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Belgrano’s historical flags (La Plata: northern Argentina, 1813-1815)

by Jaume Ollé, 08 Jun 1998

Origin: legend
Origin: facts
Sash of the Order of Charles III

See also:

Origin: legend

The Argentine standard was conceived by General Belgrano, at the place where today is located the city of Rosario. He got the inspiration while he was staring at the sky, just before a battle, at the shores of the Paraná. [myth#1]
Felipe Flores Pinto, 23 Feb 1998, translated by Santiago Dotor

This is false, even though it is what teachers are using to teach at school. It is a very poetic image of Manuel Belgrano (designed General, but actually a Doctor in Law). He was fronting a big problem, while the Spanish Royal Army was coming over the Rio de la Plata vice-kingdom. Because the local army (trying to defend this place) was using the same uniform, and even the same flag. He had to find something to diferentiate both armies, but... How? General Manuel Belgrano decided to use the Borbon family colours in order to make a flag to identify the local army.[myth#2]
Eugenio Grigorjev, 09 Apr 2000

These are not «the colours of the Bourbon family» which would be yellow and blue (utmostly adding red), the Bourbon-Anjou Arms being «Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or, a bordure Gules».
Santiago Dotor, 11 Apr 2000

Actually, the origin of the Argentinian (and thereafter the Uruguayan and Central American) colours are the colours of the (Spainsh) Order of Charles III rather than «the white cloud on a blue sky» seen by Belgrano.
Santiago Dotor and Eugenio Grigorjev, 13 Apr 2000

Origin: facts

The first revolts in Argentina were intended to fight the rule of Joseph I Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother, appointed King of Spain). Patriots in Spain but also in the South American provinces showed their allegiance to the “legitimate” Bourbon (more precisely Anjou) dinasty by showing the colours they most associated with them, those of the Order of Charles III, at the time and up to nowadays the most important State Order in Spain (after of course the very exclusive Order of the Golden Fleece). In Goya's picture, several members of the Royal Family are wearing the sash of the Order of Charles III (Charles IV's father) the same way some of them are wearing the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece around their necks. They had been awarded these Orders by the King.
Santiago Dotor, 11 Apr 2000

The authorisation passed by the Triunvirate governement to adopt the national cockade inspired Belgrano to create a flag with those colours. On February 27th 1812, while presenting two new artillery batteries nearby Rosario city, Belgrano showed the new national fl