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Rab (The Coast-Gorski Kotar, Croatia)

Modern Coat of Arms (not in use [yet?])
by Zeljko Heimer, 29 June 2003

Traditional Coat of Arms (from Croatia Tourist Guide)
by Zeljko Heimer, 29 June 2003

Overview

See also:

The Coast-Gorski Kotar County
Croatia
Collection of Croatian Local Flags at FAME

Overview

Rab is a city on an island of the same name near the coast beneath Velebit mountain range some 60 km south of Rijeka. City has about 10000 inhabitants. It is known in Italian as Arbe, a name originating from ancient Roman times when the city was established, when it was known as Felix Arba. The attribute Felix was given to cities in Roman times as especial gratitude.
The traditional coat of arms used since Middle Age contains representation of St. Christopher. He is shown as crossing a river carrying an infant - Baby Jesus, and in his right hand a staff with branched end. A crescen and mullet also appear regularly. In a coat of arms redention used nowdays, a slihuete of the city is also shown with characteristic four bellfrys. The shield is crowned and within a wreath with white and blue ribbon inscribed "Felix Arba".
A modernized version of the CoA is shown in [osg02] (prepaired presumably by Heraldic-art d.o.o. from Rijeka, responsible also for many other modern CoA's in the region). It is noted in the book, though, that this version is not (yet?) used, and that the traditional version is still in use. (It is not clear weather this means that the design is adopted in city assembly but for some reason not used or what, and it is not clear if the Ministry approved it etc.)
The modern design is surely accompanied with a (monocoloured?) flag but we shall need more info about it - and if the CoA is not used that the flag is also not used. The ribbon in the CoA suggest that a
bicolour flag might have been used traditionally. In Rab are organized traditionally a chivalry games (most well known for cross- bow competitions) that suirely would include lot of flagging, but I have no detailed information.
Sources: [osg02] Oštric Goroslav: Monumenta heraldica, izbor iz heraldicke baštine primorsko-goranske županije, Pomorski i povijesni muzej Hrvatskog primorja Rijeke, 2002. Croatia Tourist Guide, Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, Zagreb, 2000.
Zeljko Heimer, 29 June 2003