Flag of Buenos Aires

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Flag of Buenos Aires

The Flag of Buenos Aires is the city’s official flag. It features a white background with the city’s coat of arms in the center. Its proportions are 9 by 14. It was officially adopted on October 24, 1995, and it is flown together with Argentina’s national flag in all city government offices.

Symbolism

The coat of arms on the flag was created by Juan de Garay in 1580. It shows a white shield with a black crowned eagle holding a red Calatrava cross in its right claw, with four small eagle chicks nearby and a crown above. The eagle, the cross, and the crown symbolize aspects of the city’s history: Spanish influence, evangelism, and monarchy. The four chicks are said to represent four cities founded in that era: Santa Fe, La Trinidad (Buenos Aires), Corrientes, and Concepción del Bermejo.

History

The Garay-designed shield is the city’s original coat of arms, but it was used only rarely for a long time. In 1649 a new coat of arms—showing a dove above water with an anchor and later adding ships—was created, but it was never officially approved. In 1978, during a visit by King Juan Carlos I, a modified version of the shield and a prototype flag were used, but these were not made official symbols. The flag we know today was formally established by the city’s ordinance in 1995 and began to be used in that year.

Unofficial flag of La Boca

In the La Boca neighborhood, some cultural groups use an unofficial “Republic of La Boca” flag. This is the national flag of Argentina but with the Sun of May replaced by the Italian coat of arms and a Phrygian cap. It stems from a local legend of a 19th-century independence declaration and has been revived as a micronation since 1907.