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Flags of the World

Page created: 5th October 1996 Last updated: 1st June 2017
The FAME is a site devoted to the systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear strong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author supports or approves of the ideas they may stand for.	This site is harvested for the NSK digital archives.

City of Fiume/Rijeka, 1918 - 1924 and Italian provinces in the eastern Adriatic 1918 - 1943

• Free State of Fiume, 1920 – 1924
• Gonfanon of the Regency of Carnaro
• War Ensign of the Regency of Carnaro
• Province of Carnaro, 1925 – 1943
• Province of Istria, 1923 – 1943
• Province of Zara, 1920 – 1943

The Croatian flag was hoisted in Fiume (Rijeka) on 23-OCT-1918 and officially on 29-OCT-1918 (after declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary). The same day 29-OCT-1918, the first Italian tricolour was exposed from the balcony of the Philharmonic society palace and the Italian national Council proclaimed: "because Fiume was a corpus separatum, representing an Italian commune in Hungarian kingdom, we pretend to apply the right of self decision for the people. From this right the Italian national Council proclaims Fiume united to its mother country Italy". From 13-NOV-1918 the military administration became a mixed Italian and Croatian one. The same day also Serbs and French entered Fiume, so also the Serb flag was hoisted. On 17-NOV the Serbs were ordered to move to Sussak (Sušak) while the Italian, together with French, British and United States troops kept the control of the town, through a Inter-allied committee. On 12-SEP-1919 G. D'Annunzio entered Fiume and the Italian tricolour was exposed from the balcony of the government palace. On 24-OCT D'Annunzio asked the citizens to cut one of the heads from the eagle on the civic arms, so to transform the Habsburg eagle in a roman one. D'Annunzio proclaimed the Italian regency of Carnaro (Kvarner) on 8-SEP-1920. On 29-DEC-1920 D'Annunzio was defeated by the Italian troops and 2-FEB-1921 a new government was instituted for the city, which had to prepare for free elections. This toke place on 24-APR-1921 and the autonomist party won. The coat of arms with the two headed eagle was reintroduced. The flag should be the civic flag with the coat of arm, but no official documents are known. The Free State ended de facto on 3-MAR-1922, and de jure on 16-MAR-1924 with the annexation of Fiume to Italy.

While the flag used during the rule under Austria-Hungary, horizontal tricolour of red-yellow-blue with the coat of arms in the centre, was retained as the city flag - it became the flag of the Free State of Fiume after the treaty of Rappalo 12 November 1920. Much variations of the details of the coat of arms were recorded.

• Croatia - Historical Flags
• Croatia
• Coast and Gorski kotar County, the - Cities on historical and modern flags of Rijeka

Free State of Fiume, 1920 – 1924

Stato libero di Fiume, Slobodna Država Rijeka, Fiumei Szabad Állam, Freistaat Fiume

The city started to use a separate flag, being the Austrian maritime ensign defaced with the city arms after the Napoleonic wars, ca. 1813. When it was returned to Hungarian administartion in 1835 the stripes were changed to Hungarian tricolour. In the 1848 the proposals were made to use entirely differenc colours based on the ancient city arms grnated by Leopold I in 1659, but after the city administration was disbanded no flag was used until 1858, when the original Austrian red-white-red flag with the city arms was authorized again. The city colours of carmine-golden-ultramarine were eventually granted in 1870, while the use of the city patrons as the supporters was fallen out of use by the end of the century. The actual stylization o fthe city arms varried much from a flag to an other.

Gonfanon of the Regency of Carnaro

25:21~

Documentation: Photographs of the actual gonfalon and description made by its author: G. D'Annunzio.
Accuracy: Authenticated design and use from contemporary sources.
Image thanks to: Mario Fabretto

War Ensign of the Regency of Carnaro

1:2?

Documentation: Sketch made by its author: G. D'Annunzio
Accuracy: Authenticated use from contemporary sources, design reconstructed from original drawings by G. D'Annunzio on a document dated 27/8/1920 (Rome - National Library).
Image thanks to: Mario Fabretto

Province of Carnaro, 1925 – 1943

Provincia del Carnaro (Provincija Kvarner)

After the annexation of the city of Rijeka, the Italian rulers organized the region already in 1925 into a Province Carnaro (Croatian Kvarner). The province was granted a coat of arms and a gonfalon by the King Victor Emanuel III in 1929 (per Croatian sources, Ufficio araldico provides two previous dates for the decrees). The beautifully coloured armorial patent is preserved in the Museum in Rijeka. The armorial is signed both by the King and Mussolini. The coat of arms is per pale sable Roman fasces palewise or and gules seven mullets of five or arranged as the constellations Ursa Major. The shield is crowned with a provincial crown with an olive and an oak branch. The coat of arms was also main feature of the seal granted at the same time.
The gonfalon is a blue silk hanging banner with three fringed and tasselled tails and bordered with golden ornament along other three sides, containing the coat of arms in the centre and the name of the province in an arch above. There is no evidence that the gonfalon was actually produced and used, however beside the coloured images of the coat of arms and the gonfalon in the armorial patent; there are several ink drawn construction sheets in the Museum collection. These show the flag with all the dimensions needed for the production, however the coat of arms included in the design is somewhat different - including also a red chief that contains golden fasces between an oak and an olive branch wreath tied together with a tricolour ribbon, the so called lictorial chief. The 1926 decree grant a simple coat of arms, a simple rectangular blue gonfalon with the coat of arms in the centre, and a flag with four long rectangular tails. The 1928 presumably adds the lictorial chief. The coloured drawings are signed by Luigi Bangori Machiavelli (?), presumably the designer.

Province of Istria, 1923 – 1943

Provincia dell'Istria (Provincija Istra)

Flag unknown.

After the Treaty of Rapallo, Istria was definitely made part of the Italian Kingdom, and the Province of Istria or of Pola was formed in 1923. The historical coat of arms of Istria was granted to the Province with the provincial coronet, as per Italian municipal heraldic customs. Since 1933 the so called lictorial chief was added. A flag was not recorded in the period, while a gonfalon was reported to have been blue, currently no further details available.

Province of Zara, 1920 – 1943

Provincia di Zara (Provincija Zadar)

After the Treaty of Rapallo, the city of Zadar and its immidiate surroundings were made part of Italy, together with the island of Lastovo (Lagosta). The historical coat of arms of Dalmatia was granted to the Province with the provincial coronet, as per Italian municipal heraldic customs in 1931. Since 1933 the so called lictorial chief was added. The gonfalon was blue, with three tails, ending triangularly and with triangular indentations between them, with the coat of arms, the province name in an arc above and a golden floral ornament all around.

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Flags of the World