The Spaniards, as true patriots of their country, are sensitive to the official state symbols, in particular to their flag, which the Spanish people poetically call “rojigualda”. In its modern form, the flag of the kingdom has existed for thirty-seven years, from the date of approval by King Juan Carlos I.
The current flag of the Kingdom of Spain looks like a three-stripe panel. Its central horizontal stripe depicts a modern one offset to the shaft. The yellow stripe, the largest, is in the middle of the flag. Two red ones are lower and higher than the yellow one, each of them is half the size of the central one.
The geometric proportions of the Spanish symbol are as follows:
Available in two versions:
The flag has an unofficial name - “rojigualda”. This word is formed by merging two words that directly refer to the flag colors: rojo is Spanish for “red,” and gualda is a shade of mignonette that grows in Spanish territories.
In addition, the word “mignonette” in heraldry originally denoted a dark yellow color shade. The fact is that in the Middle Ages mignonette was used as a dyeing plant: fabrics were dyed yellow using mignonette juice.
This name can be literally translated as “red mignonette”, so it is fully justified by the color scheme, which has remained unchanged for several centuries.
The appearance of the three-stripe yellow-red flag is associated with historical legends that explain its color scheme:
Be that as it may, one thing is certain: these two colors are the heraldic colors of medieval Aragon and Castile, kingdoms that united and laid the foundation for a single state - Spain.
The warm color of the cloth, so suitable for a hot country, undoubtedly corresponds to heraldic norms, because according to them:
The red color on the flag of Spain represents the blood of the Spaniards shed in the wars for the Fatherland, and is also associated with the blood shed in bullfights. Yellow is associated with both the sun and the sand of the arena, where the fight between the bullfighter and the bull takes place.
The width of the stripes and their horizontal position also has its justification:
The current Spanish coat of arms is placed on the flag of the kingdom. The coat of arms is divided into four parts: a yellow castle on a red background and a red lion on a white background at the top represent Castile and Leon respectively. At the bottom there are red and yellow vertical stripes and linked gold chains - this is the symbol of Aragon and Navarre. At the base of the shield is a pomegranate, the symbol of Andalusia.
The lilies in the center are the Angevin branch of the Bourbons. The crown crowning the coat of arms is a sign of the monarchy. The Pillars of Hercules are the Strait of Gibraltar.
In the history of the formation of the Spanish national flag, several significant dates and periods can be distinguished.
1415 - equal horizontal stripes of red and yellow - this is what the standard of Aragon looked like.
The Spanish naval flag from 1506 to 1701 featured a red Burgundian cross (two diagonal branched stripes) on a snow-white field, which was originally the official symbol of Castile. Under Philip II, at the end of the 16th century, the white background of this flag was changed to yellow.
XVII-XVIII centuries – the flag of Spain was the white cloth of the Bourbons with the coat of arms printed on it. The reason for its replacement was the similarity with the flags of other countries, the indistinguishability of the standard at sea, and the impossibility of identifying it as Spanish.
1785 - Charles (Carlos) III of Bourbon ordered the use of a flag corresponding to the modern version without a coat of arms as a commercial standard, and the same version with a coat of arms as a military one (on Spanish ships). The flag existed in this form until 1931.
During the short period of the First Spanish Republic (1873-1874), the crown was removed from the flag's coat of arms as a symbol of royal power, and the color scheme did not change even during this period.
1931 -1936 - flag of the Second Spanish Republic: three-stripe flag with equal stripes of red, yellow, violet/purple (from top to bottom). The lower stripe is believed to represent Castile on the flag. On the yellow stripe was placed a shield, divided into four parts, with columns of Hercules and a crown in the form of a castle.
1938 - 1981 - the color scheme of the flag is the same, pre-revolutionary. Instead of a coat of arms during this period, it featured a black eagle with a shield - a symbol of the reign of F. Franco. The image of the eagle changed several times: in 1938, 1945, 1977.
And in 1981, the modern version was approved.
Thus, changes in the flag of Spain concerned mainly the coat of arms depicted here (in connection with the change in forms of government in the country), and its color palette remained constant for a long time, except for the years of the Second Revolution.
Since 1981, the symbol of Spain, beloved by the Spaniards and unlike any other in the world, has flown from Spanish homes on national holidays and from stadiums during sporting events. The symbol, which has such a long history of existence and is distinguished by its constant color scheme, is recognizable in all countries as the flag of the Kingdom of Spain.
Description and historical background regarding the adoption of the current version of the Spanish flag.
