Receive an e-mail when these pages are updated?

[vexicro]

Flags of the World

Page created: 1st January 2006 Last updated: 5th December 2018	This page is under construction! Links and images might be missing! Data presented on this page may be entirely incorrect!
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.

Croatia - Medieval flags on Portolan Charts

• Dubrovnik
  • Dubrovnik, Vesconte, 1320
  • Dubrovnik, De Cesanic, 1521
  • Dubrovnik, Rosell, 1425
  • Dubrovnik, Anonym (Vallseca?), ca. 1440
  • Dubrovnik, Vallseca, 1447
  • Dubrovnik, Rosell, 1447
  • Dubrovnik, Rosell, 1466
  • Dubrovnik, Benincasa, 1473
  • Dubrovnik, Abenzara, 1505
  • Dubrovnik, Russo, 1508
  • Dubrovnik, Pilestrina, 1511
  • Dubrovnik, Maggiolo, 1512
  • Dubrovnik, Pilestrina, 1533
  • Dubrovnik, Giacomo Russo, 1550
  • Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1555
  • Dubrovnik, Olives, 1559
  • Dubrovnik, Prunes, 1560
  • Dubrovnik, Homem, 1561
  • Dubrovnik, Homem, 1563
  • Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1563
  • Dubrovnik, Homem, 1565
  • Dubrovnik, Martines, 1567
  • Dubrovnik, Prunes, 1578
  • Dubrovnik, Olives, 1580
  • Dubrovnik, Doran, 1586
  • Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1587
  • Dubrovnik, Villarroel, 1589
  • Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1590
  • Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1594
  • Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1599
  • Dubrovnik, Teixeira, ca. 1600
  • Dubrovnik, Condina, 1615
  • Dubrovnik, Cavallini, 1639
• Metković, 14th and 15th century
  • Narent, Libro de Conosçimiento
  • Narent, Dalorto, 1330
  • Narent, Dulcert, 1339
  • Narent, Cresques, ca. 1375
  • Narent, Soler, ca. 1385
  • Narent, De Viladestes, 1413
  • Narent, De Viladestes, 1423
  • Narent, Beccario, 1426
  • Narent, Vallseca, 1439
  • Ulcinj, Rosell, 15th c.
• Senj, 14th through 17th century
  • Senj, Libro de Conosçimiento
  • Senj, Dulcert, 1339
  • Senj, Cresques, 1375
  • Senj, Soler, ca. 1385
  • Senj, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Naples)
  • Senj, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Paris)
  • Senj, De Viladestes, 1413
  • Senj, De Viladestes, 1423
  • Senj, Rosell, 1425
  • Senj, Beccario, 1426
  • Senj, Vallseca, 1439
  • Senj, Anonym (Vallseca), ca. 1440
  • Senj, Vallseca, 1447
  • Senj, Rosell, 1447
  • Senj, Anonym, mid 15th c.
  • Senj, Rosell, mid 15th c. (Yale)
  • Senj, Rosell, mid 15th c. (Paris)
  • Senj, Rosell, 1456
  • Senj, Rosell, 1462
  • Senj, Rosell, 1466
  • Senj, Benincasa, 1473
  • Senj, Russo, 1508
  • Senj, Pilestrina, 1511
  • Senj, Pilestrina, 1533
  • Senj, Russo, 1535 and 1550
  • Senj, Anonym, ca. 1550 - 1560
  • Senj, Olives, 1559
  • Senj, Oliva, 1563
  • Senj, Martines, 1567
  • Senj, Martines, 1578
  • Senj, Teixeira, ca. 1600
  • Senj, Condina, 1615
• Šibenik, 14th through 16th century
  • Šibenik, Dalorto, 1330
  • Šibenik, Dulcert, 1339
  • Šibenik, Cresques, 1375
  • Šibenik, Soler, ca. 1385
  • Šibenik, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Naples)
  • Šibenik, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Paris)
  • Šibenik, De Viladestes, 1413
  • Šibenik, De Viladestes, 1423
  • Šibenik, Rosell, 1425
  • Šibenik, Beccario, 1426
  • Šibenik, Vallseca, 1439
  • Šibenik, Anonym (Vallseca), ca. 1440
  • Šibenik, Vallseca, 1447
  • Šibenik, Anonym, mid 15th c.
  • Šibenik, Benincasa, 1473
  • Šibenik, de Aguiar, 1492
  • Šibenik, Abenzara, 1505
  • Šibenik, Russo, 1508
  • Šibenik, Giacomo Russo, 1550
  • Šibenik, Homen, 1554

This page is indended to show flags used on the teritorry of modern Croatia and surroundings in medieval times that are preserved mostly as drawings on the old geografic maps and navigational charts (so called portolans).
The texts and drawings on this page are made in cooperation with Tomislav Todorović, Zrenjanin.

