Military Flags 1506-1700 (Spain)

Last modified: 2003-01-11 by santiago dotor
Keywords: cisneros (cardinal) | oran | coat of arms: chequy (red-yellow) | coat of arms (cardinal) | pavia | cross: saltire (white) | tunis | cross: saltire (red) | chequy (white-blue) | cross: burgundy | bordure: zigzag | flamed |
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• Cardinal Cisneros flag during the conquest of Oran 1509
• Flag of the Spanish troops in the Battle of Pavia 1525
• Flag of the Spanish Infantry in the Conquest of Tunis 1535
• Regimental Colour of the Tercio Ambrosio de Spinola 1621
• Regimental Colours of the Spanish Infantry or Tercios 1693, possibly belonging to Swiss Units

See also:

• Historical Flags 1506-1700 (Spain)
• Spain

Other sites:

• Banderas Militares (Military Flags, Spanish text only) by Sergio Camero:
  • Período anterior a los Austrias (Before the Hapsburgs i.e. until 1516)
  • Período de los Austrias (During the Hapsburgs i.e. 1516-1701)
• Banderas y Estandartes (Flags and Standards, Spanish text only) with military flags of the 16th and 17th centuries at the Tercios Españoles website

by Sergio Camero

This flag was flown by Cardinal Cisneros during the conquest of Oran [1509]. It can be seen in the mural paintings of Toledo Cathedral's mozárabe chapel, painted by John of Burgundy in 1517.

Sergio Camero, translated by Santiago Dotor, 22 August 2001

by Sergio Camero, exported to GIF by Santiago Dotor

This flag can be observed in the tapestries made in 1530 by J. Gheetels, in Naples' Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte. Source: Antonio Manzano Lahoz, Las Banderas Históricas del Ejército Español.

Sergio Camero, 24 August and 2 October 2001

The battle of Pavia is probably considered as a milestone in Spanish history, but is of course not so popular in French history books. On 24 February 1525, the Imperial troops led by Emperor Charles V defeated the French troops led by Francois I, who was captured during the battle. Francois I was released only on 17 March 1526, his two sons being sent to Spain as hostages. Several French nobles were killed during the disastrous battle, the most famous of them being the Marshall of France Jacques II de Chabannes, Seigneur de Lapalice.

Ivan Sache, 3 October 2001

by Sergio Camero

This and other many flags of this campaign can be observed in the tapestries made by Wilhelm Pannmaker upon drawings by Jan Cornelisz and Pieter Coek Aelst (1554). The flag has a rounded fly, as was common until the 16th century. Source: Antonio Manzano Lahoz, Las Banderas Históricas del Ejército Español.

Sergio Camero, 24 August and 1 October 2001

~5:6
by Sergio Camero

This is a capitana flag [regimental colour] belonging to an infantry company of the Tercio Ambrosio de Spinola in 1621, during Philip III's reign. Source: Luis Esquiroz Medina, ¿Banderines o Guiones?.

Sergio Camero, 23-24 August 2001

1:1      1:1      1:1
both by Sergio Camero

Capitana flags [regimental colours] of the Spanish infantry or Tercios, as used in 1693 during the reign of Charles II, last Hapsburg king of Spain. There is not a lot of information on its origin, but the flames that skirt the whole flag could indicate that it belonged to a Swiss Company in the service of Spain. Source: Luis Esquiroz Medina, ¿Banderines o Guiones?.

Sergio Camero, 27 August, 3 and 10 September 2001