The modern flag of Spain is a horizontal bicolor with a golden-yellow wide stripe in the center and two blood-red lines bordering its horizontal borders. The width of each red area is strictly 2.25 times narrower than the central yellow field, and the aspect ratio of the panel is 5:3.
In the middle of the yellow field, shifted to the left, the current coat of arms of the country is depicted. This current version of the arrangement of colors on the flag was approved by a Special Royal Decree of December 6, 1978.
On December 19, 1981, after the final investigation of the failed state coup three weeks earlier, in honor of the monarchy that had resisted the onslaught of the rebels, the then King Juan Carlos was the first to order the addition of the coat of arms of the ruling dynasty of the Spanish Bourbons to the national flag and secure it as the state flag.
The yellow-red color is by no means accidental in Spanish heraldry. It symbolizes the victory of Christian chivalry (the Reconquista) over the Moorish Caliphate, and in various interpretations has been official for all Christian states of the Iberian Region since the expulsion of the last Muslim ruler from the peninsula in 1492.
According to legend, such a palette is designed to capture the historical moment when, after the final defeat of the Moors, King of Aragon Godfrey Berenguer (Sword Bearer) ran his bloody hand across the surface of his golden shield.
The current version of the Spanish flag is the most “official” for the country, since it existed unchanged in the period from 1843 to 1931, when it was temporarily (until the date of its current return) replaced by the version of the Second Spanish Republic 1931-1939.
This flag was a horizontal tricolor with (top to bottom) red, gold and purple stripes, which symbolized the ideals of the revolution, the wonderful present life and the comfortable future of the Spanish people, respectively.
After the establishment of the final dictatorship of the Franco regime in 1939, the traditional red and yellow coloring returned, but instead of the current royal coat of arms, there was a stylized black eagle facing west, with two columns in its claws, on which was the inscription: "Strength in unity", and a shield with the coats of arms of various Spanish-speaking kingdoms along the torso. At his feet were a bow and arrows tied with barbed wire, symbolizing the regime’s determination to resist a possible overthrow by all means of force.
Unlike the eagle, the modern Spanish coat of arms is much less warlike and more organic to local heraldic traditions. His shield depicts the banners of the kingdoms (from left to right): Aragon, Castile, Navarre and Leon. They symbolize the historical past of Spain, which united all these lands. On the side columns there are ribbons with the inscription: “Even higher”, which reflects the aspiration to the future for the Spanish people, the crown symbolizes the power of the monarchy, and the lily at the base is the ancestral sign of the Angevin branch, where the Spanish Bourbons came from.
On the flag of Spain:
Three horizontal stripes: the yellow one in the middle is twice as wide as the red ones at the edges
Coat of arms of Spain on a yellow stripe at a distance of 1/3 from the base
The meaning and history of the flag of Spain:
Legend associates the symbolic meaning of the colors of this flag with its origin. According to legend, one of the kings of Aragon wanted to have his own banner. Looking at the various banner designs, he settled on one with a smooth gold field. Then he ordered a cup of fresh animal blood to be presented and, dipping two fingers into it, the monarch ran them across the yellow cloth, on which two red stripes appeared.
Yellow and red are the medieval heraldic colors of Castile and Aragon. For the first time, a flag with a similar design and coloring was adopted by King Charles III in 1785. Then it was a military and naval flag and was supplemented by the coat of arms of Castile and Leon. Since 1938, the flag has featured the coat of arms of Spain, modified after the restoration of the monarchy (1978). The flag with the coat of arms is now used only by officials.
The flag of Spain in its modern form has existed since 1785, when King Carlos III of Bourbon ordered Spanish warships to use signs to distinguish them from ships of other countries - the white naval standard of Spain, decorated with the coat of arms of the House of Bourbon, could easily be confused with the standards of ships of other countries. Since then, red and yellow colors have traditionally been associated with Spain, although they were adopted as state colors only in 1927.
In 1931, a republic was proclaimed and a new flag was adopted in the form of a horizontal tricolor with red, yellow and purple stripes of equal width. However, in 1936, a military mutiny under General Francisco Franco ended the republic and restored the yellow and red flag.
The Spanish flag combines two primary colors - red and yellow, which have been strongly associated with Spain since the Middle Ages, although they were adopted as state ones relatively recently, in 1927.
The rectangular flag (aspect ratio is 2:3) is divided into three stripes: the top and bottom, equal in width, are painted red, in the middle there is a wide yellow stripe, which is twice as wide as the others. Against its background, at a distance of one third of the cloth from the staff, is the coat of arms of Spain. Also in use is exactly the same flag without a coat of arms - it is used for private purposes.
