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Araucania

Filip Van Laenen, 1997-MAY-17

History of the Araucania

See also:

Chile

History of Araucania

November 17, 1860, a French adventurer called Oréllie-Antoine Tounens proclaimed, with the support of the local chiefs, the foundation of a constitutional hereditary monarchy in Araucania (to the which later was added Patagonia). The Kingdom of Araucania (later on Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia, November 20, 1860) had a real existence of a year and a half. The king took the name of Orllie-Antoine I (modifying Oréllie by Orllie) . The Chileans finished with the kingdom January 5, 1862.

A new attempt of the king permitted the reappearance of the kingdom between 1869 and 1871. The monarch attempted to return to his kingdom in 1874 and 1876 (then, the kingdom is named "Nouvelle France"), without success, returning to France in 1867, where he died September 19, 1878. His successor maintained the title in exile.

The colours of the flag of the kingdom were nominated by Orllie-Antoine already before his self- proclamation, and it was later on used by the Araucanian tribes that recognized it in Assemblies. In the decorations that ran in the "reign" of the second king (Achilles I), the colours are shown in vertical position and with five stripes (from the shaft: blue, white, green, white, blue). Each monarch had their own coat of arms, but only that of Orllie-Antoine can be considered as coat of the kingdom, since alone he exercised an effective government.

Sources: "El Reino de Araucania y Patagonia" by Armando Braun Menendez (Editorial Francisco deAguirre , Buenos Aires and Santiago of Chile). Include various stamps, seals, decorations and shields of the monarchy.

Jaume Ollé, 1996-JUN-12