Flag of Ateca

Ateca is a town in the province of Zaragoza, in Aragon. Its flag rests on the coat of arms of the locality, which is very ancient and full of symbols. It is one of those flags that do not come from a new design but from a long history.

How it came about

Here I did not find an official rule that governs the exact day Ateca adopted its current flag. What is documented is the coat of arms that inspires it: according to tradition, King Alfonso I of Aragon, after reconquering the town in 1120, granted it the Cross of Alcoraz as its arms, a red St George’s cross on a white ground with four heads in the corners. Over time the bars of Aragon and other elements were added.

As for the flag, Ateca keeps a banner which, according to its own history, was granted by King Martin the Humane. The modern flag repeats the colours of the coat of arms, above all the white and the red of that cross.

How it has changed

I did not find a document recording earlier official versions, so no chronology with safe dates can be made.

What it means

• White and red

  the colours of the Cross of Alcoraz (St George’s cross) of the coat of arms.

• Cross of Alcoraz

  a red cross with four heads, granted according to tradition by Alfonso I after the reconquest of 1120.

• Bars of Aragon

  the badge of the old kingdom, added to the coat of arms later.

There is more tradition than documentation about these symbols: the origin of the cross and of the royal banner is not confirmed by any written rule.

Fun facts

1. A car with its name

   In 2016 the SEAT brand launched a model called Ateca, named after this town, which gave it a great deal of publicity.

2. From the Cantar de Mio Cid

   Ateca is named in the Cantar de Mio Cid: it is linked to the castle of Alcocer, taken by El Cid in the eleventh century.

Location