Legend has it that this flag was created by one of the Aragonese kings, who decided to make his own banner and commissioned several designs. He liked the option with a gold field, and to complement the overly minimalistic look of the flag and give it more recognition, he applied two stripes with his fingers on the top and bottom, dipping his hands in a goblet of animal blood.
It is likely that this legend is a fiction or distorted rumors. What is known for sure is that the modern version of the flag, only with a slightly different coat of arms from today, began to be used in Spain in 1785. King Carlos III of Bourbon did not like the fact that the Spanish white naval standard could easily be confused with the standards of ships of other countries, so he ordered that a bright, red and yellow frag, decorated with the coat of arms of the House of Bourbon, be installed on warships.
For a short time, the flag of Spain was canceled and replaced by another version with three equally wide stripes of red, yellow and purple. This happened in 1931, with the proclamation of the new republic, but 6 years later, with the outbreak of the civil war, the old flag began to be used much more often, and in 1939, after the overthrow of the republic, Franco finally got rid of the new version and began to use the old red and yellow flag .
In 1981, the flag of Spain acquired its modern appearance - a new, slightly modified version of the coat of arms appeared on the yellow stripe. Including all the coats of arms of the medieval states that today make up the territory of Spain, it symbolizes the unity of Spain.
In the very center is oval shield with golden lilies, which denote the Angevin branch of the Bourbon dynasty - the current king of Spain belongs to this family. Around are the coats of arms of Castile with a yellow castle on a red background, Leon with a red lion on a white background, Aragon with gold stripes, Navarre in the form of several interconnected chains and Andalusia with a pomegranate. These coats of arms form a second, larger shield, on both sides of which there are columns - pillars of Hercules, depicting the Strait of Gibraltar, and on top is a crown, symbolizing the government structure of the country.
Modern version of the coat of arms appeared in 1977 to replace the old, similar one, which was adopted in 1945. It was distinguished by the presence of an eagle that held a shield with coats of arms, a motto ribbon with the words “United, Great, Free” and symbols of Francoism - a dropped yoke and five arrows.
FLAG OF SPAIN: history of origin and formation
Flags in the territory of modern Spain have a long history. The use of banners in the Iberian Peninsula was recorded long before Spain was established as an independent state.
The first flags in what is now Spain there were, in all likelihood, the so-called vexillum - standards used by Roman legionaries. The Visigoths, who replaced the Romans, continued to use the same standards, but until the Muslim invasion, the prototypes of modern flags did not appear on the territory of the Iberian Peninsula. It was the Muslims, as well as their opponents, the crusaders, who first began to use fluttering pieces of fabric of the correct shape on sticks. Flags were used primarily to represent kings, princes, or lords rather than nations or territories.
Quite quickly, these symbols began to be adopted by the kings of the region, as well as people who held titles of nobility. Some of the kingdoms that formed on the Iberian Peninsula after the end of Islamic rule in 1492 used different banners and standards.
Kingdom of Leona used as standard image of a mythological animal. Aragon used the standard with horizontal red and yellow stripes of equal size. It was this standard that became the prototype of the modern flag of Spain. Standard of the State of Navarre contained images of a series of yellow chains. On the flag of Castile a purple lion and castle were placed.
Symbolic meaning of the colors of the flag of spain a legend connects with its origin. Legend has it that this flag was created by one of the Aragonese kings, who decided to make his own banner and commissioned several designs. Among the proposed banner designs, he liked the option with a golden field. To complement the overly minimalistic look of the flag and make it more recognizable, he applied two stripes with his fingers on the top and bottom, dipping his hands in a goblet of animal blood.
More about the flag of Spain:
Spain as a state arose in 1479 after the marriage that was concluded between King Ferdinand of Castile and Queen Isabella of Aragon. In 1492, complete unification of the peninsula was achieved through conquest and the expulsion of Islamic rule from the Iberian Peninsula. As a result of the union of the states of the Iberian Peninsula, the kings adopted a standard that combined the coats of arms of the united kingdoms.
However, the first flags that represented the new united country began to be used during the reign of John I. Following the adoption of the symbol of the House of Austria, Spain began to be recognized nationally and internationally. At the same time, the banner began to be used Cross of Burgundy : red jagged cross on a white background.