• Croatia - Historical Flags
• Croatia
• Republic of Ragusa/Dubrovnik, 1272 - 1808 on other mediaeval flags of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

The oldest protolan charts created in Italy show the well known flag of Dubrovnik depicting St. Blasius, while soon the Catalan maps, for uncertain reason, possibly ignoranace and want for simplification, transfered the flag originally attributed to the land Neretva (Narent) to the city of Dubrovnik. This was, possibly due to copiying from other map makers afterwards ataken up by Italian chartographers as well. Eventually, changing the color from blue and white/siver, to red and white/silver, based on the coat arms that would have been already well known. Other variations appeared, with stripes and pennants. However, none of these are recorded in Duborvnik archives.

Dubrovnik, Vesconte, 1320

A rectangular white flag (gonfanon) with four rectangular tails depicting St. Blasius clad red, haloed yellow, his dexter raised in blessing and in his sinister holding a black crozier, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, De Cesanic, 1521

A triangular blue flag with St. Blasius clad and haloed yellow, his dexter raised in blessing and in his sinister holding a black crozier.

Dubrovnik, Rosell, 1425

A rectangular flag with concave fly and semicircular indentations at the fly corners, quartered blue and white.

Dubrovnik, Anonym (Vallseca?), ca. 1440

A rectangular flag with fringe along the fly edges, quartered blue and white, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Vallseca, 1447

A rectangular flag with concave fly and semicircular indentations at the fly corners, quartered blue and white.

Dubrovnik, Rosell, 1447

A rectangular flag with concave fly and semicircular indentations at the fly corners, quartered blue and white.

Dubrovnik, Rosell, 1466

A rectangular flag with trapezoidal fly with fringes, quartered blue and white.

Dubrovnik, Benincasa, 1473

A long rectangular swallow-tailed flag quartered silver and blue.

Dubrovnik, Abenzara, 1505

Flag in roughly rectangular format with the top and bottom edges slightly concave embowed and the fly edge convex, with two white tails next to the top and bottom fly corners shapes as points of a leafy crown and a black wavy pointed tail in between. The flag field is quartered white and blue.

Dubrovnik, Russo, 1508

A gonfanon shaped flag with eight tails, quartered blue and white.

Dubrovnik, Pilestrina, 1511

A rectangular flag quartered silver and blue, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Maggiolo, 1512

A square flag with trapezoidal fly, white with three blue bends sinsiter.

Dubrovnik, Pilestrina, 1533

A rectangular flag quartered silver and red, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Giacomo Russo, 1550

A rectangular flag quartered blue and white, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1555

A square flag quartered silver and red.

Dubrovnik, Olives, 1559

A rectangular flag quartered blue and white, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Prunes, 1560

A rectangular flag quartered silver and red, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Homem, 1561

A long triangular split pennant pally azure and or. Similar flag is shown on the maps by the same author dated in the same year held in vieann and Parma, although the exact number of vertical stripes seems to be different in each.
Luetić identified these flags as those of Dubrovnik, dating them to 1559 and 1560, but he ascribeds them (because he had no access to color reproduction) blue and red, almost certainly errorneously.

Dubrovnik, Homem, 1563

A long triangular blue pennant.

Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1563

A rectangular flag quartered blue and white, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Homem, 1565

A rectangular flag of seven white and red vertical stripes over a red triangular pennant.

Dubrovnik, Martines, 1567

A rectangular flag quartered white and red, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Prunes, 1578

A rectangular flag quartered white and blue.

Dubrovnik, Olives, 1580

A rectangular flag quartered silver and blue, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Dubrovnik, Doran, 1586

A rectangular flag quartered red and white.

Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1587

A square flag quartered red and silver.

Dubrovnik, Villarroel, 1589

A square flag quartered white and red.

Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1590

A square flag quartered silver and red.

Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1594

A square flag quartered white and red.

Dubrovnik, Oliva, 1599

A square flag quartered silver and red.

Dubrovnik, Teixeira, ca. 1600

A square flag quartered silver and red.

