010 during the 22nd ordinary session of the Municipal Council. The flag of
Santa María was selected in a public contest prescribed on 15 March 2010 by
Ordinance No. 5 and held until 20 April 2010. The jury selected on 10 May
2010 three proposals out of the 355 submitted designs. The inhabitants of
the department were invited to vote for their preferred design before 12 May
2010.
The designer of the winning proposal, Diego David Barrionuevo,
explained that the flag, called "la Chakana" shall have proportions derived
from the Golden Number, that is 1:1.83. It is based on the Andean Cross,
alluding to the mystical meaning of number 4 ("tawa"), based on the
proportionality of the two arms of the Southern Cross and the special
partition in four components of the Andean cosmogony. In the center, where
the Square Cross is inscribed, is placed a double circle, the symbol of
universal knowledge, charged in the center with an urn of the Santa María
culture, representing the climax of development of this culture.
The
colors are the "three sacred colors of Santa María arts. Terracotta red is a
symbol of the day, fire, light, heath and of the Upper World; gray black is
a symbol of knowledge and of the Lower World; white is a symbol of cosmic
and timeless energy. The fourth color, ocher yellow is a symbol of the soil,
its energy and its dynamics."
https://www.catamarcactual.com.ar/informacion-general/2010/9/2/institucionalizan-bandera-santa-mara-4914.html
CatamarcActual, 2 September 2010
On 2 February 2011, the
inauguration of the flag and its blessing by Bishop Mariano Moreno,
completed in 2005 by a long process initiated by Municipal Councillor Jorge
Daniel Lagoria.
https://www.catamarcactual.com.ar/informacion-general/2011/2/8/bandera-santa-maria-sueno-hecho-realidad-9683.html
CatamarcActual, 8 February 2011
The two other proposals selected
by the jury were:
- A multi-ray yellow sun over a blue sky and a brown
valley;
- a nine-ray yellow sun over a horizontally divided
brown-blue-brown background.
http://www.diarioc.com.ar/interior/Concurso_Bandera_del_Departamento_de_Santa_Maria/137338
Diario C, 10 May 2010
Ivan Sache, 13 September 2019
