by Joseph McMillan
Last modified: 2010-10-23 by ian macdonald
Keywords: rio de janeiro | saltire | saint sebastian | armillary sphere | arrow | dolphin | phrygian cap |
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In Brazões e bandeiras do Brasil (1933), Clóvis Ribeiro presents a series of four flags of the city of Rio de Janeiro dating back to 1808. The first three are actually the flags of the senate of the municipal chamber (senado da câmara municipal), the fourth that of the old Distrito Federal, or Federal District, which was identical with the municipality until the capital was moved to Brasília in 1967.
Joseph McMillan, 14 November 2002
by Joseph McMillan
The first flag was used by the municipal senate during the reception of the Portuguese
royal family when it arrived to take refuge from Napoleon's occupation of
the mother country on 8 March 1808. It was a white trapezoid with gold trim
all around and gold fringe around the three free sides. On the center was
an ornate shield with an oil painting of St. Sebastian (patron of the city)
tied to a tree and pierced with arrows, the shield ensigned with a plumed
knight's helmet.
Joseph McMillan, 14 November 2002
by Joseph McMillan
The second flag, used from 1822-1831, was basically a trapezoidal version of
the national flag of the Brazilian empire with the arms raised to overlap
the upper corner of the yellow lozenge, and with gold trim and fringe added. The arms are ensigned with a royal rather
than imperial crown. The directive to change to the imperial crown
was issued on 1 December 1822, and this flag probably predated that.
On the other hand, Ribeiro notes that the royal crown continued to be widely used
after 1 December 1822 because an official but incorrect pattern with the
old crown was sent out from Rio shortly after the decree was issued.
Joseph McMillan, 14 November 2002
by Joseph McMillan
In 1831, the municipal senate returned from the standard derived from the
national flag to one similar to the pre-1822 model, again a white silk
trapezoid with the image of St. Sebastian painted in oil on the center, but
with a slightly less ornate shield.
Joseph McMillan, 15 November 2002
by Joseph McMillan
The basic pattern used for the modern municipal flag came into use in 1908 under
Decree 1190 of 8 July. This flag placed "the municipal arms adopted by decree no. 312 of 1 August 1896 in red color" on the center of a blue
saltire on white. The only difference between this and the current flag was that the arms were depicted as if on the sail of a ship sailing toward the
viewer. The arms depict a Phrygian cap on the center of an armillary sphere, behind which are
three arrows representing St. Sebastian. The actual coat of arms when not shown on the flag has a blue field with gold sphere
and arrows and red cap, but the version on the flag, since 1908, has been depicted in red. This was the flag of the Federal District
until the capital was moved to Brasília in 1960.
Joseph McMillan, 15 November 2002
