Antonio Mataix Blanquer
We barely have news about the flag that our ancestors used, as a representative symbol of our people, its people and its culture.
The only reference there is to it, It is in the book of Minutes that they recount the memorials presented to King Felipe V, as a consequence of the War of the Spanish Succession, between Philip of Anjou and Archduke Charles. in them, Laureano Ballester, on behalf of the Mayor and Councilors of the University of Bañeres, send a letter to D. Daniel Mahogany, Field Marshal and Governor, Colonel of His Majesty's Regiment of Dragoons in which he literally says:
“His Excellency. Sr. At Your Excellency's feet we have celebrated with great applause and joy the performance of the Town of Alcoy, to our Monarch Mr. D. Philip by the grace of God, thanking Your Excellency and thus we beseech You, If there were weapons coverage to finish arming these neighbors, Well, from the town of Bocairente we chose those that could be, and because they were the same it was not possible to get enough weapons, and we repeat, if it were fair, the representation that we have made to Your Excellency of the stonemasons or prisoners to compose this castle and a flag that is painted with the Glorious Saint George, that when they came to burn this University, They took her to that Villa. And trusting in your grace, we are waiting for precepts of his firm will.
God save V.I.
Bañeres and January to 11 of 1708
B.L.M. to Your Excellency
S.M. Maior by the Mayor and Councilors of said University.
And of your order
Laureano Ballester.”1
In light of this text, fundamentally highlights:
1. That Bañeres used a local flag and that “when they came to burn this university, “They took her to that Villa.”.
2. That the Glorious Saint George was “painted on it.”.
With this little data, City Hall, commissions a historical research work from D. Pedro María Orts i Bosch, expert in heraldry and vexillology, regarding the characteristics that the brand would have, about dimensions, heraldic colors, figures, symbology, etc., always as a basis the scarce documentation that we have about it. In November the complete study is sent to us, basing the historicity of our flag within the historical context with the heraldic elements that would integrate it, and from the same we transcribe the text of its description:
“For all these reasons, we believe that the following can be proposed as the historical flag of the Villa de Bañeres.: A rectangle of crimson fabric that will be one and a half times as long, without counting the pod, if i had it. In the center of the rectangle there will be an azure oval with a gold border., the height of the oval being equal to half of that of the flag. The figure of Saint George on horseback will ride on the oval field as follows:: Horse with silver saddlecloths, covered everything except the lower parts of the blades which will be their color, on gualdrapa the Greek cross gules, also said of Saint George, and the knight Saint George in gold armor, only the face of its color and for wearing the raised visor that with a golden spear spears a lampasado silver dragon armed with gules. And to further individualize the flag, It must lead to the right and left of the oval where the figure of the Glorious Saint George goes, the coat of arms of Bañeres, flanking in this way the central figure and whose dimensions will be half that of the oval.”2
After the War of Succession and as a consequence of the Privileges granted by King Felipe V, for participation in the Bourbon cause and in the decree of 27 May 1708 in which the modification of the coat of arms of the Villa is authorized, the castle is incorporated with the initials of the noble titles. With this, all the identifying symbols of our town are clearly identified.: the Glorious Saint George and flanking it the shield of Bañeres on a crimson background (maroon red).
Presented this study to the Plenary Session of the City Council in a session of 7 of January of 1991, agreed unanimously by all members and political groups, request from the Generalitat Valenciana, approval of the Local Flag.
It is not requested that a newly created flag be recognized but rather that the flag that Bañeres had and that he lost in the incidents of the War of Succession be fully returned.. It is therefore a RESTITUTION of our own identity., of something that is an important part of the feeling and being of Bañeres.
NOTES:
1. bathtubs. Historical study, Geographical and Cultural de la Villa. Cultural Research Group. P. 92.
2. Extract from the certified description presented by Mr. Pedro María Orts i Bosch.
