The National Anthem of the Republic of Costa Rica (), also known by its incipit as "" ("Noble Fatherland, Your Beautiful Flag"), was first adopted in 1852. Its music was composed by Manuel María Gutiérrez Flores, who dedicated the score to French adventurer . The music was created to receive delegates from the United Kingdom and the United States that year for the Webster-Crampton Treaty. It was the first Central American national anthem.
The anthem has had several lyrics; the current lyrics were written for a contest held in 1903 by the government of Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra to give the anthem lyrics that reflected the idea of being Costa Rican. The contest was won by José María Zeledón Brenes.
The anthem's lyrics were made official in 1949 by the Founding Junta of the Second Republic, led by José Figueres Ferrer. The music was made official in 1979, under President Rodrigo Carazo Odio.
History
From the period of independence within the First Mexican Empire from 1821 to the beginning of the First Costa Rican Republic in 1848, Costa Rica did not have a national anthem. After the establishment of the republic, Costa Rica began to gain more recognition from other nations. In 1852, then president, Juan Rafael Mora Porras, learnt of the arrival of diplomatic representatives from the United Kingdom and United States in order to establish embassies.
thumb|Composer of the national anthem, Captain (1829–1887)
Musician and Director of the Costa Rican Military Band, , then 22 years old, was asked to compose an anthem. Professing a lack of experience and little time, Gutiérrez asked for help from French adventurer , who instructed and encouraged him. After consulting Lafond, Gutiérrez composed the anthem in three or four days in his home in central San José. An apocryphal story circulates that Gutiérrez had to compose the music for the anthem while locked in a prison cell for refusing the order the president gave him to compose the anthem, during the presidency of Rodrigo Carazo Odio. The decree was intended to coincide with Gutiérrez's birthday (which is now known to be 3 September).
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