Last modified: 2015-01-17 by ivan sache
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The municipality of El Maíllo (340 inhabitants in 2010; 4,627 ha; municipal website) is located 70 km from Salamanca.
El Maíllo emerged near the Peña de Francia monastery, which formed the
smallest feudal domain in Salamanca Province, reduced to the big
rock on which the monastery had been built. This odd domain was
granted by King John II to the Dominican Order in 1436, as a reward to
the Virgin after John's victory over the Olmedo Infants; the
privileges of the monastery and the lord's status of the Prior were
confirmed by the subsequent kings.
John II also ordered to set up a convent in El Maíllo, whose building
officially started on 18 August 1516. The convent was known as the
"Casa Baja", the Lower House, as opposed to the "Casa Alta", the Upper
House, that is the original monastery where the statue of the Virgin
was kept; the monks used to move down every year to the Lower House
when snow started to fall. During the rest of the year, the Lower
House was mostly used to store grain and other goods. In spite of
having proclaimed on 21 March 1978 a Historical and Artistic National
Monument, the Lower House is today ruined.
Ivan Sache, 20 April 2011
The flag of El Maíllo is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 11 June
1998 by the Salamanca Provincial Government, signed on 19 June 1998 by the President
of the Government, and published on 2 July 1998 in the
official gazette of Castilla y León, No. 124 (text).
The flag is described
as follows:
Flag: Quadrangular, argent. In the middle of the flag is placed the municipal coat of arms surmounted with the Royal Spanish crown closed, flanked by two perpendicular stripes gules of height 1/5 of the flag's hoist.
The coat of arms of El Maíllo is prescribed by a Decree adopted on 7
March 1997 by the Salamanca Provincial Government, signed on 13 March 1997 by the
President of the Government, and published on 26 May
1997 in the official gazette of Castilla y León, No. 59 (text).
The coat of arms is described
as follows:
Coat of arms: Per pale, 1. Azure a mount argent ensigned with a crown of fleurs-de- lis or, 2. Argent mantled sable a seven-pointed star gyronny argent and sable. The shield surmounted with a Royal Spanish crown.
The Royal Academy of History found the proposed arms acceptable, provided some corrections are made. The arms recall that the village is located near the Peña de Francia monastery, ruled by the Dominicans. On the first quarter, the mount should be represented as usual in heraldry, that is with a point, not eroded. The crown made of three flowers hardly recalls the Virgin and should be replaced by a single fleur-de-lis, the symbol of Mary and of the French monarchy. The charges of the second quarter represent the Carmelites and not the Dominicans. Accordingly, the Academy proposed new arms: "Per pale, 1. Azure a rock argent issuant of the base in chief a fleur-de-lis or, 2. Argent a cross flory gyronny argent and sable. The shield surmounted with a Royal Spanish crown (Boletín de la Real Academia de la Historia, 1998, 195, 2: 381).
Ivan Sache, 20 April 2011
