The Chief of Defense Staff presided over the solemn flag-raising ceremony on the feast of San Isidro.

• The event, on the occasion of the celebration of the day of the Patron Saint of the City of Madrid, took place at 09:00 in the gardens of the Discovery of Madrid's Plaza de Colon.

The Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, presided over the solemn flag raising ceremony held today in the gardens of the Discovery of the Plaza de Colón, in Madrid. A hoisting on the occasion of the feast of the patron saint of Madrid, San Isidro. The JEMAD has been accompanied, among other civilian and military authorities, by the Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida Navasqüés.

With this act, the Armed Forces want to pay tribute and express their recognition to the city of Madrid. On this occasion, it has been the Navy who has been in charge of the hoisting.

The Mixed Honors Company was composed of four sections, with Command, the Gastador Squadron and the Music Band of the Marine Infantry Group of Madrid.

The Sections belong to the Regiment 'Inmemorial del Rey' nº 1 of the Army, to the Headquarters of the Navy, to the Honors Squadron of the Security Group of the Air Force and to the Reserve and Security Group nº 1 of the Civil Guard.

The sequence of events was as follows:

Flag raising ceremony in the Plaza de Colón is held monthly on a regular basis. Also, on four occasions a year, it is held on an extraordinary basis and is called "solemn hoisting". The first of these four solemn flag-raising ceremonies is on May 15, on the occasion of the feast of San Isidro. The second is on June 19, the anniversary of the proclamation of H.M. the King. The third is July 12, coinciding with the anniversary of the date on which the Constitutional Court came into operation. The last of the year is celebrated on December 6, the day of the Spanish Constitution.

The flag is 300 square meters (21 x 14) and weighs 35 kilos. It was hoisted for the first time in 2001, when the previous 21-meter mast was replaced by the current 50-meter mast. This mast has a rotating head to turn in the same direction as the wind, thus preventing the flag from wrapping around the mast, which weighs almost 20 tons and is anchored on a footing resting on four pillars in the Colón subway parking lot.