Dubrovnik, Condina, 1615

A square flag quartered silver and red.

Dubrovnik, Cavallini, 1639

A square flag quartered red and white.

Metković, 14th and 15th century

The region around the confluence of the river Neretva (Roman Narenta) retained substantial authonomy in the Medieval period, occasionally recognizing foreign soverains, but mostly invloved in pirating always vivid merchant trade with Orient. In martime charts the name Narent appears and was for a long time retained, even after the actual authonomy was long lost. The flags initially attributed to Narent were gradually moved southwards and given to the Republic of Dubrovnik, because it gained the majority of the ancient neretvan lands, but possibly also because the simple quartred flags wee easier to draw then the complex flags of Dubovrnik depicting St. Blasius. The originally Neretvan flags were in some maps moved so much south that they were depicted even for Ulcinj in modern Montenegro. The largest modern city in the land of Neretva is Metković, althoough there is little evidence that there was any significant settlement there in the period when these flags were used.

Narent, Libro de Conosçimiento

The flag described in the "Libro del Conosçimiento de todos los Reynos" by a Franciscan friar born in Spain in 1305, now considered to have been written as late as 1387. The author describes the quartered purple-white flags used in Narent, however, such is depicted only in the so called Manuscript "N" in the British Library. The other manuscripts in place of that figure show coats of arms, and only the Manuscript "Z" (today in the Bavarian State Library in Munich) matches the description being a quartered shield azure and argent. The blue in stead of the described purple is afterwards shown in the subsequent portolans, possibly after that manuscrupt.
The Manuscript "R" (also in th British Library) shows the coat of arms of azure a cross patonce argent between four crosslets also argent, while the Manuscript "S" (in the Spanish National Library) has the coat of arms of sable a cross formy fitchy between four crosslets or. According to Josip Smodlaka, these designs might have been derived from the flag of Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, Herzog of St. Sava, while others try to connect them with the rulers of Serbia.

Narent, Dalorto, 1330

A rectangular flag ends in a point with concave edges, quartred blue and white.

Narent, Dulcert, 1339

The map by Angelino Dulcert of 1339 (preserved in the National Library in Paris) showes the flags on the on the main ports in Mediteranean Sea. The flag shown for the city of Narent - today Drijeva near Metković (although Drijeva is today over the border in Bosnia and Herzegovina) is shown as being blue and white quartered. The flag is probably based on description and depiction from the book "Libro del conoscimiento de todos los Reynos" by a Franciscan friar born in Spain in 1305, which is considered among the oldest books systematically showing flags of the world.

Narent, Cresques, ca. 1375

A rectangular flag with fringe along the fly edges, quartered blue and silver. Note that frequently reproduced 19th replica of the Catalan Atlas shows the silver in many flags, and in this one as well, as golden instead.

Narent, Soler, ca. 1385

A rectangular flag quartered blue and white.

Narent, De Viladestes, 1413

A rectangular flag with fringe along the fly edges, quartered blue and silver, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Narent, De Viladestes, 1423

A rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail, quartered blue and white.

Narent, Beccario, 1426

A rectangular flag, quartered off-set to hoist silver and blue, the reverse shown in the map with sinister hoist.

Narent, Vallseca, 1439

Rectangular flag with three concave indentations (engrailed) along the fly edge, quartered blue and white.

Ulcinj, Rosell, 15th c.

Rectangular flag with three concave indentations (engrailed) along the fly edge with fringes, quartered blue and white. Located off-set way to the south near Ulcinj (written as Dulcegno).

Senj, 14th through 17th century

Senj, Libro de Conosçimiento

The oldest portolans show the same flag as the one depicted and described in the "Libro del Conosçimiento de todos los Reynos" by a Franciscan friar born in Spain in 1305, which is considered among the oldest books systematically showing flags of the world. The date of the book is traditionally considered aroudn 1350, but some newer research set it as late as 1387. Four manuscripts are known, dubbed "Z" (today in the Bavarian State Library in Munich), "N" and "R" in the British Library and "S" in the Spanish National Library being considered the most complete copy. Several reprints and translations have been issued, usually depicting the flags redrawn in standardized ogival shape. The author descrfibes arriving to "Sena" (Senj) in the land of "Esclavonia" (Slavonia), whose king uses a "flag divided in two vertical stripes: in the vermilion stripe near the staflf is a white star, and the other stripe is yellow". The drawing in the Manuscript "Z" has a semicircular fly and cruder overall layout. The design is the armorial flag of the Dukes of Frankapan, who ruled Senj between 1271 and 1469.

