image located by Valentin Poposki, 9
March 2007Source: http://www.riogrande.rs.gov.br (no longer available)
Last modified: 2020-08-08 by ian macdonald
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image located by Valentin Poposki, 9
March 2007
Source: http://www.riogrande.rs.gov.br (no
longer available)
The municipality of Rio Grande (208,641 inhabitants in 2016; 281,748 ha) is
located 320 km south-west of Porto Alegre, on the southern bank of the estuary
that connects Laguna dos Patos and its tributaries to the Atlantic Ocean.
The
municipality is composed of the districts of Rio Grande (seat), Ilha dos
Marinheiros, Povo Novo, Taim and Vila da Quinta.
In 1680, Portugal
established the Sacramento Colony on the left bank of River Plate, facing Buenos
Aires. A nucleus was set up close to the "barra" of Rio Grande de São Pedro, the
only access to navigation on the coast, from which Portugal expected to conquer
the hinterland. Ranches were founded to occupy big areas. For the religious
service of the colonists, the parish of São Pedro was established on 6 August
1736, before any official Portuguese claim of sovereignty over the territory.
The town was established on 19 February 1737 by Brigadier José da Silva Paes,
who commanded a Portuguese expedition composed of seamen and soldiers aimed at
securing the southern possessions; at the time, the former territory of the
Sacramento Colony, today Rio Grande do Sul and Uruguay, was fiercely disputed
between the Portuguese and the Spaniards.
A fortress was erected on the site
deemed more adequate for port operations; Silva Paés, a devotee of the Holy
Family, named it Jesus, Maria e José fortress. To protect it from rear attack,
he erected a second fort 3 km away on the narrow isthmus separating the Rio
Grande Canal from Saco da Mangueira.
The settlement grew quickly, especially
with the input of colonists from Madeira and the Azores, which started in 1750.
Rio Grande de São Pedro was granted the status of "vila" in 1751 and delimited
the same year. In 1760, the town, then part of the Santa Catarina Captaincy, was
elevated to the capital of the newly formed Captaincy of Rio Grande de São
Pedro.
Border conflicts between Portugal and Spain did not stop. Seized
by the Spaniards in 1751, the town was reconquered in April 1776 by Sargento-Mor
Rafael Pinto Bandeira.
The town was granted the status of "cidade" in 1835
and had its name shortened to Rio Grande. During the Ragamuffin Revolution, the
seat of the provincial government was transferred from Porto Alegre, threatened
by the rebels, to Rio Grande.
https://www.riogrande.rs.gov.br/
Municipal website
Ivan Sache,
3 August 2020
The flag of Rio Grande is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 2,992 promulgated
on 6 January 1975.
Article 2.
The municipal flag of Rio Grande shall
be composed of three stripes arranged vertically, sea green, white and celestial
blue, charged in the center with the coat of arms of the town and municipality
of Rio Grande.
Symbols
Sea green suggests water bathing the town.
White reflects the ideals' purity and water's foam.
Celestial blue symbolizes
firmament.
I. The flag width shall be 2 units.
II. The flag's length
shall be 3 units.
III. The coat of arms shall be centered on the central
white stripe, respecting the following distances:
a) The distance between the
central tower and the flag's upper edge shall be 0.60 unit.
b) The distance
between the scroll's basal line and the flag's lower edge shall be 0.60 unit.
c) The distance between each siren's tail and the white scroll's left or right
base shall be 0.15 unit.
IV. The two sides shall be exactly equal.
V. It
is forbidden to have a side as the other's obverse.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/r/rio-grande/lei-ordinaria/1976/300/2992/lei-ordinaria-n-2992-1976-institui-a-bandeira-da-cidade-e-municipio-do-rio-grande-com-base-no-disposto-no-art-1-f-3-da-constituicao-federal
Leis Municipais database
Paragraph c) was modified by Municipal Law
No. 3,779 promulgated on 4 August 1983.
c) The distance between each
points of the scroll and the white scroll's left of right base shall be 0.15
unit.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/r/rio-grande/lei-ordinaria/1983/377/3779/lei-ordinaria-n-3779-1983-altera-a-alinea-c-do-inciso-iii-do-paragrafo-unico-do-artigo-2-da-lei-n-2992-de-06-de-janeiro-de-1976
Leis Municipais database
The coat of arms of Rio Grande is prescribed
by Municipal Law No. 1,650 promulgated on 22 December 1964.
Article 1.
Symbols.
The dragon, a fanciful figure, with eagle's head and claws, bat's
wings, and snake's body and tail, is a symbol of loyalty.
The castle means
triumphs, assaults, wars and sieges.
The anchor and fish represent the
fishing port and industry or an industrial town, which are the town's main
characteristics.
Original colors of the coat of arms.
Red,
representing courageous, determined, bellicose and bold spirit, victories and
wars.
Azure, representing kindness and loyalty.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/r/rio-grande/lei-ordinaria/1964/165/1650/lei-ordinaria-n-1650-1964-de-criacao-do-brasao-da-cidade-do-rio-grande
Leis Municipais database
The arms were "rectified in compliance with
the canons of domain's heraldry" by Municipal Law No. 1,972 promulgated on 25
November 1968.
Article 1.
Description.