This symbol of the Spanish monarchy underwent numerous changes and adaptations under each new sovereign. Despite this, for many centuries the Cross of Burgundy represented the Spanish crown both within Spain and in the colonial possessions that Spain began to acquire in the Middle Ages, especially in the Americas.
In 1700, the final changes in the evolution of the Spanish monarchy took place. After the death of the Spanish King Carlos II the Enchanted, who left no heir, the French King Philip V ascended the Spanish throne and remained there until 1746, with a short break in 1724. The king managed to avoid the War of Succession and firmly maintain power in the Iberian Peninsula. From the very beginning of his reign, important changes began to appear in Spanish state symbols, especially in relation to Spain flag .
Although the Cross of Burgundy continued to be used on flags, especially in the Spanish colonial territories, other symbols began to be placed on the flag. It should be noted that among various kingdoms, representatives of the House of Bourbon (Sicily, France) have become relevant to use as state flags white panels with the royal coat of arms on them A. Spain was no exception.
Almost immediately, after the accession of representatives of the Bourbon dynasty to the Spanish throne, state symbols of Spain White symbols began to appear. At first they were used mainly on Spanish ships. First naval standard of Spain was valid in the period 1701 - 1760. Due to its complexity, it had two versions: original and simplified.
The original version of the banner of Spain included all the coats of arms of the ancient Spanish kingdoms. They were surrounded by fleece and red ribbons.
The simplified version was limited to the image of the coat of arms of Castile and Granada, as well as the emblem of the Bourbon family in the form of three lilies on a blue background. The ribbons in this case were blue.
In 1760 naval standard of Spain changed after the accession of King Carlos III, the third son of Felipe V. Carlos III was crowned after the death of his brother Fernando VI, who left no descendants.
New flag of Spain changed in form and composition. The now united Spanish coat of arms was depicted as ovals, in which the coats of arms of the ancient Spanish kingdoms were divided into different spaces. The red ribbons were also retained.
Considering the excessive similarity spanish flag with the flags of different European kingdoms, King Carlos III decided to change it. The reason that many of these flags were similar was due to the presence of common symbols and imagery among the monarchies of the House of Bourbon.
On May 28, 1785, by decree of King Carlos III, a competition was announced for new spain flag design . As a result of the competition, by the decision of King Carlos III of Spain, two versions of the royal banner were chosen: one of them began to be used on Spanish warships, and the second on ships of the merchant fleet.
Flag of the Spanish Merchant Navy , chosen by the monarch, was a yellow coat with two light red stripes. They occupied a sixth of the flag and were located in the form of horizontal stripes on two sides of the central yellow area. Behind them were two yellow stripes. In this form, the flag of the Spanish merchant fleet existed until 1927.
Second version of the Spanish flag , which was used on military ships of Spain, was a panel divided into three stripes, of which the upper and lower ones were red, occupying a quarter of the surface area of the flag. The central stripe was yellow. On its left side was the Spanish coat of arms, which was simplified and consisted of the coats of arms of Castile and Leon, accompanied by a royal crown. This flag design has survived to this day, although it has undergone periodic changes.
The intention of the Spanish King Carlos III in approving these flags was mainly to ensure that Spanish ships would no longer encounter problems on the high seas due to difficulties in identifying their nationality, because. at that time, many European states used similar white banners with the emblems of the Bourbons as standards on ships.
Despite this, in 1793 it was ordered that Spain flag , which was used on military seagoing vessels, must be stationed in all Spanish ports, regardless of whether they receive merchant ships or Spanish warships. Thus, the Spanish naval symbol began to be used in port terminals.
This variant of the Spanish banner gained popularity in the War of Independence against Napoleonic invasion of Spain. Its use was widespread in the revolt in the city of Cortes de Cadiz. However, eliminating the discrepancies between the naval version and the one used by the ground forces took until 1843. This year the standards of the Spanish flag were unified and it was established that everyone must maintain the structure and colors Spanish military flag .
Thus, the Spanish flag has been adopted as the official flag of Spain since the mid-19th century . In fact, the flag of Spain has remained completely unchanged since that time. This situation continued until the declaration of the Spanish Republic in 1873.
The flag of the Spanish Republic has undergone some changes . The general red and yellow background has been retained. The changes affected the coat of arms of Spain, placed on the yellow field of the flag. Here the crown, as a symbol of the Spanish monarchy, was removed. However, in this form the flag of Spain lasted only 2 years, i.e. the period of preservation of the republican state system in Spain.
Its duration was as short as that of the republic, for soon after the two years were completed the restoration of the Bourbons and the disintegration of this form of state took place.
