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# Tucumán Province (Argentina)

## Provincia de Tucumán

Last modified: 2026-04-18 by rob raeside
Keywords: tucumán | provincia de tucumán | casa histórica | cross (white) | wreath | number: 1812 | number: 1814 | number: 1816 | date: 1812 | date: 1814 | date: 1816 | carrillo bascary (miguel) | linares (alfredo guido) |
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image by Jaume Ollé, 13 March 2010

- Description of the flag

- Flag law

- Provincial coat of arms
- Historical flags of Tucumán

- Flags raised in 1812 and 1814
- Federal Republic of Tucumán (1820-1821)
- 1995-2009 provincial flag of Tucumán

- 1995 flag law
- Flag controversy
- Flag revocation

See also:

- Argentina
- Argentine subdivisions (clickable map)

Other sites:

- Province of Tucumán Government official website
  Reported by Francisco Gregoric 13 Mar 2008

## Description of the flag

On April 13, 2010, the provincial legislature of Tucumán adopted the new flag for the province based on the "Bandera de Macha".
Chrystian Kretowicz, 14 April 2010

According to "El Diario 24", 17 June 2010, the official inauguration of the flag was scheduled to 18 June 2010 in the session hall of the "Honorable Concejo Deliberante" (HCD, Municipal Council) of the Town of San Miguel de Tucumán. Jorge Mendía, Susana Montaldo and Antonio Raed, who had tabled the flag bill at the provincial assembly, will present the new flag to Ramón Santiago Cano, President of the HCD.
As prescribed in a bill tabled on 8 June by Councillor Raúl Peligrini and adopted by the HCD, the flag shall be hoisted on municipal buildings.
Ivan Sache, 21 June 2010

Other sites:

- Information about the new provincial flag of Tucumán at the La Gaceta Newspaper official website
  Reported by Chrystian Kretowicz 14 April 2010
- Provincial flag use by the Municipal Government of San Miguel de Tucumán at the El Diario 24 Newspaper official website
  Reported by Ivan Sache 21 June 2010

## Provincial coat of arms

image by Francisco Gregoric, 13 March 2008

Tucumán used several different designs of coat of arms during its history.
In order to end this lack of uniformity, an official provincial coat of arms of Tucumán was adopted by Law No.1988 on November 21, 1946.
Its design is similar to the Argentine coat of arms. However it does not have the usual raising sun that appears in the national and in several provincial coats of arms.
Francisco Gregoric, 13 March 2008

Other sites:

- Province of Tucumán coat of arms (at the website www.redargentina.com.ar) (in Spanish)
- History of the Province of Tucumán coat of arms (at the website www.tyhturismo.com) (in Spanish)
reported by Francisco Gregoric, 13 March 2008

## Historical flags of Tucumán

### Flags raised in 1812 and 1814

image by Francisco Gregoric, 15 March 2008

In 1812 the friar Joaquín Masian, custodian of the Convent of San Francisco, recorded in the convent archives that an Argentine flag was made for the San Francisco School. Friar Masian wrote:
“En la escuela se ha puesto una bandera de tafetán celeste y blanca con sus borlas de lo mismo y dos cintas de mas de cuatro dedos de ancho, una blanca y otra celeste que penden de la lanza, esta es de lata con su asta de dos varas y tres cuartas, que la costeo el gobierno para los paseos de los jueves por la plaza y otras actividades que se hagan por orden del gobierno”.
English translation:
(“In the school a sky blue and white taffeta flag was hoisted. Its has two ribbons of more than four fingers wide, one of them white, and the other sky blue, that hang from a spear. The spear is made of brass and its staff is of 4.8 ft and three quarters. It was paid by the government for Thursdays square parades and other activities under the command of the government”.)
The text is signed by Friar Joaquín Masian, Friar Gavino Piedrabuena, Friar Pedro José Acosta and Bernabé Araoz, trustee.
Later, in 1814 an Argentine flag was used by the Tucumán Government in official ceremonies under the management of trustee Bernabé Araoz. It was the usual triband design, however the central white stripe has the text "TUCUMAN" and below that the year "1814" in golden letters.
Some historians think that the 1814 flag is the same one originally made in 1812, and that the text was later added in 1814. More research would be needed to confirm or deny it.
However, no matter being originally made in 1812 or 1814, the flag with the text "TUCUMAN 1814" is one of the oldest historical Argentine flags preserved nowadays. It is located in the San Francisco Church (next to the San Francisco Convent) in the City of San Miguel de Tucumán.
This historical flag was the one originally proposed to become Tucumán provincial flag by Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary before 1995. However a different and modern design for provincial flag was adopted.
Francisco Gregoric, 15 March 2008