Senj, Dulcert, 1339

Rectangular flag divided vertically in red and yellow with a yellow eight-pointed star in the first field.

Senj, Cresques, 1375

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail and with fringe along the fly edges, divided vertically closer to hoist into red and golden, with a golden disk in the first.

Senj, Soler, ca. 1385

Rectangular flag divided vertically closer to hoist in red and golden with a white eight-pointed star in the first field.

Senj, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Naples)

Rectangular flag with a trapezoidal tail, divided vertically into red and golden, with a golden disk in the first.

Senj, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Paris)

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail and with fringe along the fly edges, divided vertically into red and golden, with a white disk in the first. The illustrator may have simply forgot to colour in the disk, but we may not be sure of that.

Senj, De Viladestes, 1413

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail and with fringe along the fly edges, divided vertically closer to hoist into white and golden, with a golden disk in the first. It appears that the cartographer forgot to add red paint, as in some other flags in the map, as well.

Senj, De Viladestes, 1423

As the above, but the usual red-golden flag, no fringe.

Senj, Rosell, 1425

Rectangular flag with concave fly and semicircular indentations at the fly corners, divided vertically closer to hoist into red and golden, with a white thin elongated eight-pointed star, almost reaching the edges of the red field.

Senj, Beccario, 1426

Short rectangular flag (higher then wide) divided vertically into yellow and red with a white six-pointed star in the last.

Senj, Vallseca, 1439

Rectangular flag with three concave indentations (engrailed) along the fly edge, divided vertically into red and golden, with a white thin cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Anonym (Vallseca), ca. 1440

Rectangular flag divided vertically into red and golden, with a white thin cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Vallseca, 1447

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail, divided vertically red and golden, with a white thin cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Rosell, 1447

Virtually identical flag as shown by Vallseca in 1439: Rectangular flag with three concave indentations (engrailed) along the fly edge, divided vertically into red and golden, with a white thin cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Anonym, mid 15th c.

Rectangular flag with triangular tails at the fly, divided vertically into white with a golden disk and golden with a red cross throughout.

Senj, Rosell, mid 15th c. (Yale)

Virtually identical flag as shown by Rosell in 1425: Rectangular flag with concave fly and semicircular indentations at the fly corners, divided vertically closer to hoist into red and golden, with a white thin elongated eight-pointed star, almost reaching the edges of the red field.

Senj, Rosell, mid 15th c. (Paris)

Rectangular flag with three concave indentations (engrailed) along the fly edge with fringes, divided vertically closer to fly into red and golden, with a white cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Rosell, 1456

Rectangular flag with swallow-tailed fly with fringes, divided vertically closer to fly into red and golden, with a white cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Rosell, 1462

Rectangular flag with triangular fly with fringes, divided vertically closer to fly into red and golden, with a white cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Rosell, 1466

Rectangular flag with trapezoidal fly with fringes, divided vertically closer to fly into red and golden, with a white cross and salitre superimposed in the first.

Senj, Benincasa, 1473

Rectangular flag with triangular fly, divided vertically closer to fly into red and golden, with a silver cross and salitre superimposed in the first and a red sik in the last.

Senj, Russo, 1508

Gonfanon shaped flag with eight tails, divided vertically closer to hoist into red and white, with a golden salitre in the first.

Senj, Pilestrina, 1511

Rectangular red flag with a golden cross and salitre superimposed.

Senj, Pilestrina, 1533

Rectangular red flag with a godlen eight-pointed star throughout forming a cross and a salitre superimposed the bar tapering towards the edges.

Senj, Russo, 1535 and 1550

Rectangular flag divided vertically into red and white, with a golden salitre in the first.

Senj, Anonym, ca. 1550 - 1560

Rectangular blue flag with a displayed golden double-headed eagle.

Senj, Olives, 1559

Rectangular yellow flag with a red cross and salitre superimposed.

Senj, Oliva, 1563

Rectangular red flag with a silver disk.

Senj, Martines, 1567

Square yellow flag with a red eight-pointed star.

Senj, Martines, 1578

Square yellow flag with a red six-pointed star.

Senj, Teixeira, ca. 1600

Square red flag with a yellow six-pointed pierced star.

Senj, Condina, 1615

Last known appearance of a flag of Senj on portolan maps, almost square rectangular flag, details undiscerable from the available sources.