A Samnite shield surmounted
by an eight-towered mural crown argent. On a field argent orled gules the
heraldic seal of Brigadier José de Silva Paes, described as "a Samnite shield,
quartered; in the 1st and 4th quarters, on a field gules a three-towered castle
argent, masoned and port and windows sable, the central tower superimposed with
a palm vert; in the second and third quarters, on a field azure a dragon volant
argent armed gules; the shield surmounted by a helmet dexterwise gules and azure
ensigned by the dragon from the shield with a palm vert in the mouth. Cantoned
in chief by two cog wheels sable and in base by two anchors of the same. The
shield supported dexter and sinister by mermaids proper spotted argent standing
on a scroll gules inscribed in letters argent "NOIVA DO MAR" [Bride of the Sea].
Symbols.
The Samnite shield used to represent the coat of arms of Rio
Grande was the first style of shield introduced to Portugal by French influence,
evoking here the Latin race, colonizer and main builder of the Brazilian nation.
The mural crown surmounting the shield is the universal symbol of domain's coats
of arms; argent (silver) with eight towers, four visible in perspective, it
classifies the town as of 2nd rank or county's seat.
Argent (silver) is an
heraldic symbol of peace, work, prosperity, friendship and purity.
The orle
used as a mark of cadency (located on the shield's edges) is a symbol of favor
and protection, granted to strong warriors who won battles. Gules (red) is a
symbol of audacity, intrepidity, courage, valiance, bellicose ardor, dedication
and patriotic love.
In the center, the arms of Brigadier José da Silva Paes
aim at immortalizing the stainless figure of the great warlord, intimately
connected to the foundation of the town of Rio Grande. [Redundant description of
the arms skipped] The castle is an heraldic symbol of old and visible nobility;
it means greatness, asylum and safeguard, indicating feudal power and
magnanimity, being a high and majestic building used both as a shelter and
support. Therefore, it also means defense, rescue, asylum, protection and
safety.
Vert is the heraldic symbol of victory, honor, courtesy, civility and
abundance; green is also the symbol of hope, since greening fields in spring
promise profuse harvests. [...] Azure is a symbol of justice, nobleness,
perseverance, zeal and loyalty, while the dragon is a symbol of custody,
vigilance and loyalty.
The helmet indicates the rank of gentleman since it
has five rays and is represented in profile. [...]
The cogwheels symbolize
industry, while the anchors symbolize maritime activity. Sable (black) is an
heraldic symbol of prudence, knowledge, moderation, science and austerity.
The sirens are symbols of deceptive and flattering beauty, alluding to the
town's nickname, "Bride of the Sea" written on the scroll gules (red) on which
they stand.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/r/rio-grande/lei-ordinaria/1968/198/1972/lei-ordinaria-n-1972-1968-retifica-o-brasao-de-armas-da-cidade-e-municipio-de-rio-grande-estado-do-rio-grande-do-sul-criado-pela-lei-n-1650-de-22121964-de-conformidade-com-os-canones-da-heraldica-de-dominio-com-base-no-disposto-do-artigo-1-3-da-constituicao-federal
Leis Municipais database
The arms were once again "rectified in
compliance with the canons of domain's heraldry" by Municipal Law No. 3,037
promulgated on 21 Jue 1976. The "rectification" deals with the scroll, the
remaining text being unchanged.
Description.
[...] a scroll gules
inscribed in letters argent "RIO GRANDE - RS", surrounded by years "1737 -
1835", the generic designation of the municipality of Rio Grande, the acronym of
the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and dates referring to the foundation of Rio
Grande and its elevation to the rank of "cidade" by Provincial Law No. 5
promulgated on 27 June 1835, respectively.
Symbol.
[...] on the scroll
gules (red) with central writing "RIO GRANDE - RS", name and acronym of the
municipality and of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, surrounded by the
significant commemorative years "1737 - 1835", referring to the foundation of
Rio Grande through the establishment of the Jesus Maria José fortress at the
settlement's origin and to the aforementioned Provincial Law No. 5 promulgated
on 27 June 1835, pushed by Francisco Xavier Ferreira and promulgated by the
President of the Province, Fernandes Braga, which elevated the "vila" of Rio
Grande de São Pedro to the rank of "cidade".
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/r/rio-grande/lei-ordinaria/1976/304/3037/lei-ordinaria-n-3037-1976-retifica-o-brasao-de-armas-da-cidade-do-municipio-do-rio-grande-estado-do-rio-grande-do-sul-criado-pela-lei-n-1650-de-22-de-dezembro-de-1964-modificado-pela-lei-n-1972-de-25-de-novembro-de-1968-de-conformidade-com-os-canones-da-heraldica-do-dominio-com-base-no-que-dispoe-o-artigo-1-paragrafo-3-da-constituicao-federal
Leis Municipais database
The arms were once again "rectified in
compliance with the canons of domain's heraldry" by Municipal Law No. 3,037
promulgated on 21 June 1976. The "rectification" deals with the scroll, the
remaining text being unchanged.
The writing on the scroll was changed to
"CIDADE DE RIO GRANDE", with the same symbolic description.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/r/rio-grande/lei-ordinaria/1980/357/3568/lei-ordinaria-n-3568-1980-retifica-o-brasao-de-armas-da-cidade-e-municipio-do-rio-grande-estado-do-rio-grande-do-sul-criado-pela-lei-n-1650-de-22-de-dezembro-de-1964-e-ja-modificado-pelas-leis-ns-1972-de-25-de-novembro-de-1968-e-3037-de-21-de-junho-de-1976-de-conformidade-com-os-canones-da-heraldica-de-dominio-com-base-no-que-dispoe-o-artigo-1-3-da-constituicao-federal
Leis Municipais database
Ivan Sache, 3 August 2020
