Icém, São Paulo State (Brazil) (original) (raw)

This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

image by Ivan Sache, 14 April 2013

About the Flag

The municipality of Icém (7,462 inhabitants in 2010; 36,260 ha) is located on the border with Minas Gerais, here river Rio Grande, 500 km of São Paulo.

Icém was established by Colonel Domiciano Alves Ferreira, as Agua Doce (Freshwater), and subsequently sold to Captain Jonas Francisco Alves. The new owner sold one fourth of the domain to Major Salustiano Custódio da Silveira, who eventually set up plots to establish a new settlement. The district of Icém (in Tupi-Guarani, "freshwater") was established by Law No. 1,449 of 28 December 1914, as part of the municipality of Barretos, and inaugurated on 24 April 1915. The district was transferred to the municipality of Olímpia by Law No. 1,571 of 7 December 1917, and to the municipality of Guarací by Decree- Law No. 14,334 of 30 November 1944. The municipality of Icém was established by Law No. 2,456 of 30 December 1953 and inaugurated on 1 January 1954.
http://www.icem.sp.gov.br - Municipal website

The flag of Icém is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 341 of 6 October 1966. The flag, compliant with the traditions of the Portuguese heraldry inherited by Brazil, is green with a white-yellow-white cross and saltire. In the middle of the flag is placed a white rectangle charged with the municipal coat of arms.

The coat of arms represents the municipal government, while the rectangle that inscribes it represents the town as the seat of the municipality. The saltire represents the municipal power spreading all over the municipal territory. The quarters represent the rural estates located on the municipal territory.
http://e-pronto.magicsite.com.br/UserFiles/IcemPrefeitura/LeisDecretos/Lei_0341_1966.pdf

The coat of arms of Icém is prescribed by Municipal Law No. 342 of 6 October 1966. "A Samnitic shield surmounted by a six-towered mural crown argent. Vert a fess wavy argent per bend charged with five fish natant sable 2 + 1 + 2 cantonned by two hunting horns or. The shield supported dexter by a sugarcane and sinister by a branch of cotton the two proper. Beneath the shield a scroll vert inscribed with the municipality's name surrounded by the dates '1914' and '1953" all or."

The Samnitic shield, the first style of shield introduced in Portugal from France and inherited by the Brazilian heraldry, evokes the colonizing race that mainly built our nation. The six-towered mural crown argent represents a third-rank town, seat of a municipality. Vert is a symbol of victory, honour, courtesy, civility, joy, abundance and friendship (according to Ginanni*, quoted by Guelfi**). It is the colour of hope, alluding to the greening fields in spring promising profuse harvests. The fess wavy represents Rio Grande and recalls the older name of the place, Água Doce (Freshwater). The fish recalls the abundance of fish in the river, exported on a large scale. The hunting horns represent cattle breeding, one of the main sources of income for the municipality. The sugarcane and the branch of cotton represent the main products of the generous and fertile soil. The years "1889" and "1948" are those of the establishment of the municipality and of adoption of its current name, respectively.
http://e-pronto.magicsite.com.br/UserFiles/IcemPrefeitura/LeisDecretos/Lei_0342_1966.pdf

*Most probably, Marc Antonio Ginanni's "L'arte del blazone dichiarata per alfabeto", published in 1756.
**Most probably, Count Piero Guelfi Camajani's "Dizionario araldico", published in 1940.

Ivan Sache, 9 April 2013