Šibenik, 14th through 16th century

In the 14th century Šibenik (in various spelling, like Sinbichon and Sebenico) is mentioned in sources as an important port in the land of Slavonia (Esclavonia). Its flag is depicted regularly in portolans from the 14th until the 15th century, and occasionally still in the 16th century, consistently in the same form with very minor variations - mostly as results of artistic style of the individual illuminator. The flag is yellow/golden with a white/silver disk bearing a red cross throughout. The variations are in the flag shape, relative dimensions of the disk and overall ratios, relative width of the cross, which may have straight arms or slightly extending twoards the disk edges forming a cross pattee. There are only a few cases where entirely different flags appear.
The white disk ensigned with a red cross is an attribute of the patron saint of Šibenik - St. Michael Archangel, in the local iconography depicted standing en face with his wings displayed behing him, bearing a spear (with which he may be killing the devil beneath) in his right and an orb ensigned with a cross in his left hand. The orb in his hands is professing Christ's rule over the entire globe.

Šibenik, Dalorto, 1330

Rectangular flag ends in a point with concave edges, yellow with a white disk with a red cross, its arms expanding in curves towards the disc edge.

Šibenik, Dulcert, 1339

Rectangular yellow flag with a white disk with a red cross, its arms expanding in curves towards the disc edge.

Šibenik, Cresques, 1375

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail and with fringe along the fly edges, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Soler, ca. 1385

Rectangular flag yellow with a white disk with a red cross, off-set closer to the hoist.

Šibenik, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Naples)

Rectangular flag with a trapezoidal tail, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Anonym, end of the 14th c. (Paris)

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail and with fringe along the fly edges, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, De Viladestes, 1413

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail and with fringe along the fly edges, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, De Viladestes, 1423

As the above, but no fringe.

Šibenik, Rosell, 1425

Rectangular flag with concave fly and semicircular indentations at the fly corners, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Beccario, 1426

Ogival irregular flag (unequal top and bootm edge curves), yellow witha white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Vallseca, 1439

Rectangular flag with three concave indentations (engrailed) along the fly edge, golden with a white disk witha red cross.

Šibenik, Anonym (Vallseca), ca. 1440

Rectangular yellow flag with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Vallseca, 1447

Rectangular flag with a concave trapezoidal tail, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Anonym, mid 15th c.

Rectangular flag with triangular tails at the fly, golden with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Benincasa, 1473

Rectangular flag with triangular fly, golden with a large white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, de Aguiar, 1492

Square flag chequy of 7×7 azure and argent (shown as teal blue and white).

Šibenik, Abenzara, 1505

Flag in roughly rectangular format with the top and bottom edges slightly concave embowed and the fly edge convex, with two white tails next to the top and bottom fly corners shapes as points of a leafy crown and a black wavy pointed tail in between. The flag field is coloured silver (today darkened to very dark gray) with a black eagle's wing. This seems to be the banner of arms of the dukes of Bribir, only with a silver field instead of the usual red, which might be the intervention by illustrator who considered the original data about the color combination, as an exception to the rules of heraldry, to be an error. At the time when the portolano was made, the dukes of Bribir were already extinct, so it is not clearf why the symbol would appear, although the flag is indeed correctly placed in the area from which they originated and where they were seated.

Šibenik, Russo, 1508

Gonfanon shaped flag with eight tails, golden with a white semicircular shield with a red cross.
In the 16th century, depictions of the flag of Šibenik were more rare and the errors multiplied. Pietro Russo thus not only located the flag off Zadar (city name illegible), but also changed its design, replacing the disc with a shield.

Šibenik, Giacomo Russo, 1550

Rectangular yellow flag with a white disk with a red cross.

Šibenik, Homen, 1554

Short golden rectangular flag with a silver disk with a red cross.
This is, so far, the last known depiction of the Šibenik flag in portolanos. On this map, it is the only flag on the Adriatic coast, but is moved far north from its original location – towards Senj, or even Rijeka (currently available sources do not enable locating precisely) – and it also stands out by its shape (rectangular, width somewhat greater than length), as well as the colors: the disk is silver (now darkened almost to black), while it was white in all the earlier examples. It might be the only example at all in the portolans of combining silver and gold colors – as a rule, yellow/gold was combined with white, and if silver color appeared on the same map, it was used only for the flags without yellow/gold.

Receive an e-mail when these pages are updated?

[vexicro]

Flags of the World