NUEVA GRANADA
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The South
American coast was discovered at the beginning of the 16th century by Rodrigo
de Bastidas, Gaspar de Morales and
Pizarro. In 1531 Cartagena was founded, in 1534 Quito and in 1538 Bogotá. In
1535 a territory in the north of the South American continent became a
province with the name of Nueva Reino de Granada. This province was a part of
the vice-kingdom of Peru. As an
administrative unit Nueva Granada was created when in 1549 a Royal Court of
Justice (Real Audiencia) was
founded in Santa Fé de Bogotá. This was made a Court of Justice and at the
same time a Presidency subordinated to the Vice-kingdom of Nueva Castilla (=
Peru) in 1564. The presidency
comprised the governments of Darien, Panama, Santa Marta, Cartagena,
Popayan and the Kingdom of New Granada (with its capital Bogotá). The presidency was a vice-kingdom from 1717 until
1723 when the ancient relations were restored. In 1739 it finally was made a vice-kingdom. Subordinated to the
vice-kingdom were the Presidential Courts of Justice of Quito and Panama. In
1751 the Court of Justice of Panama was abolished and the government united
with the government of the vice-kingdom. In 1777, the Venezuelan provinces
making Oriente, broke away, creating the independent Captaincy General of
Venezuela. After the conquest of
Spain by Napoleon in 1808 everywhere rebellions sprang up in the region and
the Spanish officials were deposed. Several sovereign republics were created:
Cartagena, Bogotá (later: Cundinamarca) and Mariquita. A union of these
republics was aimed at, the United Provinces of New Granada. This union soon
fell apart however, due to internal quarreling and became an easy prey for
the Spanish troops which started the reconquest in 1814. On 7 August 1819 the
Spanish troops were crushingly defeated by Simon Bolivar at Boyaca. As a
result a federation of republics could be founded on 17 December 1819 with
the name of Republic of Colombia. This republic lasted until the death of
Bolivar on 17 December 1830 and fell apart in 1832 in the republics of
Venezuela, Ecuador and New Granada. This in fact meant the end of New Granada
even when its name lasted until 1861 when the lesser New Granada or
Cundinamarca changed its name in Colombia. Its
successor states are Colombia,
Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. |
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Arms of the Real Audiencia de Santa Fé, after 1580 Embroidery on cloth.
Museo Nacional de Colombia, inv. Nr. 97 In the Spanish or colonial era the arms of the ruling
king were valid in all his kingdoms and principalities. This royal coat of
arms changed according to the heraldic rules when a new king ascended the throne.
The kings ruling over New Granada: Isabella of Castile, Ferdinand of Aragon,
Johanna the Mad, Charles I (V) Philip II, Philip III, Philip IV, Charles II,
Philip V, Louis I, Ferdinand VI, Charles III, Charles IV and Ferdinand VII
each had his own coat of arms, different from the one of his predecessor. As a part
of the Spanish Empire arms of the Spanish Monarchy and the King of Spain were
also valid in Nueva Granada. As the Crown of Castile had incorporated the new
territories into its domains when Queen Isabella withdrew the authority
granted to Columbus and the irst conquistadors and established direct royal
control, the royal arms of Castile became
also the arms of the king of the Indies. These consisted of a quarterly of
Castile and Leon, enté en
point of Granada surrounded by
the collar of the Order of the Fleece and royally crowned. |
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Arms of the King of Castile On the frontispiece of the
works of Antonio de Herrera 1601 & 1730
[1]
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Nueva Granada 8
reales obverse 18th c. Arms of
Bourbon Castile |
Nueva Granada 8
reales reverse Achievement of the Indies |
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Arms: Per pale, Or, Azure and Sable, the piles of
Hercules Gules both surrounded by a ribbon with the motto PLVS VLTRA, the
dexter imperially crowned and the sinister royally crowned, rising from a sea
in base proper. Crest: On a wreath a bunch of ostrich feathers of
the colors. In the
time of Bourbon rule the emblem of the Indies consisted of a picture of the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres between the Piles of Hercules. In the Americas itself some vice-kingdoms and cities had
their own coat of arms which was granted by means of a Royal Decree. |
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The Achievement The
achievement of the Government of the Indies consisted of the royal arms, at
first, in the time of Charles I, supported by a two-headed eagle and later
between or supported by the Piles of Hercules. The Real y
Supremo Consilio de Indias The
achievement of the Supreme Council of the Indies consisted of the arms of the
King of Spain, crowned and surrounded by the collar of the Order of the
Fleece, between the Pillars of Hercules and with a sailing ship below. |
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1535-1717 |
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The Kingdom of New Granada was granted a coat of arms
by the king of Spain in 1548.
