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# San Juan Province (Argentina)

## Provincia de San Juan

Last modified: 2026-04-18 by rob raeside
Keywords: san juan | provincia de san juan | different reverse | sun: 19 rays | sun: 32 rays | wreath | en uni�n y libertad | in unity and freedom | handshake | phrygian cap | cabot (juan manuel) | andes army |
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image located by John Moody, 14 February 2024

- Description of the flag

- Reverse of the flag
- Flag law

- Provincial coat of arms
- Original Cabot flag

See also:

- Subdivisions of San Juan Province
- Mendoza Province (historical Andes Army flag).
- Argentina
- Argentine subdivisions (clickable map)

Other sites:

- Province of San Juan Government official website

## Description of the flag

In short, the law prescribes the new provincial flag as being inspired by the historical [flag of the] Cabot Column of the Andes Army (1817-1818)
António Martins, 03 March 2002

The flag of the Province of San Juan is a new design with elements of the historical Cabot’s flag as preserved at Museum of National History of the City of Buenos Aires. (MNH)

The flag of the Province of San Juan is a new design with elements of the historical Cabot flag as preserved nowadays at the Museum of National History of the City of Buenos Aires.
The triband adopted provincial flag as well as the historical one, have a wider central white stripe. At the center, a coat of arms with the motto "En Unión y Libertad (In Union and Liberty).
In the current provincial flag, the national Coat of Arms featured on Cabot’s flag, has been replaced with the current Province of San Juan Coat of Arms. Furthermore, the reverse of the current provincial flag, as well as the original Cabot’s flag, differs from the obverse.
Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008

Construction details are 9:14 = 5+8+5 : 28 (litterally, 25+40+25 : 140 cm); the position, style and size of the coat of arms and lettering "En Unión y Libertad" (meaning «In Unity and Freedom»), placed on the obverse only. The sun on top of the coat of arms has 19 rays, as many as the departments (subdivisions) of the province.
António Martins, 03 March 2002

The provincial coat of arms and the legend that goes underneath fit completely within the white stripe.
Patricia Castilla (from the Dirección de Ceremonial y Protocolo de la Gobernación de San Juan), 14 Sep 2003

The provincial flag of San Juan is usually made in a slightly darker shade of sky blue than the national flag. However, nothing of this is prescrived in the flag law text.
Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008

An earlier version was reported in 2008:

|  | image by Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008 | | 9:14

### Reverse of the flag

|  | image by John Moody, 13 February 2024

Instead of the coat of arms, the reverse shows a sun with 32 rays, its color legally prescribed as “light yellow” — a fatal mistake for something mainly set on white background. The difference between reverse and obverse is also taken from the original Cabot Column flag.
António Martins, 03 March 2002

Although the sun is described in the law text as “light yellow”, it is usually made in a darker shade of yellow or even golden embroidered for the indoors ceremonial flags.
Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008

### Flag law

The provincial flag of San Juan was adopted by Law No.6840 of December 11, 1997. However a small mistake appeared in the point A of Article No.2 of the original law where the Anverse of the flag was described. The original text said "Rodeando la parte superior..." (surrounding the upper part...) and it should have been "Rodeando la parte inferior..." (surrounding the lower part...) So the original law was modiffied by Law No.6869 of May 21, 1998 and this mistake was corrected. The final legislation appears below, first in Spanish. Then translated to English.

LEY Nº 6.840. (modificada y corregida por Ley Nº 6.669)
LA CAMARA DE DIPUTADOS DE LA PROVINCIA DE SAN JUAN
SANCIONA CON FUERZA
L E Y
ARTICULO 1 - Créase como Bandera Provincial de San Juan, al símil de la bandera de la Columna Cabot del Ejército de Los Andes.-
ARTICULO 2 - El Emblema Provincial creado por el Artículo 1º de la presente Ley, tendrá las siguientes características:

ANVERSO

a) Su tamaño deberá ser el de la bandera de ceremonia, de 1,40m por 0,90m, tendrá 0,25m las azul-celeste y 0,40m la blanca
Confeccionada en seda con tres franjas horizontales con los colores blanco en el medio y azul-celeste en ambos costados.
En su centro, adopta el escudo heráldico de la provincia según las características aprobadas por el Decreto Ley Nº 1-G de 1962.
Rodeando la parte inferior del Escudo la expresión "En Unión y Libertad".
El sol incaico que se apoya en su borde superior llevará diecinueve rayos, número actual de Departamentos con que cuenta la provincia.

