Last modified: 2009-11-21 by eugene ipavec
Keywords: spain | castile and leon | león | politics | nationalist | lion | conceyu xoven | irredentism | wheel (yellow) |
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![[Leon Autonomist Flag (Spain)]](../images/e/es}cl-le.gif)
image by Antonio Gutiérrez
I seem to recall the main flag of the Leonese autonomists is white with a red lion.
Jaume Ollé, 28 Mar 1998
The exact design of the Leonese autonomist flag is as above. The flag has been used from the late 70's by some political groups – Partido Regionalista del País Leonés (PREPAL), Grupo Autonomista Leonés (GAL), Unión del Pueblo Leonés (UPL) – in their struggle for separate autonomy. The shade of purpure often varies, from darker (close to brown) to lighter (nearly pink, like the colour of the lions in the official Castile and Leon flag). The flag is today widely used, even in public (municipal) buildings in León and in the whole province.
Antonio Gutiérrez, 22 Mar 1999
"The flag is nearly 1,000 years old and was inspired by the Royal Pendón of the Kingdom. The Kings of León were the first in Europe to adopt a distinctive flag and standard. The Royal Pendón of the Kingdom, with the lion rampant, was a pioneer symbol. In the 19th century, the Pendón was transformed into a flag, which was adopted (extraofficially since the León Country has no official recognition) as the flag of the León Country."
Source: León Country blog
Ivan Sache, 04 Feb 2009
I seem to recall the main flag of the Leonese autonomists is white with a red lion.
Jaume Ollé, 28 Mar 1998
"Dating back to much older times than the purple flag, the field of the León flag was sometimes gray-silver with the Royal lion. On this field shall be placed the current purple lion accepted by all."
Source: León Country blog
Ivan Sache, 04 Feb 2009
![[Conceyu Xoven (León, Spain)]](../images/e/es}cxo.gif)
image by António Martins
Conceyu Xoven demands the independence of the Leonese homeland, that includes not only parts of the Spanish Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, but also parts of northeastern Portugal. The flag they propose for this country is red with the leonese shield in the centre (white with red lion) surmounted by a crown. Their symbol, that may be their flag also, is a red field with a thin golden circle and a device within very similar to that of Lega Nord (Italy), also in gold. They have a webpage, written mainly in Leonese, and they are listed in the Homelands page.
Jorge Candeias, 30 Mar 1998
I believe it is not an important movement. The movement for the autonomy of León (out of Castilla y León) is well known, but Conceyu Xoven is unknown to me. Some Leonese claim also the union with the provinces of Zamora and Salamanca, and sometimes also with the provinces of Valladolid and Palencia, in a new autonomous community. I never heard about claims over Portugal.
Jaume Ollé, 04 Apr 1998
I presume the parts of Portugal they refer to are the Asturian-Leonese speaking areas, namely all of the municipality of Miranda do Douro, commune of Caçarelhos (neighbouring municipality of Vimioso), and Guadramil and Rio d'Onor, two villages of the Bragança municipality. Clearly an ethnic-linguistic approach to irredentism, with which I cannot totally disagree...
António Martins, 08 Apr 1998
If I recall correctly, it's larger, including the areas in Beira Alta between river Coa and the border with Spain that once (centuries ago) belonged to the Kingdom of León.
Jorge Candeias, 08 Apr 1998
We are Conceyu Xoven, a young nationalist organisation from Lleón, in Spain. You can see the flag of Conceyu Xoven here [similar to the Padanian "sun of the alps"].
Abel Pardo Fernández (General Secretary of Conceyu Xoven and City Councillor of León), 28 Sep 1998
I don't know the meaning of the [Conceyu Xoven] leonese nationalist flag but a similar symbol is used by several northern Spanish groups, as the Ensame Nacionalista Astur and the Cantabrian nationalist flag also has a similar device.
Jaume Ollé, 20 Jun 1999
I don't understand why this Conceyu Xoven keeps its irredentist claims over the once Leonese territory that was ceded to Portugal by Castile through the Alcañices Treaty in 12xx (after Leon was absorbed by Castile). That region, border north central Portugal (more or less the current municipalities of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Pinhel, Almeida, Guarda and Sabugal), has no Asturian-Leonese speakers (and perhaps never had, since back when the partition was made that was freshly conquered land, populated mainly by Arabic, Berber or Mozarab speakers); the only exception from "normal" Portuguese in the area (but slightly to the west) I can think of is a quite large community of crypto-Jews that resisted the 17th century expulsions. On the other hand, they don't seem to claim the Asturian/Leonese-speaking parts of Portugal (the Mirandese dialect) listed above, which leads me to conclude that this particular movement may not be lead by well-informed people... A distinction should be made between:
António Martins, 23 Jun 1999
On the website of "Conceyu Xoven," there seems to be some indication that the red flag with the yellow symbol is the "People's flag" (at least on the Internet).
Source: http://www.conceyu.net/outros.php
Ivan Sache, 04 Feb 2009
It seems that almost every province in Spain has autonomistic demands. Here and here is the flag of proposed Autonomia Leonesa, which is almost identical with Leon provincial flag. Lot of photos.
Valentin Poposki, 03 Jul 2009
The Leonese autonomist party UPL (Unión del Pueblo Leonés) has proposed a new status for Castile and León, maintained as an Autonomous Community but with a semantic change to "León and Castile." Article 2 states that the Autonomous Community of León and Castile shall be made of the two Territories of León (Provinces of León, Zamora and Salamanca) and Castile (Provinces of Ávila, Burgos, Palencia, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid). Article 4 prescribes the symbols as follows:
1. The institutional emblem of the Community of León and Castile is a shield surmounted by a Royal crown open, quartered by across and counterquartered. The first and fourth quarters are argent a lion rampant purple, langued and armed gules and crowned or. The second and third quarters are gules a castle or with three turrets masoned sable port and windows azure [Logically, this proposed emblem of León and Castile swaps the quarters of the current emblem of Castile and León.]2. The institutional flag of the Community of León and Castile is quartered with the symbols of León and Castile as described in the previous pragraph. [Logically, this proposed flag of León and Castile swaps the quarters of the current flag of Castile and León.]
3. the institutional banner shall be hoisted only on the buildings housing the official seats of the Community.
4. Similarly, each of the two Territories of León and Castile shall have their respective official banners, which shall be hoisted on all the official buildings located on their respective territories.
5. The local entities may use their own emblems and flags.
Source: "La Crónica de León," 24 Oct 2005
Ivan Sache, 04 Feb 2009