Other sites:

- The first Argentine flag in Tucuman at the official website of the San Francisco Church of Tucumán City
Reported by Francisco Gregoric, 15 March 2008

Other sources:

- Personal comunication with Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary

### Federal Republic of Tucumán (1820-1821)

image by Jaume Ollé, 24 July 2003

On 11 November 1819 in San Miguel de Tucumán, two officers, Abraham González and Felipe Heredia, led a revolt against governor Feliciano de la Mota, that was partisan of the centralism directed by Buenos Aires government. They took the power and put General Bernabé Araoz in government. [Araoz was an] autonomist, but he denied contacts with Artigas, the federalist caudillo of the Northeast

[According to David Prando] a new flag was adopted in unknown date, probably at the beginnings of 1820 because it was already quoted in a declaration by Araoz dated 22 March 1820. The colors meant (according to Araoz) energy and constance, union and concorde. Antonio Zinny quoted the directorial band. [But] Martiniano Leguizamón denied the existence of flag and arms. David Prando has attested a simple seal, and he found another more elaborate seal in the Buenos Aires Archives. A seal in lacre appears in a document where José Pío Cisneros is designed as colonel of the militias on May 25, 1820. The flag is reproduced in this seal.

In the seal, that is a kind of arms, the Mount Aconquija [characteristic point of the province] appears. [Also, there are] palms, two halebards, and a flag of two horizontal stripes, red over blue (meaning federalism and freedom). Also in the seal there is the motto: «República Federal del Tucumán» (Federal Republic of Tucumán).

When Araoz took official possession of the charge, on May 19 or 20, 1820, he used a band, no doubt based on this flag. The republic was short lived. War with Salta, and rivalry between Araoz and Javier López (another provincial leader), and the separation of Catamarca and Santiago del Estero (I assume that they were part of Tucumán before 1820) moved Abraham González to other coup d’etat. Araoz was deposed on August 29, 1821 (he fell) and the republic was abolished. [Then] González self proclaimed governor with the support of Buenos Aires. The flag disappeared with Araoz.
Jaume Ollé, 24 Jul 2003

[Editor’s note: According to the article quoted, this flag may have been used between 1820 and 1821]

Source:

- [pdo03] David Prando (2003): La bandera de la República Federal del Tucumán (1820-1821) [published in Banderas No.86, March 2003]
Reported by Jaume Ollé, 24 Jul 2003

### 1995-2009 provincial flag of Tucumán

| 2:3

image by Jaume Ollé, António Martins and Francisco Gregoric, 13 March 2008

[The] flag of Tucumán has a [sky] blue background, a white cross, a house nicknamed "Casita" [Little house], a sun, two different wreaths, and two numeral inscriptions.
Jaume Ollé, 15 August 1999

The flag has a sky blue field. The white Christian cross stands for the Spirituality since the begginings of the Nation.
The sun above stands for the birth of Liberty in the region.
Two white numerals, 1812 and 1816 "fimbriated" in black appear at both sides of the cross. Those numerals are two important dates in the History of Tucumán:

The year 1812 recalls the Battle of Tucumán, a victory of the patriot army commanded by Manuel Belgrano over the royalist forces during the wars of Independence. Before this victory (September 24, 1812) the forces sent by the Viceroy of Lima were winning the war. Therefore, it could be said that this battle changed the course of the war in favour of Argentina. This victory is symbolized in the flag by the laurel branch below the numeral 1812.
The other numeral, 1816 recalls the year when the Independence of Argentine was officially and legally proclaimed (July 9, 1816). Independence, Justice and Peace are symbolized in the flag by the olive branch below the number 1816.
The official proclamation of Independence was made in the City of Tucumán in a private large house, nowadays known as “casa histórica de la Independencia” (Historical Independence House), where the delegates (congressmen) of the different provinces met.
The Casa Historica, could be visited nowadays as a museum. The outline of the entrance of that house is the central yellow symbol of the flag.
The design was proposed by the Legislator of the local political party Fuerza Republicana (Republican Force) Alfredo Guido Linares based on an idea by Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary of adopting a provincial flag. However the original proposal of Dr. Carrillo Bascary was to adopt the 1814 historical flag as provincial flag. The original idea, was later modified by the provincial legislator Linares.
Francisco Gregoric 18 Feb 2006 and 13 Mar 2008

