Last modified: 2004-07-31 by dov gutterman
Keywords: puerto rico | san sebastian |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
by Thanh-Tâm Le, 4 Febuary 1999
See also:
This city of 38,799 inhabitants was founded in 1752. The red
symbolizes our Patron Saint San Sebastián Mártir [Sebastia'n
Ma'rtir], and the heroic deeds of September 24, 1868, when our
town was the place where blood was shed during the events
originating in the Revolutionary Movement of Lares. The green
represents the mountains of the Pepino, and the white wavy stripe
stands for the Río Culebrinas.
Thanh-Tâm Le, 4 Febuary 1999
ss.gif)
by Nelson Román, 29 July 2004
The original name was San Sebastián de las Vegas y el Pepino, because of its location in an extensive valley protected by mountains, watered by the Culebrinas and Guatemala rivers, and by the locally wooded hills called "pepinos" (cucumbers), characteristic of the karsic zone The three arrows represent Patron Saint of the population, San Sebastián Mártir, officially named in 1869. The arrows constitute the attribute of this Saint. According to tradition he was killed with arrows by his pursuers, giving this way testimony of faith. The arrows that appear in the old seal of the population perpetuate the use of its symbolism. The red color of the shield has in addition another symbolism; the faith of the martyr. It recalls that San Sebastián was the first town of Puerto Rico in the course of a combat operation, blood for the national freedom of