Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia)

Last modified: 2001-08-11 by dov gutterman
Keywords: dubrovnik | ragusa | croatia | st.blasius | libertas |
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St. Blasius Flag

by Zeljko Heimer

Reintroduced: 1990's, based on primary flag of the Republic of Ragusa

Libertas Flag

by Zeljko Heimer

based on secondary flag of the Republic of Ragusa

• Flags of Dubrovnik
• Coat of Arms

See also:

• Croatia
• Republic of Dubrovnik
• Dubrovnik-Neretva county
• Collection of Croatian Historical Flags at the FAME.

Flags of Dubrovnik

St. Blasius, parton of the city, the barry arms and motto LIBERTAS are ancient symbols of Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik).
Zeljko Heimer

I located what looks like an reproduction of Ragusa historical flag at news dubrovnik site
Dov Gutterman, 26 August 1999

That is the old Ragusa flag, to be found on the flagchart in FTAAATW, p. 205 (c. 1750) and on Danckerts' flag chart (c. 1710). I wonder whether this flag is a reconstruction of one of those flag charts.
Jarig Bakker, 26 August 1999

This is indeed the flag of Ragusa (or Dubrovnik, as the local name is). The flag situation in the longlived Republic was such that two flags were used - the one with LIBERTAS shield, in many variations, was considered a kind of what we would call civil flag (and ensign - the flags were mostly used at sea in that time), and the on with picture of St. Blasius, the patron of the city was more ceremonial and "state" flag. Also the flag with the CoA was used, as some sources say, as they symbol of officials on vessels. Anyway, not going into details here (since I do not have references by hand), I can only say that after WW II city of Dubrovnik reatined only the Libertas flag (as the one with saint was not appropriate in socialist environment, of course) and that was usually red with yellow inscriprion, not unusually in three lines LI/BER/TAS (this design was reported before also). The modern city, after 1990, adopted the flag with St. Blasius as the official city flag, and it is used as such. However, in ceratin occasions, as it is the one mentioned on the site - the Dubrovnik summer festival (of theatre), the flag of liberty is used on opening ceremony and thruout of the festival it is hoisted on the city main square. It might be mentioned also, that as tradition goes, there is no definite design for libertas flag, and even if the same flag is used as the official flag on the main flag-pole (the one on photo), it is quite usual that each year somewhat different pattern is used as the flag of the festival.
Zeljko Heimer, 28 august 1999

Coat of Arms

by Zeljko Heimer