#### 1995 flag law

The flag was adopted by Law No. 6694 on October 9, 1995. The text of the law appears below, first in Spanish, then translated to English:

Ley 6696 – Bandera Oficial de la Provincia de Tucumán
Sancionada por unanimidad el 9 de octubre de 1995. Proyecto del diputado ingeniero Alfredo Guido Linares (Fuerza Republicana – oficialismo), sobre la base de un anteproyecto presentado a la Legislatura por el particular Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary, quién propugnaba se declarara como símbolo de la provincia a la bandera reliquia conservada en el templo de San Francisco, datada circa 1813. El diseño aprobado fue elaborado por un colaborador del citado legislador. Promulgada por el Gobernador Antonio D. Bussi, el 30 de octubre de 1995 Publicada en el Boletín Oficial de la Provincia , edición del 3 de noviembre de 1995
Art. 1º.- Declárase Bandera Oficial de la Provincia de Tucumán a un diseño igual al modelo adjunto y que forma parte de la presente Ley.
Art. 2º.- La Bandera Provincial tiene: a) las características formales (tamaño, diagramación y colores) y b) las características emblemáticas descripta bajo esos títulos en el anexo que se adjunta y que forma parte de la presente Ley.
Art. 3º.- La Bandera Provincial no es nunca materialmente mayor que la Bandera Nacional que se utilice en forma conjunta, ubicándose en posición inmediata inferior a esta o en paralelo, a su izquierda. En el ceremonial debe observarse precedencia a favor de la Bandera Nacional.
Art. 4º.- Gozan del derecho a enarbolar la bandera de Tucumán: los organismos dependientes del Gobierno provincial y de las municipalidades; las instituciones de la Provincia ; las delegaciones culturales, deportivas y de cualquier otro carácter que representen a la misma (incluso fuera de su territorio); las asociaciones de residentes tucumanos y las personas físicas o jurídicas.
Art. 5º.- La Bandera de la provincia debe ser enarbolada dentro del territorio de Tucumán en todos los actos oficiales y en los de conmemoración histórica o patriótica.
Art. 6º.- El Poder Ejecutivo adoptará los medios para confeccionar un modelo de la Bandera Provincial sobre el que se copiarán todas sus reproducciones, también tomará las previsiones necesarias para divulgar esta ley, principalmente en las escuelas y para enarbolarla en todos los edificios públicos de la Provincia.
Art. 7º.- Exprésase público reconocimiento a los valiosos aportes realizados por el ciudadano Don Miguel Carrillo Bascary, por cuya iniciativa y fundamentos se inspiró la presente ley.
Art. 8º.- Comuníquese
Anexo
Características formales
Dimensiones: el largo será igual a un ancho y medio (L=1,5 A), y se considerarán a los fines de la diagramación subdividisos en 15 y 10 módulos métricos, respectivamente.
Diagramación
1) La Cruz tendrá dos brazos de 1 módulo de espesor. El brazo vertical ocupará el módulo 8º de largo y el brazo horizontal, simétrico, el 4º módulo, contado desde el borde superior, y tendrá una longitud de 9 módulos, cuyos extremos distarán 3 módulos de los bordes respectivos.
2) Los números 1812 y 1816 tendrán una altura igual al espesor del brazo horizontal (1 módulo), y estarán ubicados al mismo nivel, a la izquierda y derecha, respectivamente
3) Casa Histórica. El borde horizontal superior estará a la altura del módulo 4, 5, contando desde arriba y tendrá una proporción de 2,5 módulos de alto por 2,2 módulos de ancho. Por encima, el arco que corona el frente será de 0,8 módulo de alto.
4) Ramas. La rama de laurel (a la izquierda) y la de olivo (a la derecha), tendrá una forma y dimensiones acordes con el esquema, y enmarcarán la Casa Histórica en la manera indicada. El extremo más debajo de los tallos estará a una altura de 2 módulos del borde horizontal inferior.
5) El sol. La circunferencia interior, con centro en el punto de intersección de los ejes de los brazos de la Cruz , tendrá un radio de 1,8 módulos, y las circunferencias que limitan la longitud de los rayos serán de 2,5 y 3,2 módulos respectivamente.
Colores
Tanto la Cruz como los números y las ramas serán de color blanco, estos dos últimos perfilados en negro, no así la Cruz. La Casa Histórica y el Sol serán dorados, perfilados, sin relleno. El fondo será de color azul celeste
Características Emblemáticas
- La Cruz : expresa la espiritualidad cultural fuente de nuestra cultura hispano latino católica presente desde las instancias fundacionales de la Nación Hispanoamericana , de la que el Tucumán actual formaba parte, y luego en 1812 , 1816 y en múltiples fastos históricos posteriores.
- La Casa: Simboliza el ámbito físico que cobijó en la provincia la vocación independentista de los congresistas y de los pueblos que representaban.
- El Sol: El astro naciente expresa la aurora de Libertad que ilumina el camino a las generaciones futuras, sobre los brazos de la Cruz que las hermana.
- 1812. Evoca la victoria de las armas patrióticas en el Campo de las Carreras, simbolizada más abajo por la rama de laurel.
- 1816. Exalta simbólicamente, la instauración de la Independencia , de la justicia y de la paz, representada por una rama de olivos.

English translation:

Law 6696 – Official Flag of the Province of Tucumán
Sancionated unisnamouilsy October 9th, 1995. Proposal by Provincial House representative Alfredo Guido Linares (Fuerza Republicana), over the basics of a project presented to the House by Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary, who proposed declaring as the flag of the province the historical flag preserved in the San Francisco Temple, dated circa 1813. The approved design was made by a collaborator of Alfredo Guido Linares. Promulgated by Governor Antonio D. Bussi, October 30, 1995. The officalization, is published in the Official Bulletin of the Province, of November 3rd, 1995.
Article No.1.- The official Flag of the Province of Tucumán will be a design as the attached model and it is an integral part of this law.
Article No.2.- The Provincial Flag has: a) formal characteristics (size, diagram and colors) and b) emblematic characteristics described under these titles in the attached annex, part of this law.
Article No.3.- The Provincial Flag can never be larger than the National Flag when used together and it should be located in position immediately lower to the National Flag or parallel to its left. Proper protocol indicates that the place of honor must be always observed for the National Flag.
Article No.4.- The right to hoist the Flag of Tucumán is for the following: All branches and dependencies of the Provincial Government and Municipal Governments; institutions of the Province; Cultural and Athletic delegations as well as delegations of any other character representing the Province (even outside its territory); the Associations of residents of Tucumán, individuals or legal institutions.
Article No.5.- The Provincial Flag will be hoisted inside the territory of Tucumán in all the official meetings and historical or patriotic commemorative ceremonies.
Article No.6.- The Executive Power of the Province will implement all the means for the manufacturing of a flag model that will serve as the pattern to copy all the reproductions. The Executive Power will also take the necessary steps for the publication of this law, especially among schools and for the hoisting of the flag in all the provincial public buildings of the Province.
Article No.7.- Express acknowledgement to the valuable contribution is given to citizen Don Miguel Carrillo Bascary, whose initiative and fundaments were the source of inspiration to the present law.
Article No.8.- To be notified
Annex
Guidelines:
- Dimensions: The length is equal to the width and a half (L=1,5 A), and with the purpose of its diagram, subdivision of metric modules in 15 and 10 subdivisions will be considered respectively.
Scheme of the flag elements:
1) Both arms of the cross will be 1 module of thickness. The vertical pole will be of a module of 8º of the length and the horizontal symmetrical transverse of a 4º module, counting from the upper border and it will have a length of 9 modules with outward edges distant of 3 modules respectively.
2) The numerals 1812 and 1816 will be of a high equal to the thickness of the horizontal arm of the cross to be placed at the same level to the left and right respectively.
3) The Historical Independence House: The upper horizontal edge will be at the level of the module 4.5, counting from the upper part and it will have a proportion of 2.5 modules for the high by 2.2 modules width. The upper crowning arch of the front will be of 0.8 modules.
4) Branches. The left laurel branch and the right olive branch will have the shape and dimensions in accordance with the schematics framing the Historical Independence House as indicated. The lower edge of the stem of the branch will be placed of 2 modules of the inferior horizontal edge.
5) The sun of the interior circumference centered at the intersection point of the axis of the arms of the cross will have a radio of 1.8 modules and the circumferences limiting the length of the rays will be of 2.5 and 3.2 modules respectively.
Colors
The cross, the numerals and the branches will be white, although the numerals are fimbriated in black, but not the cross. The outline of front of the Historical Independence House will be of yellow with out contrast. The background is the sky blue of the field of the flag.
Emblamtic meaning:
- The Cross: It expresses the cultural spirituality source of our Latin Hispanic (Roman) Catholic culture present since the fundamental instances of the Hispano-American Nation, of which Tucuman was part in 1812 and later in 1816 as in many other historical events.
- The House: It symbolizes the physical space that sheltered in the province the independent vocation of the congressmen and the people they represented.
- The Sun: The celestial body expressing the dawn of freedom that illuminates the path to future generations resting in the arms of the cross.
- 1812. Evokes the victory of the patriotic armies in the Campo de las Carreras (Battle of Tucumán), symbolized below by the laurel branch.
- 1816. A symbol exalting the instauration of Independence, Justice and Peace, represented by an olive branch.

