
Last modified: 2020-07-25 by ian macdonald
Keywords: rio grande do sul | garruchos | 
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 image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2020
 image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2020 
The municipality of Garruchos (2,924 inhabitants in 2019; 80,373 ha) is 
located on the border with Argentina, here the Uruguai River.
Garruchos 
was established on 18 February 1891, as Vila de Santa Barbara de Garruchos, by 
the Municipal Chamber of Sćo Borja. It is reported that Manoel Baptista da Silva 
and his wife, Guiomar Pacheco da Silva, celebrated the proclamation of the 
Republic on 15 November 1889 by offering a plot to create a new settlement.
Garruchos is named for the "garrucho", a forked lance allegedly used for 
hunting by the Garrucho natives and adopted by the Gaśchos to manage cattle - 
some say that the name Gaścho was derived from Garrucho.
https://www.garruchos.rs.gov.br/
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 18 July 2020
The symbols of Garruchos are prescribed by Municipal Law No. 25 promulgated 
on 23 April 1993.
Article 9.
The coat of arms of the municipality of 
Garruchas, designed by the vexillologist and heraldist Lauro Ribeiro Escobar, 
is: An Iberian shield or a patriarchal cross and a lion rampant the two purpure 
in base a fess wavy azure. The shield surmounted by an eight-towered mural crown 
argent ports sable. The shield supported dexter by a soldier of the Brazilian 
Army from the early years of the Republic, holding a rife, and sinister by a 
Gaścho in traditional costume, holding a "garrucho". A scroll or inscribed with 
the toponym "GARRUCHOS" in letters purpure.
Article 10.
The coat of 
arms has the following meaning:
I. The Iberian shield was used in Portugal at 
the time of discovery of Brazil; its adoption evokes the first colonists and 
builders of the homeland.
II. Or indicates wealth, glory, nobleness, power, 
force, faith and prosperity, which are the inhabitant's attributes and final 
goals, attained through constant work.
III. The patriarchal, missionary cross 
emphasizes the municipality's geographical location and the related historical 
episodes, as well as the inhabitant's deep Christian faith.
IV. The lion 
rampant is the heraldic emblem of force, greatness, courage, magnanimity, 
nobleness and vigilance, being the noblest heraldic animal, recalling the 
attributes of the pioneers who settled the region. Purpure recalls the Silva 
lineage, evoking Manoel Baptista da Silva and his wife, Guiomar Pacheco Baptista, 
factors of permanent settlement of the town of Santa Bįrbara de Garruchos 
through the donation in 1889 of the plot where the town would be created two 
years later by an Act issued on 18 February 1891 by the municipality of Sćo 
Borja.
V. Purpure is a symbol of temperance, devotion, nobleness, greatness, 
gravity, dignity, authority, liberty and abundance, which are the reference 
attributes of the administrators and inhabitants and their everyday's work, 
which offers prosperity to the municipality.
VI. The fess wavy azure (blue) 
represents in heraldry a watercourse, demonstrating on the coat of arms of 
Garruchos that the municipality has huge water resources, rivers Uruguay, 
Piratinim and Piraju, which, together with their tributaries, irrigate the 
outstanding fields. Blue (azure) is a symbol of justice, beauty, sweetness, 
perseverance, zeal and loyalty.
VII. The mural crown is a symbol of political 
emancipation; argent, with eight towers, eight visible, it identifies a town. 
The open gates sable (black) proclaim the people's hospitality.
VIII. The 
soldier wearing the uniform of the Brazilian Army in the early years of the 
Republic, evokes an historical episode: a soldier, fallen ill, was left in the 
care of his brother; they both constituted a family, which was the root of the 
region's settlement. Sinister the Gaścho in traditional costume evokes the 
custody of the vast herds that characterize Rio Grande do Sul, representing a 
traditionalist impulse well preserved in the municipality; he holds a "garrucho", 
a tool used to manage cattle, which is the municipality's namesake.
IX. On a 
scroll or, in letters purpure, the toponym "GARRUCHOS" identifies the 
municipality.
Article 14.
The flag of the municipality of Garruchas, 
designed by the vexillologist and heraldist Lauro Ribeiro Escobar, is: 
Rectangular, yellow, with a purple patriarchal cross, centered, surrounded by 
two "garruchos" argent.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/g/garruchos/lei-ordinaria/1993/3/25/lei-ordinaria-n-25-1993-dispoe-sobre-a-instituicao-a-forma-e-a-apresentacao-dos-simbolos-do-municipio-de-garruchos-e-da-providencias-correlatas
Leis Municipais database
The flag in actual use is yellow with the 
municipal coat of arms, sometimes inscribed in a white disc:
 image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2020
 image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2020 
Photos
https://www.facebook.com/administracao2017e2020 
https://www.facebook.com/administracao2017e2020
Ivan Sache, 18 July 2020