After the return of the Bourbons to the Spanish throne in 1874, the previous spanish flag with royal crown . This state of affairs continued without any changes until the creation of the so-called Second Spanish Republic.
Over time, the Spanish monarchy weakened. This became especially noticeable during the reign of Alfonso XIII, which saw a coup d'état by Captain Miguel Primo de Rivera in 1923, which established a military government with the consent of the monarch.
In 1930, Primo de Rivera resigned and went into exile, forcing the already discredited Alfonso XIII to find a new government president. After the ephemeral dictatorship of General Damaso Berenguer, Alfonso XIII appointed Juan Bautista Aznar as president of admiral rank, who consecrated the monarchical government.
The success of the Republicans in large and medium-sized cities led to the expulsion of King Alfonso XIII and the proclamation of the Republic on April 14, 1931.
Together with the republic a new national flag has arrived in Spain , which consisted of three horizontal stripes of equal size in red, yellow and purple. The greatest invention of this time was the inclusion of purple in the banner. Historically, this color was associated with the symbols of Castile and Leon. Purple flags were used by the forces of national liberation during the reign of King Ferdinand VII. During Isabella II's reign, purple was also used in the form of ties at the top of the flag: red, yellow and purple ribbons.
After Proclamation of the Spanish Republic tricolor flag was chosen quickly. Later they added a shield with four parts, two columns of Hercules and a castle instead of a crown.
In 1936, a civil war began in Spain, which changed the history of this European country. A nationalist political movement opposed the republican government and, after three years of conflict, eventually won and seized power. A dictatorship was established led by Francisco Franco, which lasted until 1975.
After the civil war, Franco's troops were again used old spanish flag . However, in 1938, a new design for the flag of Spain was created.
The main change was placing the San Juan eagle on the flag of Spain's new symbol . In addition, this coat of arms included the slogan "Una, Grande y Libre", which also identified the Franco regime. Also included were symbols of Falangism, Franco's political movement, in the form of a spear. The slogan "Plus Ultra", which still remains today, was also added to the crest.
In 1945, after the end of World War II, Spain flag changed due to changes in the coat of arms of Spain. In addition, the coat of arms was increased in size, reaching the areas of the outer red stripes of the flag. The color of the slats has also been changed to red.
After the death of F. Franco, a new stage in the development of the Spanish state began, known as the “Transition”. At this point the coat of arms of Spain also changes, resulting in a change and Spain flag . In 1977, changes came with a new vision for the eagle. It now had more open wings, and the motto "Una, Grande y Libre" was placed on top of the bird, which began to completely cover the coat of arms.
It is believed that this national flag of spain was adopted in such a way that the period of "Transition" to democracy would not have exactly the same symbol as the Franco regime. However, the changes to the coat of arms were cosmetic.
The constitution, which turned Spain into a parliamentary monarchy and rule of law, was approved in 1978. Over the years, it was decided to end the use of the French eagle in national symbols. The process of excluding the eagle from state symbols ended completely in 1981. Although the flag remained red and yellow in equal proportions, the coat of arms of Spain underwent significant changes.
Since 1981, the eagle has ceased to be used as the Spanish coat of arms and has been removed from Spain flag . The shield had simply barracks without duplicates: Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarre, except for the tip of the Granada weapon.
The constitution, which turned Spain into a parliamentary monarchy and rule of law, was approved in 1978. Over the years, it was decided to end the use of the French eagle in national symbols. The process of excluding the eagle from state symbols ended completely in 1981. Although the flag remained red and yellow in equal proportions, the coat of arms of Spain underwent significant changes.
Since 1981, the eagle has ceased to be used as the Spanish coat of arms and has been removed from the flag of Spain. Modern national flag of Spain is a combination of three stripes - two narrow red ones on top and bottom, yellow and wide in the middle. The flag, adopted in 1981, is decorated with the coat of arms of Spain, consisting of the coats of arms of various Spanish provinces.
The castle on the coat of arms of Spain is the symbol of Castile, the pomegranate is the symbol of Andalusia, the lion is the symbol of Asturias, Leon and Galicia, the four red stripes on a yellow background on the shield symbolize Catalonia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands, the chains represent Navarre. The lilies in the center of the coat of arms are a symbol of the Angevin branch of the Bourbons, to which the royal family belongs. The crown means that Spain is a monarchical country. Columns or Pillars of Hercules are the symbol of Gibraltar.
More about the flag of Spain:
