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Padania - Flags of Padania "Nations" - Part 2 (Italy)

Last modified: 2003-07-05 by dov gutterman
Keywords: italy | padania | lega nord | romagna | sud tyrol | tuscany | trentino | veneto | venezia giulia | umbria |
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Romagna (Lega Nord Romagna)


by Giuseppe Bottasini, 24 June 1996

In two quarters there is the red cross on white field, while in the other two quarters there is a yellow cross (green fimbriated) on a red field and 4 yellow green-fimbriated "C" (something like the Serbian flag).
Giuseppe Bottasini, 19 September 1996

A flag for Romagna is proposed: in two quarters there is the red cross on white field, while in the other two quarters there is a yellow cross (green fimbriated) on a red field and 4 yellow green-fimbriated "C" (something like the Serbian flag). It has clearly Byzantine roots.
Mario Fabretto, 20 September 1996

Romagna: quartered 1-4 red cross on white; 2-3 yellow cross on red and in each red quarter a letter like the ones in the serbian arms.
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

"Romagna" is identical to the Byzantine one. Romagna belonged to Byzantine Empire for a long time. This may explain the adoption of Byzantine flag by the Romagna autonomist movement. The logo of the autonomist movement of Romagna includes the flag. See its site
Giuseppe Bottasini, 29 August 2000


by Matteo Colaone, 29 September 2000

The proposed flag by Lega Nord and other Autonomist Movements is directly derives from the old Byzantine Empire flag that was created (according to "Libro del conoscimento de todos los reynos", XIV sec.) by the combination of San Giorgio cross and Paleologo dinasty's flag. The four symbols on Paleologo flag could be "B" letters in greek alphabet, that could stand for the motto: "Re dei re regnante sui re". The Byzantine Domine was the only power that gave unity to Romagna land (Esarcato e Pentapoli).
Paleologo's CoA is also present in 'Casale Monferrato' (Piemont) CoA, in 'Ducato di Mantova' CoA, and in 'Paleologo of Monferrato' family's CoA.
Matteo Colaone, 29 August 2000

This emblem was drawn on bysantine coins in VI century and on banner (labarum) of emperor Constantin. This is the flag of the Byzantine Empire under the Paleologues' dinasty and it's a copy of the one in Neubecker's "Heraldry - sources, symbols and meaning (1976), p. 106. (incl the rounded corners)
Victor Lomantsov, 1 October 2000 ,Santiago Dotor and Jarig Bakker, 3 October 2000

Indeed it is the Byzantine flag. Most probably it was chosen by the "autonomists" there (a very very small minority) because Romagna was Byzantine for a lot of time before being "inherited" by the State of the church. Outside this recent choice it has not any tradition of use in Romagna. The most famous Italian coat of arms bearing the flag or arms of Byzantium was NOT used in Romagna but was used in the Marchesato del Monferrato (a sub region of Piedmont, between Turin and Genoa),  and also in Mantua. Both Monferrato and Mantua were ruled at a stage by the Gonzaga Family which had some Paleologue Byzantine ancestor, so for Monferrato and Mantua the Paleologue Cross with 4 B is definitely  there because of  of some family  heraldic reason. What I remember without consultin some book is that some Byzantine noblemen of the Paleologue imperial dynasty settled in Italy I guess because of political dissent with a new emperor in Constantinople (and more Byzantines people and nobles took refuge in Italy at the time of the fall of Byzantium to the invading turkish army in 1453). The south slavians tribes of invaders which arrived in Illyria in the VII century of our era, when began to reach the stage of forming their kingdom adopted the trappings and symbols of the  far more complex ancient civilization of Byzantium and so from Constantinople they usurped the eagle (which they re painted white instead of gold) as a symbol of sovereignity and the red S. George cross,too and the golden cross with the four golden B in the four quarters. The  "B" comes from basileus = Greek for  king and/or emperor and there were 4 because of a Greek phrase saying something like king of the king reigning over kings. The four Byzantine B in the serbian flags became four C.
Marcus Prometheus, 1 October 2000

Other Reported Flags

Has anyone ever seen this flag I have found in an Italian site about dialects?
It is supposed to be a flag of Romagna, even if the site no longer shows it.
Paolo Montanelli, 24 June 2003


by Jaume Olle', 25 June 2003

In Flag Report 24, regarding to Romagna, a flag was published that has a resemblance with the one posted by Paolo Montanelli. The roster bear a scepter like the one pictured in the flag. This flag, I believe, is used by the Leghiste (followers of the Padanian Leagues). The text say: Flag adopted (for use) toward September  2000. Yellow and red are the national colors of Romagna. the cross fimbreated white symbolizes to the romagnolos as one of the peoples of the Padania (whose historical flag is red cross in white field); the rooster represents to the ancestres, the Senon Gauls, and carries the sceptre used by the ancient Celtic. Has four tones of blue probably somewhat more strong that in the image (where the tones correspond to those of the photo).
Jaume Olle', 25 June 2003

see also: Emilia-Romagna Region and Byzantine Empire


South Tyrol [Sud Tyrol] (Lega Nord Alto Adige-Sudtirol)


by Matteo Colaone, 5 October 2000

SudTirolesi uses a white-red flag with the eagle.
Giuseppe Bottasini, 19 September 1996

