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Minorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Menorca, Minorca Island Council, Consejo/Consell Insular de Menorca

image by Jaume Ollé

Description
Mistaken Variants
City of Ciutadella (Ciudadela)

See also:

Balearic Islands (Spain)
Spain

Description

The flag of Minorca Island was adopted 14th November 1983. It is the Catalan flag with the coat-of-arms of the "General University" (the name of the old municipal administration, the only local administration of the island).

Jaume Ollé, 13 Dec 1996

I spent a week in August 1999 in Minorca, the easternmost island of the Balearics (and actually the easternmost Spanish territory). Minorca (Menorca in Catalan and Spanish) was British from 1714 to 1802, except for a brief period under French domination, so the (first) Union Flag flew over there for quite a while!

The flag of Minorca is the Catalan-Aragonese flag with the peculiar coat-of-arms of Minorca offset to the hoist, as in FOTW. The official flag is quite as Jaume Ollé's GIF, only the coat-of-arms is slightly larger, going from the middle of the second yellow stripe to the middle of the fourth. Otherwise the drawing is very similar to the information I received last January from the Govern Balear (Balearic Autonomous Government), and to the flags displayed in official buildings throughout the island. There are however many variations/mistakes.

None of the cities I visited have (or at least none flew) a city flag, including the capital Maó (Mahón). The only exception was Ciutadella. Funnily enough, I was unable to buy a flag of Minorca anywhere in the island. I visited many shops, dealing in souvenirs, Minorcan articles, Minorcan books, yacht supply shops and the like to no avail. Pity!

Santiago Dotor, 03 Sep 1999

According to the Manual del Estado Español (Handbook of the Spanish State, Spanish text only) by Editorial Lama, the coat-of-arms (without date) is:

Sobre octógono curvilíneo en azul celeste, torre de plata sobrepuesta a edificio con tejado del mismo metal, la torre coronada por una cruz potenciada y entre la cruz y la torre una veleta horizontal con punta hacia la derecha y flanqueada por dos escuditos en losange de oro y las cuatro barras reales de Cataluña-Aragón en gules. El pie de la torre rodeado de una muralla pentagonal en plata con cuatro torres del mismo metal en los entrepaños y una puerta en el panel de la muralla central.

Pascal Vagnat, 16 Jul 1999

Mistaken Variants

There are many variations/mistakes. The most common one is a much larger coat-of-arms, reaching from the middle of the first red stripe to the middle of the fourth red stripe. I have crudely enlarged the coat-of-arms in Jaume Ollé's GIF:

Wrong variation, coat-of-arms too large
image by Santiago Dotor and Jaume Ollé

Another common variation is a centered coat-of-arms (instead of offset to the hoist).

Wrong variation, centered coat-of-arms
image by Santiago Dotor and Jaume Ollé

Finally, a third variation is a coat-of-arms with straight instead of engrailed octagon sides.

Wrong variation, coat-of-arms with straight sides
image by Santiago Dotor and Jaume Ollé

Santiago Dotor, 03 Sep 1999

In August 1999 I picked up a leaflet published by the Consell Insular de Menorca (island council i.e. government), displaying a large picture of an actual Minorca flag. Most astonishingly, the coat-of-arms displayed on it is a mistaken version, the third (straight octagon sides) variety described above. One more instance that an official publication does not necessarily imply correct vexillological information... Here is a scan.

Santiago Dotor, 20 Mar 2001

Wrong variation, with too light blue
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Jun 2009

The coat of arms is correct but the shade of blue is celestial. I kept the irregular ratio of the stripes according to source, a copy of a flyer, published by Menorca island Council, unfortunately without any date, and to be found on Gabriel Bibiloni's pages.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Jun 2009

1978 Version

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Jun 2009

A Senyera having a vertical blue stripe at the hoist containing a white castle. The red stripes of this version are slightly thinner. You can see this flag on a photo taken on 28 June 1978 at Bellver Castle, Palma de Mallorca, hanging on the left side. According to Gabriel Bibiloni the stripe at the hoist is blue.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Jun 2009

1978-1981 Version

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Jun 2009

The 1978-1981 version is the same as 1978 one, only the shape of the castle has turned into the current form and the castle had been rotated 270° clockwise, so that its top is now pointing to the hoist. My image is based on one given by Gabriel Bibiloni.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Jun 2009

City of Ciutadella (Ciudadela)

image by Santiago Dotor

Ciutadella (Spanish Ciudadela, meaning citadel in English) was the former capital of the island up to 1714, when the British made Maó (Mahón) capital. Its flag is red (not crimson) with the lozenge-shaped coat-of-arms of the city in the middle. You can see the coat-of-arms in the city's official website.

Santiago Dotor, 03 Sep 1999