REVERSO

b) Siguiendo el diseño de la bandera de Cabot, en el reverso se pintará o bordará un sol radiante de color amarillo pálido, con treinta y dos rayos. Sus dimensiones no excederá a las del escudo del anverso.

ARTICULO 3 -El Emblema Provincial no podrá ser reemplazado ni sustituido a ningún efecto.-
ARTICULO 4 - El Emblema Provincial acompañará a la Bandera Argentina en todos los actos oficiales e izadas en los edificios públicos el día 13 de junio de cada año.-
ARTICULO 5 - El Poder Ejecutivo mandará a confeccionar una bandera que sirva de modelo y que reproduzca fielmente el emblema aprobado por el Artículo 2º de la presente Ley, con las caracteríscas detalladas en el Anexo I.-
ARTICULO 6 - El Poder Ejecutivo deberá realizar las previsiones presupuestarias en el Presupuesto Año 1998, a fin de efectuar los gastos que sean necesarios para el cumplimiento de la presente Ley.-
ARTICULO 7 - La fidelidad a la Bandera Provincial será jurada o comprometida, según corresponda, por los funcionarios pertenecientes a los tres poderes del estado, fuerzas de seguridad, empleados de la administración pública, alumnos y ciudadanía en general, en un acto público a celebrarse el día 13 de junio de 1998.
La Reglamentación determinará en el futuro lo concerniente a juramento de fidelidad contemplado en la primera parte de este Artículo.-
ARTICULO 8 - La presente Ley regirá a partir de su sanción.-
ARTICULO 9 - Comuníquese al Poder Ejecutivo .-
Sala de Sesiones de la Cámara de Diputados, a los once días del mes de diciembre del año mil novecientos noventa y siete.-
FIRMADO:

ING. RICARDO BASUALDO - VICEPRESIDENTE DE LA CAMARA DE DIPUTADOS
DR. EDUARDO J. GIL - SECRETARIO LEGISLATIVO DE LA CAMARA DE DIPUTADOS

ANEXO I - MODELO BANDERA PROVINCIAL
ANVERSO

SOL:

Bordado en relieve modo incaico. Este sol con diecinueve (19) rayos a la vista representa a los 19 Departamentos de la Provincia.

OVALO:

Uno (1) por 0,75 de sus ejes respectivos y cortados dentro de un marco Concéntrico, realizado en seda aplicada de color azul-celeste el sector superior y de plata, el inferior.

GORRO FRIGIO:

En seda aplicada de color gules y bordes de color negro en relieve.

PICA:

Bordada en relieve color marrón.

BRAZOS Y MANOS ENTRELAZADAS:

En seda aplicada, mangas de color "sable".

RAMAS DE LAUREL:

En seda aplicada con los bordes en color "sable" y frutos en color rojo punzó.

CINTA PATRIA:

En seda aplicada.

TEXTO EXPRESIVO

Rodeando la parte inferior del Escudo la expresión "En Unión y Libertad".

REVERSO:

SOL RADIANTE:

Pintado en color amarillo pálido.-

English translation:

LAW No 6,840. (modiffied and corrected by Law No. 6,669)
THE DEPUTIES (REPRESENTATIVES) CHAMBER OF THE PROVINCE OF SAN JUAN
ESTABLISHES WITH POWER OF LAW
ARTICLE No. 1 - The Provincial Flag of San Juan will be created from the simile of the Cabot's Column flag of the Andes Army.-
ARTICLE No. 2 - The Provincial Symbol created by Article No. 1 of this law, will have the following characteristics:

OBVERSE

a) The dimensions will be the ones from the bandera de ceremonia [indoors ceremonial flag], of 1.40m by 0.90m, the sky blue stripes will be 0.25m [wide] and the white stripe will be 0.40m [wide]
Made of silk of three horizontal stripes of the colors white in the middle and sky blue the upper and lower stripes.
At center, [it] adopts the provincial coat of arms that follows the characteristics passed by Decree No. 1-G of 1962.
Surrounding the lower part of the Coat of Arms the motto "En Unión y Libertad" (In Union and Liberty).
The Incasic sun over the upper border will have nineteen rays, representing the number of Departments of the province.

REVERSE

b) Following the design of the Cabot flag, the reverse, a shinny thirty two rays light yellow sun will be painted o embroidered, not larger than the coat of arms on the obverse.

ARTICLE No. 3.- The Provincial Symbol will neither be replaced nor substituted for any reason.-
ARTICLE No. 4- The Provincial Symbol will escort the National Flag in all official meetings and hoisted from all public buildings on June 13th, each year.-
ARTICLE No. 5.- The Executive Power will order the manufacture of one flag that will be used as pattern and that will faithfully reproduce the symbols passed by Article No.2 of this Law, with all the characteristics detailed in Annex I.-
ARTICLE No. 6.- The Executive Power will incorporate in the Budget for the year 1998, all the necessary expenses to provide for the disbursements incurred to fulfill this Law.-
ARTICLE No. 7.-The oath of fidelity to the Provincial Flag will be made, by the officers of the three powers of the State, security forces, employees of the public administration, students and citizens in general, in a public meeting to be held June 13, 1998.
Future regulations will prescribe how the oath of fidelity described in the first part of this article will be implemented.
ARTICLE No. 8.- The present Law will be in effect once sanctioned.-
ARTICLE No. 9.- Executive Power to be notified
Hall of Sessions of the Deputy [Representatives] Chamber, at eleven days of the month of December of nineteen ninety seven.-
SIGNED BY:
ING. RICARDO BASUALDO - VICEPRESIDENT OF THE DEPUTIES [REPRESENTATIVES] CHAMBER
DR. EDUARDO J. GIL - LEGISLATIVE SECRETARY OF THE DEPUTIES [REPRESENTATIVES] CHAMBER
ANNEX I SAMPLE PROTOTYPE - PROVINCIAL FLAG
OBVERSE

SUN:

Embossed embroidered Incasic style. This sun has nineteen (19) rays representing the 19 Departments of the Province.

OVAL:

One (1) by 0,75 of its respective axis and divided within the concentric frame, made of appliqué sky blue silk the upper sector and silver the inferior one.

PHRIGIAN CAP:

Made of appliqué red silk with embossed black borders.

SPEAR:

Embossed embroidered of brown.

ARMS AND JOINED HANDS:

Made of appliqué silk, sleeves of sable (black).

LAUREL BRANCHES:

Made of appliqué silk with "sable" (black) borders and fruits of red.

PATRIOTIC RIBBON:

Appliqué silk.

MOTTO

Surrounding the lower part of the coat of arms the motto "En Unión y Libertad" (In Union and Liberty) will be shown.

REVERSE:

SHINY SUN:

Painted in pale yellow color.-

Law translated by Francisco Gregoric and Gus Tracchia, 24 March 2008

Other sites:

- Flag Law No.6840 on the San Juan Legislature official website.
- Law No.6869 that corrects the flag law on the San Juan Legislature official website.
  Reported by Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008.

Other sources:

- [pzz00] Alberto Rubén Perazzo (2000): Nuestras Banderas - Vexilología Argentina
- Information provided by Antonio Martins-Tuvalkin

## Provincial coat of arms

image by Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008

The emblem was approved by law No. 1 G. in 1962.
António Martins, 07 December 2001

The elements of the provincial coat of arms of San Juan are taken from the Argentine national coat arms. Throughout its history, other variants were used by the Province of San Juan.
The first atempt to establish an exact model of coat of arms was preformed in 1911, however several variants of it continued to exist. Finally in 1962 an official pattern design of the provincial coat of arms was made and established by Law No.1.
The sun of the 1962 design had 18 straight rays in accordance to the number of departments of the province at that time.
The coat of arms of San Juan is the only Argentine provincial coat of arms where the join hands are shown clothed.
Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008

Other sites:

- History of the Province of San Juan coat of arms at the website www.tyhturismo.com
  Reported by Francisco Gregoric, 24 March 2008.

