Last modified: 2020-10-24 by ivan sache
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The municipality of Hornachos (3,595 inhabitants in 2019; 29,590 ha; municipal website) is located 110 km south-east of Badajoz and 30 km east of Villalba de los Barros.
Hornachos was already settled in the Neolithic, as evidenced by rock paintings found in La Sillá and Sierra de Pinos. Hornachos is named for the Latin word fornus, "an oven", recalling the ovens once used to smelt ore extracted in the local mines, such as argentiferous galena. The local tradition, howeve, says that the town was established by Hercule, who sacrified Geryon's cattle in the Bulls' Cave dedicated to goddess Fornacia.
After the Christian reconquest in 1234, most of the Mudéjar population of the town decided to stay; they were granted religious freedom provided they would pay tax to the Crown and the Order of Saint James, which was granted the town in 1235 by King Ferdinand III the Saint. At the end of the 15the century, Hornachos was the most populated Mudéjar town in Castile.
In 1502, the Catholic Monarchs decided the forced conversion of the population of Muslim orign to the Christian religion. Most inhabitants of Hornachos stayed, to be converted and renamed to Moriscos.
After several revolts, the Mosriscos were eventually expelled from Spain in 1610 by Philip III. Some 3,000 inhabitants of Hornachos were deported from the port of Seville; they settled a small fortress facing the town of Salé in Morocco where they founded the Rabat Republic, dedicated to piracy against Spanish ships.
The towns of Hornachos and Rabat set up in 2004 a partnership to recall this historical connection and to strengthen it with friendship, respect and mutual knowledge.
Ivan Sache, 15 March 2020
The flag of Hornachos (photo), adopted on 27 July 1995 by the Municipal Council and validated on 17 May 1995 and 16 February 1996 by the Assessing Council of Honors and Distinctions of the Government of Extremadura, is prescribed by an Order issued on 22 February 1996 by the Government of Extremadura and published on 5 March 1996 in the official gazette of Extremadura, No. 27, pp. 928-929 (text).
The flag is described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular, in proportions 2:3. Composed of two triangles formed by a diagonal running from hoist's lower angle to the fly's upper angle, white at fly and green at hoist. Charged with the municipal coat of arms in full colors.
The coat of arms of Hornachos, adopted on 27 April 1995 by the Municipal Council and validated on 17 May 1995 by the Assessing Council of Honors and Distinctions of the Government of Extremadura, is prescribed by an Order issued on 24 May 1995 by the Government of Extremadura and published on 8 June 1995 in the official gazette of Extremadura, No. 67, pp. 2,660-2,661 (text).
The coat of arms is described as follows:
Coat of arms: Per pale, 1. Vert a castle argent masoned and port and windows sable on a rocky mount proper, 2. Argent a cross of Saint James gules. The shield surmounted by a Royal crown closed.
Ivan Sache, 15 March 2020