On 3
December 1548 a grant of arms was send from Valladolid to the province of the
New Kingdom of Granada, signed by Maximilian II and Mary, written by Sámano
and countersigned by Marquess Gutierre Velasquez Hernán Pérez.[2] The arms
are: Arms: Or, an eagle sable, crowned Or, in his claws
two pomegrenades on their branches Gules; within a bordure Azure charged with
nine pomegrenades on their branches Or. The grant
reads [3]: Don
Carlos e Doña Juana, etc. Por cuanto por Pedro de Colmenares e Alonso Tellez,
vecino e Regidor de la ciudad de Santafé de la Provincia del Nuevo Reino de
Granada, en nombre de la dicha provincia, nos ha hecho relación que los
vecinos e moradores della nos han servido mucho en la pacificación del dicho
reino e en lo pacificar e sojuzgar e poner debajo de nuestro yugo e señorio
real, e nos suplicó en el dicho la dicha provincia, como las tenían algunas
provincias de estos Reinos; e Nos, acatando lo susodicho, e la lealtad e
fidelidad con que nos han servido los españoles, vecinos de la dicha
provincia, tuvímoslo por bien e por la presente hacemos merced e quereomos e
mandamos que agora y de aquí adelante la dicha provincia del dicho Nuevo
Reino de Granada e ciudades e villas della hayan e tengan por sus armas
conocidas und escudo que en la medio dél haya una aguila negra rampante
entera, coronada de oro, que en cada mano tenga una granada colorada en campo
de oro, y por orla unos ramos con granadas de oro en campo azul, según que vá
pintado y figuradao, etc. Dada
en Valladolid a tres de diciembre de mil e quinientos e cuarenta y ocho. maximiliano. - la princesa [4] |
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The Arms of the New Kingdom of Granada Above the internal entrance
of the Casa de Moneda in Santa Fé de Bogotá. This
mural painting of an unknown date, shows the arms with the eagle and the
pomegrenades crowned with ducal crown of five leaves. [5] |
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1717-1819 |
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The arms with
the eagle and the pomegrenades were also used in the time of the
vice-kingdom.
Arms of te Vice-kingdomof New Granada Detail of a map of the
Vice-Kingdom, 1772.
Signing of the Act of Independence 20 July 1810 The uncrowned arms of the kingdom
on the wall By decision N° 31 of 1932 these arms became the arms
of the city of Bogotá. |
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27.11.1811-1816 |
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By March 1811
the province of Bogotá had transformed itself into a state called Cundinamarca.
Cundinamarca convened a "Congress of the United Provinces," which
first met in Bogotá, but later moved to Tunja and Leyva
to maintain independence from the capital city. It established a
confederation called the United Provinces of New Granada
on November 27, 1811, but Cundinamarca did not recognize the new federation.
The dispute about the form of government erupted into civil war by the end of
1812, and once again in 1814. In that year a provisional seal or national emblem
appeared. This showed: Emblem: Azure, a pair of hands clasping around an
arrow, point downwards and crested with a phrygian cap proper, between two
cornucopia, mouths upwards per bordure Or. Legend: RESP. NEO-GRANAT
JUNGIT OPES, FOEDUSQ, FERIT, TUM LIBERA FATI.
(The Republic of New Granada unites its forces and concludes alliances
and thus confirms its liberty) The legend is a quote from the Aeneas of Vergil. |
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Provisional Seal of the United Provinces
of New Granada, 1814 Water-color
of Liborio Zerda, ca. 1892. Coll.
Museo Nacional de Colombia. Reg. 4853 |
Another version of the Provisional Seal of 1814 |
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On 14 June 1815 the General Government of the United Provinces of
New Granada adopted a quartered coat of arms. It was: Arms: ¼. 1. The Andes
mountain ridge with Chimborazo volcano ejecting flames; 2. A condor; 3. The
Tequendana falls; 4. The Panama isthmus. And on an escutcheon a pomegrenade. Crest: A bow and arrows Garland: Branches of
pomegrenade surrounded by a bordure tierced of Yellow, Green and Red. Motto: PROVINCIAS
UNIDAS DE LA NUEVA GRANADA on the green ring.
Arms of the United Provinces of New Granada, (1815) The law, sealed with the provisional seal, reads: |
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LEY SOBRE EL ESCUDO EL GOBIERNO GENERAL DE LAS
PROVINCIAS UNIDAS DE LA NUEVA GRANADA EN LA AMERICA DEL SUR Por cuanto el Congreso de
las mismas ha expedido la siguiente ley: El Congreso de las Provincias
Unidas de la Nueva Granada habiendo meditado en varias de
sus sesiones, y considerando necesarias y de la más alta importancia para la
República: 1º—Que la Nueva Granada en
la noble condición y aptitud política a que se ha elevado, sea conocida por
las naciones extranjeras con el carácter propio de un estado independiente; 2º—Que los actos de la
autoridad constituida por la voluntad de los pueblos se manifiesten marcados
con los atributos de la soberanía; 3º—Que consignándose en los
monumentos públicos la augusta memoria de la Independencia de la Nueva
Granada, se transmita a la más remota posteridad; 4º—En fin, deseando
vivamente que en lugar de las insignias facticias del despotismo aparezca
esta nueva república con los sencillos y preciosos adornos que le concedió la
naturaleza, ha venido en decretar el Escudo de Armas de la República en la
siguiente forma: Será el escudo nacional
acuartelado para la distribución de los signos que distinguen y caracterizan
a la Nueva Granada, a saber: en el primer cuartel figurará el Chimborazo
arrojando llamas de fuego por la parte del Altizana; en el segundo, el cóndor
en actitud de alzar el vuelo, y con la garra levantada; en el tercero, la cascada
del Tequendama; en el cuarto, el istmo de Panamá con dos barcos a sus lados,
para denotar los dos mares. El sobretodo será una granada abierta. El timbre
un arco y aljaba con flechas en aspa, y una de éstas vertical. La guirnalda
compuesta de granadas y ramas adecuadamente entrelazadas, orlará su contorno;
y últimamente se pondrá en su circunferencia sobre los colores de la bandera
nacional, la inscripción o divisa: Provincias Unidas de la Nueva Granada.
Todo en conformidad con el diseño y decretos que se acompañan para determinar
los esmaltes y diversa-aplicaciones del escudo nacional, que deberá romperse
en plata, oro o platino, y devolverse el diseño para su constancia en los
diarios y acuerdos del Congreso. Pásese al Poder Ejecutivo
para que, sellada esta ley con el sello provisional, publicada y comunicada a
quienes corresponda, tenga su cumplimiento. Dada en Santafé de Bogotá,
en la sala de sesiones del Congreso, a catorce de julio de 1815. Por el
Congreso, Padilla, Presidente; Madrid, Vicepresidente; Gutiérrez, diputado
Secretario. Por tanto, y decretado en
esta fecha su cumplimiento y promulgación, mandamos a todas las autoridades,
corporaciones, ciudadanos y habitantes de las Provincias Unidas, de cualquier
clase que sean, la cumplan, guarden y ejecuten, haciéndola cumplir, guardar y
ejecutar, cada uno en la parte que le toca, sin hacer, ni permitir cosa en
contrario, a cuyo efecto los gobiernos la promulgarán con las solemnidades
del caso en sus respectivas provincias, y la harán fijar en los lugares
públicos acostumbrados, remitiendo las diligencias que acrediten haberlo así
practicado. Dado en el Palacio de
Gobierno General, firmado de nuestra mano, sellado con el sello provisional
del Congreso y refrendado por nuestro Secretario de Estado y Relaciones
Exteriores en Santafé, a 14 de noviembre de 1815. M. R. Torices, Presidente de las
Provincias Unidas. José Miguel Pey. Antonio
Villavicencio. Crisanto Valenzuela, Secretario de Estado y Relaciones
Exteriores. |
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By law of
14 November 1815 the arms were described more precisely. They became: Arms: ¼.:
1. Azure, the Andes mountain ridge Or with two mountains the highest with a top
Argent and the lower Gules on a base Sable, representing the Chimborazo de
Quito, with ist natural crest of snow and smoke; 2. Purpure, a
condor, wings lifted Sable, its head and neck Gules, billed and legged Or,
its right claw lifted; 3. Vert, a bend wavy
indented Argent, representing the Tequendama falls in the province of
Cundinamarca; 4. Argent, a bend
indented Vert, between two ships Sable, representing the isthmus of Panama. And on an
escutcheon Azure a pomegrenade Or, opened Gules, its stem and leaves Vert,
flowering Purpure. Crest: A bow and arrows
in saltire Or, plumed Azure, one of them behind the shield per pale Sable,
pointed Or Garland: Branches of
pomegrenade, the pomegrenades Or, opened Gules, the stems and leaves Vert,
flowering Purpure, surrounded by a bordure tierced Or, Vert and Gules. Motto: PROVINCIAS
UNIDAS DE LA NUEVA GRANADA in script Or on the ring Vert.
Arms of the United Provinces of New Granada,
14.11.1815 Water-color by Liborio Zerda,
ca. 1892. Coll. Museo Nacional de
Colombia. Reg. 4854 The law, sealed with the provisional seal,
reads: |
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LEY SOBRE ESMALTES DEL ESCUDO EL GOBIERNO GENERAL DE LAS
PROVINCIAS UNIDAS DE LA NUEVA GRANADA EN LA AMERICA DEL SUR Por cuanto el Congreso de
las mismas expidió la resolución siguiente: Dada en esta fecha la ley
correspondiente para, formar el escudo nacional acuartelado con sobre-todo y
restando señalar y distribuir los esmaltes convenientes, DECRETA: Que el primer cuartel es de
azul con un cerro de oro de dos cimas, la más alta superada de plata y la
inferior de gules, sobre base de sable, representando el Chimborazo de Quito,
a quien la naturaleza coronó de nieve y fuego; El segundo de púrpura, con
buitre cóndor, azorado, de sable, cabeza y garganta de gules, pico y piernas
de oro, con la garra derecha levantada; El tercero de sinople, en
banda dentada y ondeada de plata, representando la cascada del Tequendama en
esta provincia de Cundinamarca; El cuarto de plata, en
banda denticulada de sinople, acompañada de dos barcos de sable,
representando el istmo de Panamá; El sobretodo de azul con
una granada de oro abierta de gules fustada y guarnecida de hojas de sinople,
aludiendo al nombre y signo con que ha sido conocida esta parte del globo; El timbre, un arco y carcaj
con flechas en aspa de oro emplumadas, éstas de azul y gules, y una de ellas
vertical de sable, armada de oro en barra detrás del escudo; Este rodeado de una
guirnalda de granadas de oro abierta de gules, fustada y guarnecida de hojas
de sinople y florecida de púrpura; Envuelto todo en tres
bandas de oro, sinople y gules, que son los colores de la bandera y pabellón
nacional. La divisa, “Provincias
Unidas de la Nueva Granada,” en letras de oro sobre la venda de sinople. Pase al Poder Ejecutivo
para su cumplimiento, publicación y comunicación a quienes corresponda. Dado en Santafé, en la sala
de sesiones del Congreso, a 14 de julio de 1815. Por el Congreso, Padilla,
presidente; Madrid, Vicepresidente; Gutiérrez, diputado Secretario. Por tanto y decretado el 15
de julio su cumplimiento y promulgación, mandamos a todas las autoridades,
corporaciones, ciudadanos y habitantes de las Provincias Unidas de cualquiera
clase que sean la cumplan, guarden y ejecuten, haciéndola cumplir, guardar y
ejecutar, cada uno en la parte que le toca, sin hacer ni permitir cosa en
contrario; a cuyo efecto los gobiernos la promulgarán con las solemnidades
del caso en sus respectivas provincias y la harán fijar en los lugares
públicos acostumbrados, remitiendo las diligencias que acrediten haberlo así
practicado. Dado en el Palacio de
Gobierno General, firmado de nuestra mano, sellado con el sello provisional
del Congreso y refrendado por nuestro Secretario de Estado y Relaciones
Exteriores en Santafé, a 14 de noviembre de 1815. M. R. Torices, Presidente de las
Provincias Unidas. José Miguel Pey. Antonio
Villavicencio. Crisanto Valenzuela, Secretario de Estado y Relaciones
Exteriores. |
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Picture Wikipedia Modern reconstruction * Both reconstructions, the one of 1892 and the
modern one show the third and fourth quarters charged with a more
naturalistic representation of the falls and isthmus. |
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1816-1819 |
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By mid-1815 a
large Spanish expeditionary force under Pablo
Morillo had arrived in New Granada. Cartagena fell in December, and by
May 1816 the royalists had control of all of New Granada. This implicated
that the vice-kings appointed by the crown, could again exercize full power
over all of New Granada. Between 1812
and 1819 there have been three vice-kings: Benito Perez Brito 1812-1813 Francisco Jose de Montalvo 1813-1818 Juan Samano 1818-1819 Also the ancient royal
emblems were reintroduced. |
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8 reales 1814-1820 Arms of King Ferdinand VII |
8 reales 1810-1820 Achievement of the Spanish
Empire |
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15.02.1819-1831 |
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After May 1816
a long independence struggle was led mainly by Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander in
neighboring Venezuela. Bolívar returned to New Granada only in 1819 after
establishing himself as leader of the pro-independence forces in the
Venezuelan llanos. From there he led an army over
the Andes and captured New Granada after a quick campaign that ended at the Battle of Boyacá, on August 7, 1819. Before, the Congress of Angostura established the