Sud Tyrol - white over red with arms in center (white with red eagle armed and tongued yellow and crowned with green laurel).
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

This flag (Horizontal white-red with shield bearing an eagle) is listed under number 47 at the chart "Flags of Aspirant Peoples" [eba94] as: "South Tyrol [Su¨d Tirol] (Austrians of Alto Adige) - North Italy".
Ivan Sache, 19 September 1999

Lega Nord Flag of SudTirol (Alto-Adige ), that is the actual province of Bozen/Bolzano
Matteo Colaone, 5 October 2000

I think that looks very much like the flag of the state of Tirol in Austria.
Elias Granqvist, 5 October 2000

see also: Trentino-Alto Adige Region


Trentino (Lega Nord Trentino)


by Matteo Colaone, 5 October 2000

Trentino - white over red, with arms in center: white with black eagle over 4 mounts.
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

Flag of Trentino (province of Trento), also called Welschtirol, that is "celtic Tirol", because differently from Sudtirol this population speak a Gaul-romance language.
Matteo Colaone, 5 October 2000

see also: Trentino-Alto Adige Region


Tuscany (Lega Nord Toscana)


by Jaume Olle', 19 Febuary 2003

Toscani uses a horizontal red-white-red flags with a device in the center but I do not know what it is.
Giuseppe Bottasini, 19 September 1996

Tuscany - Austrian flag with Tuscany arms (red cross bordered golden, and upperimposed yellow shield: left of the observer with five red balls; right, red diagonal band; above all golden crown).
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

"Lega Nord Toscana" has used two variants of a different flag. The one above is the most recent one.
Paolo Montanelli, 19 Febuary 2003

The shield is per pale, or a bend gules and or six roundels gules. I would think the uppermost roundel on the sinister half of the shield - larger than the other five - should be azure with three tiny fleurs-de-lis or, which would make that half of the shield the arms of the family of Medici.
Joe McMillan, 19 Febuary 2003

see also: Tuscany Region


Umbria (Lega Nord Umbria)

Umbria - rose with blue griffin tongued red.
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

see also: Umbria Region


Veneto (Lega Nord Veneto - Liga Veneta)


by Jaume Olle', 17 December 2000

Veneti uses the flag of Venezia: red with the St. Mark golden lion and many golden squiggles.
Giuseppe Bottasini, 19 September 1996

Veneto - the well know complex design with San Marco lion with sword (no book)
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

This flag on top is neither the actual flag of "Liga Veneta" (= Northern League Venetian section), nor the flag of the "Serenissimi" ("Serenisimi" in Venetian language), indipendentist movement from Veneto, who became famous in 1997 for having "conquered" for some hours the famous Bell-Tower of St. Mark in Venice.
Northern League reused the flag with the sword as the "Flag of Orobia" (= Eastern Lombardy, Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia, which were once dominated by the "Serenisima") where people speak a "dialect" quite different from Western Lombardy (or "Insubria") and hardly understandable for other people: in Italian, when we hear a strange word or phrase, we may say "Che è, bergamasco?" (= What is this? Bergamo idiom?). You can see a small gif at <www.padaniacity.com>. I daresay that's the top flag modified with blue background!)
Paolo Montanelli, 20 March 2003

The flag of Liga Veneta is similar to the upper flag but with an open book and with no sword: look at <www.naz-veneto.leganord.org> from the official website of Liga Veneta - Lega Nord Veneto.
The upper flag is the "war-flag" of the "Serenissimi", the independentists who "conquered" the Bell-Tower of St.Mark in 1997.
Paolo Montanelli, 1 May 2003

However in the photo from this conquest show a flag with book instead sword as in the Veneta League page at <www.naz-eneto.leganord.org> but with yellow border.
If I am not wrong there are some facts that can be established:
1) The veneto League flag is based in an old venetian republicain flag (merchant I assume). The border in the League flag is dark red with gold devices probably equal as the old venetian republic flag (if we follow the image in the link <www.naz-veneto.leganord.org>.
2) The Tower Piazza Conquest flag must be the one of the venetian republic (military I assume), but for some reason was used a different flag, like the one of the League flag (no sword but book) but with gold border with dark red devices, according to photos. This flag is draw with red border in <www.geocities.com/PiazzaSanMarco.htm> but photos here also show it with yellow border
3) The military pattern (with dark red border) that show in above must be used by the serenisima republic, and now  adopted by the Orobia autonomist but with the border changed to gold, and its devices to blue, and the central rectangle changed from dark red to blue according to <www.padaniacity.com>.
Jaume Olle', 2 May 2003

see also: Veneto Region


Venezia Giulia (Lega Nord Trieste)


by Matteo Colaone, 4 October 2000

Venezia Giulia: Red-white-red horizontal with a golden lys (?) in center (device similar to the Trieste flag).
Jaume Olle', 29 December 1998

Lega Nord flag of Trieste; it is derived from the Austrian one charged with an ore "corsesca di San Sergio", a medioeval arm. Note that this is the traditional flag of Trieste, because with the annextion of the city to Italy (in 1918) the central silver stripe was eliminated; this event originated the "modern" flag.
Matteo Colaone, 4 October 2000

see also: Friuli - Venezia Giulia Region and Trieste