## Original Cabot flag

image by Francisco Gregoric, 26 March 2008

### About Cabot Column

When in 1814, General José de San Martín became Governor of Cuyo (present day provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis), he started the organization of the Army of the Andes. The plan was to prepare an expedition to Chile and onwards Perú (the most important royalist stronghold in South America). In october 1814 Chile was re-conquered by the Spanish [1814], and the security of the United Provinces (Argentina) was in danger.
The crossing of the Andes was done in 1817 using six mountain trails pass. The main bulk of the army left the City of Mendoza crossing The Andes by the Los Patos Pass and Uspallata Pass.
To prevent the Spanish royalists in Chile of knowing where the bulk of the main army would cross, four auxiliary columns crossed to the north and south of Los Patos and Uspallata Pass.
An auxiliary column (Column No. IV) Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Juan Manuel Cabot crossed by The Guana Pass from present day Province of San Juan, then, part of the Northern region of the Province of Cuyo and occupied the Chilean City of Coquimbo, helping the independist forces of that area.
Francisco Gregoric, 26 March 2008

### The flag

In 1888, several years after General San Martín´s army crossed the Andes,(the crossing was done in 1817), Josefa Cabot, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Juan Manuel Cabot, gave General Bartolomé Mitre the tattered remains of an old flag (just a coat of arms with a little fabric).
Josefa Cabot told Mitre, that the flag had been used by the column commanded by her father, Juan Manuel Cabot, when he crossed the Andes and occupied Coquimbo during “the times of San Martín.”
These reamains were sewn to an Argentine flag of late XIX Century.
In 1890 this flag was donated by General Mitre to the Museo Histórico Nacional -MHN-, where it has been preserved since. Several books have published this story and the flag is generally accepted as being the historical flag used by the detachment of The Army of The Andes commanded by Cabot. No more details are known about it.
However there is an article by David Prando named La "Bandera de Cabot" no hizo la Campaña de los Andes (The "Flag of Cabot" did not make the Andes Campaign) where he puts the official history in doubt.
The first point of his work is that no contemporary documents made mention about any special flag used by Cabot. The second point is that the design of the only original part (the coat of arms) is different from the coats of arms used in the 1810s [See the Andes Army flag and the flag of Jujuy for comparison]. According to Prando´s opinion the design of the coat of arms is similar to the ones used in the 1830s. Therefore the remains of this flag would be from a later time. More research about this flag needs to be done.
In 2005 the Legislature of the Province of San Juan decreed by Law No. 7659 that the Cabot flag is part of the cultural patrimony of the province. Therefore, San Juan representatives to the National Congress have tried to introduce bills with the objective that the flag preserved in the MHN, could be sent to San Juan to be preserved there. Since the flag is part of a national museum, the only way to do that is by national law or presidential decree.
Francisco Gregoric, 26 March 2008

Photos:

- Original Cabot flag preserved at the National Museum of History in Buenos Aires
photo taken by Mario Golman & Francisco Gregoric, August 2006.

Other sites:

- Law No.7659 declaring the Cabot flag as patrimony of San Juan Province on the San Juan Legislature official website.
- 2005 Law proyect of sending the Cabot flag to San Juan Province (at the website of Argentine Congress)
- 2006 Law proyect of sending the Cabot flag to San Juan Province (at the website of Argentine Congress)
  reported by Francisco Gregoric, 26 March 2008

Other sources:

- [?????] David Prando (2001): La "Bandera de Cabot" no hizo la Campaña de los Andes
- [pzz00] Alberto Rubén Perazzo (2000): Nuestras Banderas - Vexilología Argentina