Law text sent by Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary and translated by Francisco Gregoric and Gus Tracchia, 13 Mar 2008

#### Flag controversy

At http://www.aciprensa.com/notic1999/diciembre/notic836.htm we can find an article about the change of the provincial flag under pressure of the religious minorities (specially jewish) because the flag bears a great white cross. A law for supress the flag was sent to the [Provincial] Assembly in 1999 and I don't know what happened later.
Jaume Ollé, 29 July 2001

In the "Breves" (News in brief) section of the electronic Diario de Cuyo, 28 June 2005, we learn that various political sectors have asked Governor José Alperovich to organize a plebiscite on the provincial flag, whose cross is considered as discriminatory by non-Christian religious groups.
Ivan Sache, 2 July 2005

The flag was adopted unanimously by the local Legislature in 1995 during the last days of government of Ramón "Palito" Ortega of the Justicialist Party. He did not promulgate the law, however the next administration with governor, former general, Antonio Bussi of the local party Fuerza Republicana (Republican Force) did promulgate the flag law.
The flag started to be hoisted in public squares, schools, official provincial buildings and parades. However soon after that a controversy started when some people said that the Christian Cross was a symbol that did not represent all the people of Tucumán, but just the Christians.
The president of the Tucumán branch of the social Jewish organization DAIA or Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations), Jaime Salamon, said the flag did not represent all the people of Tucumán.
A hard debate started about this flag where a lot of people gave their oppinions, including the former ambassador from Israel Mr. Yitzhak Aviran who according to http://www.aciprensa.com/notic1999/diciembre/notic836.htm said that "[with this flag] we come back to Inquisition".
While the government of Bussi used the flag, some members of the then opposition political parties PJ and UCR wanted to change the flag.
Finally in 1999 the Justicialist Party won the local elections: The new governor wanted to derogate the flag. A group legislators tried to do that in the local Legislature. But this could not be done because they did not have the necessary votes to do it. Some people thought a plebiscite would be necessary, so the citizens of Tucumán can choose. But it has not been done yet.
The last two governors of Tucumán since 1999, the Peronists Julio Miranda and José Alperovich have not used the Tucumán flags in local places, and the flag is not used in the province by the local government nowadays. Neither in official buildings, nor in squares, or in schools, and/or parades. However, legally speaking the flag still is «the official Flag of the Province of Tucumán» until derogated by law.
While some groups of citizens do want to change it, and have tried to do it, some other groups of citizens use it and want to keep it. For example the local party Fuerza Republicana wants to keep the flag and use it.
Therefore, nowadays the provincial flag of Tucumán is just used and hoisted inside the province by some private citizens.
The flag of Tucumán is also used in the National Senate in the City of Buenos Aires in the room room decorated with all the provincial flags, where ceremonies are held.
Francisco Gregoric, 13 Mar 2008

#### Flag revocation

The flag was finally revocated on December 2008.
Francisco Gregoric, 31 January 2011

Other sites:

- Jaume Ollé’s page about Tucumán flags (in Spanish)
- Argentine Jewish ask the cross to be removed off the provincial flag (in Spanish)
  Reported by Jaume Ollé, 29 Jul 2001
- Tucumán newspaper La Gaceta: articles about the controversy of the provincial flag in the edition of June 20, 2005, June 21, 2005 (more information here and here), June 23, 2005 and June 27, 2005 (in Spanish)
- Letter in favor to the 1995 Tucumán flag by a private group of Roman Catholic people at the website www.reconquistaydefensa.org.ar (in Spanish)
- Museum of the Historical House of the Independence (in English)
  Reported by Francisco Gregoric, 13 Mar 2008

Sources:

- [pzz02] Alberto Rubén Perazzo (2002): Nuestras Banderas - Vexilología Argentina (second edition)

Other sources:

- Personal comunication with Dr. Miguel Carrillo Bascary