Republic of Gran Colombia, on 15 February 1819 which included all territories
under jurisdiction of the former Viceroyalty of New Granada,
present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru
and northwest Brazil. The first three were the successor states
to Gran Colombia at its dissolution. Bolívar was
elected first president of Gran Colombia and Santander vice president. In the Constitution of the Republic of Colombia of
17 December 1819 it was decided in Art. 10 that the coat of arms and the flag
of the nation would be laid down by the future assembly of 1821 and that in
the mean time those of Venezuela should be used, ‘because these were the best known’. The law reads: LEY FUNDAMENTAL DE
COLOMBIA [6] El Soberano Congreso de Venezuela, a cuya autoridad han querido
voluntariamente sujetarse los pueblos de la Nueva Granada recientemente
libertados por las armas de la República. …………………. Art. 10. Las armas y el pabellón de Colombia se decretarán por el Congreso
General sirviéndose, entretanto, de las armas y pabellón de Venezuela por ser
más conocido. ……………… El Presidente del Congreso, Francisco Antonio Zea. El diputado Secretario, Diego
de Vallenilla. Palacio de Gobierno en Angostura, a 17 de diciembre de
1819.- 9.º Imprímase,
publíquese, ejecútese y autorícese con el sello del Estado. Simón Bolívar. Por su
Excelencia el Presidente de la República. El
Ministro del Interior y de Justicia. Diego
B. Urbaneja. On 12 July 1821 the National Assembly decided that the
arms and flag of Venezuela would be the new provisional emblems of the
Republic. The arms were replaced by the first official arms of
Gran Colombia by law of 6 October 1821, adopted by the Assembly of Cucuta (Congreso de Cúcuta).
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It was: Arms:
Two cornucopia, mouths upwards, with the fruits and flowers of the cold-, temperate-
and hot zones, tied in base with a ribbon of the national colors, and a
fasces per pale consisting of an axe and rods, and a bow and three arrows in
saltire, all proper. In the same law it was provided that the Great Seal should bear the same device
surrounded by the legend: REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA.
Great Seal of Colombia, 06.10.1821 The law reads: LEY DEL 6 DE OCTUBRE 1821 CONSIDERANDO: que por el Artículo
11 de la Ley Fundamental de la República le corresponde designar las armas que
deben distinguirla en lo venidero entre las naciones independientes de la
tierra, ha venido en decretar y decreta lo siguiente: Artículo 1: Se usará en adelante, en lugar de armas, de dos cornucopias llenas de
frutos y flores de los países fríos, templados y cálidos, y de las fases
colombianas que se compondrán de un hacecillo de las lanzas con la segur
atravesada, arcos y flechas cruzados, atados con cinta tricolor por la parte
inferior. Artículo 2: El gran sello de la República y sellos del despacho tendrán grabado este
símbolo de la abundancia, fuerza y unión con que los ciudadanos de Colombia
están resueltos a sostener su independencia, con la siguiente inscripción en
la circunferencia: “República de Colombia”.
Emblem of Gran Colombia. Probably a hat-badge |
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Not long after the adoption of the arms in October 1821
and probably at the occasion of the incorporation of the Provincia Libre de
Guayaquil in 1822,
a new achievement appeared. No law or decree is known about this achievement.
It is:
Achievement of Colombia, 1820 On a debenture of
the Republic of Colombia dated 01.08.1820 [7] Arms: Per
pale, the dexter Gules, a rearing horse Argent; the sinister Argent, a broken
sceptre Or; and a chief Azure, three six-pointed stars Or [Argent] Crest: A
condor rising to the sinister, proper Supporters:
Dexter a bearded man dressed in a cloak and armed with
a club, standing on a toppled jar discharging, and the inscription ORINOCO. Sinister
a virgin in classical dress a sprig of laurel in her sinister hand, standing
on a toppled jar discharging, and the inscription MAGDALENA,
all proper Motto:
SER LIBRE O MORIR (To Be Free or Die)
Somewhat later the achievement was modified: |
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Achievement of Gran Colombia, the number of stars
augmented to ten |
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Achievement of Gran Colombia in a German
armorial the number of
stars augmented to twelve arranged in
orle, The crest omitted,
the supporters replaced by national flags, the motto corrupted. [8] |
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Continued at |
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© Hubert de Vries 2013-04-22
Heraldry of the World