Last modified: 2020-08-08 by ian macdonald
Keywords: rio grande do sul | são josé dos ausentes | snowflake |
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image by Ivan Sache,
5 August 2020
The municipality of São José dos Ausentes (3,290 inhabitants; 117,395 ha) is
located 230 km north-east of Porto Alegre. The highest point of Rio Grande do
Sul, Pico de Monte Negro (1,430 m) is located in the municipal territory.
Together with São Joaquim and Urupema (Santa Catarina), São José dos Ausentes is
considered as Brazil's coldest municipality. Winter temperature usually falls
below 0C and permanent snow covers is present every year.
São José dos
Ausentes is named for the Vacancy Trial (Juizo de Ausentos), by which Captain
Antônio da Costa Ribeiro acquired in 1764 lands registered in 1727 by the
Society of Jesus but never settled. After the death of the captain without
heirs, the place was once again declared "vacant" and acquired in 1787 by Father
Bernardo Lopes de Silva, lieutenant José Pereira da Silva and Manoel José Leão;
it was transferred in 1789 to Antônio Manoel Velho, who named it Fazenda Santo
Antônio dos Ausnetes. A more popular explanation of the odd place's name refers
to the harsh winter that often forced people to leave the place. Yet another
version refers to the assassination of two owners of the domains, who were
therefore declared "absentees".
The district of Ausentes was established
within the municipality of Aparados da Serra (today, Bom Jesus) by Municipal Act
No. 9 issued on 5 June 1948. The municipality of São José dos Ausentes was
established by State Law No. 9,559 promulgated on 20 March 1992.
http://www.saojosedosausentes.rs.gov.br/
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 5 August 2020
A red-white-red vertical triband, ratio 1-2-1, bearing the municipal arms in the centre.
Official website at
http://www.saojosedosausentes.rs.gov.br
Dirk Schönberger, 2 April 2012
The flag of São José dos Ausentes
is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 76 promulgated on 29 December 1993.
Article 1.
The flag of the municipality of São José dos Ausentes has for
official colors red and white, arranged in vertical stripes, representing:
a)
(Venetian) red is a symbol of dedication, patriotic love, audacity and courage.
b) White is a symbol of integration, message of peace and community's harmony.
§1. Red shall be used in the inner and outer stripes, white in the flag's
center.
§2. In the center of the flag's white stripe shall be placed the coat
of arms of the municipality.
Article 2.
The flag's features shall obey
the following rules.
I. The flag's width is 14 units.
II. The length of
each red vertical stripes at the ends shall be 5 units and that of the central
white stripe 10 units.
III. The flag's length is 20 units.
IV. The coat of
arms is of 7 unit in width, leaving 3 units in the upper and lower parts.
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/s/sao-jose-dos-ausentes/lei-ordinaria/1993/8/76/lei-ordinaria-n-76-1993-institui-a-bandeira-do-municipio-e-da-outras-providencias
Municipal website
The coat of arms of São José dos Ausentes is
prescribed by Municipal Law No. 75 promulgated on 29 December 1993.
Article 1.
A classic French shield surmounted by a six-towered crown or. In
the center the image of the mountain's flanks on a field vert (green). In base
also vert, green symbolizing the fields, which are the supports of economy and
land use. In chief's center on a field azure (blue) the international symbol of
snow. Dexter on a field argent a slash pine and sinister a Brazilian pine, the
two snow-covered. The shield supported dexter and sinister by a scroll gules
(red) inscribed sable (black) the toponym "São José dos Ausentes" and the motto
"O ponto mais alto e frio do Rio Grande do Sul" [Rio Grande do Sul's highest and
coldest point].
The coat of arms has the following symbolic
interpretation.
a) The classical French shield used to represent the arms of
São José dos Ausentes, originates from France and was spread all over Europe. It
is used, namely, to represent domain's arms and was also adopted by Brazilian
heraldry, as the evocation of one of the colonizing races.
b) The mural crown
surmounting the shield is the universal symbol of domain's arms. With six towers
or, four visible in perspective, it indicates a 3rd rank town or municipality's
seat.
c) Argent (silver) is a symbol of peace, friendship, work, empowerment,
prosperity, purity, religious feeling and abundance of snow falling in winter
time.
d) The field vert (green) represents the fields and flanks of the
mountains of Rio Grande do Sul's north-east, at the origin of the place's name.
St. Joseph, patron saint of the early colonists, and "Ausentes", meaning "vacant
land". Above, the international symbol of snow indicates a municipality in the
part of Rio Grande do Sul where snow falls.
e) Vert (green) is a symbol of
honor, civility, courtesy, glee and abundance. This is also the symbolic color
of hope, as greening fields in spring increase pastures, feed cattle and provide
income to the inhabitants.
f) Azure (blue) is a symbol of loyalty, royalty,
sky and community's harmony in search of humanitarian objectives.
g) The
outer ornaments represents the main crop offered by the generous and fertile
land, apples.
h) The scroll gules (red) features in letters sable (black), a
symbol of honesty and prudence, the toponym "São José dos Ausentes" and the
motto "O ponto mais alto e frio do Rio Grande do Sul".
https://leismunicipais.com.br/a/rs/s/sao-jose-dos-ausentes/lei-ordinaria/1993/8/75/lei-ordinaria-n-75-1993-institui-o-brasao-municipal-e-da-outras-providencias
Municipal website
Photos
https://www.facebook.com/prefeituradeausentes/photos/a.1843026362645488/1846717218943069/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/prefeituradeausentes/photos/a.1843026362645488/1870337523247705/?type=3&theater
Ivan Sache,
5 August 2020
The flag is also used with equal stripes.
image by Ivan Sache,
5 August 2020
Photo
https://www.facebook.com/prefeituradeausentes/photos/a.1843026362645488/2032171397064316/?type=3&theater
Ivan Sache, 5 August 2020