This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Virje (Koprivnica-Krizevci County, Croatia)

Općna Virje

Last modified: 2010-02-19 by dov gutterman
Keywords: korpivnicko-krizevacka | virje | st. florian | firemen |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors




image by Željko Heimer, 9 June 2003



See also:

Other Sites:


Overview

Virje is a community 10 km south-east of Koprivnica and 5 km NW of Šurdevac with about 5,400 inhabitants. The CoA and the flag are described in the statutes of 2001 issued in the official gazette (avilable on <www.glasila.hr>):  Statut Opcine Virje, 4. listopada 2001. Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko- križevacke županije, br. 11/01, god. IX, Koprivnica, 5. listopada 2001. They must have been adopted somewhat earlier, say about 1997. I saw the CoA on a road sign at the entrance into the town in September 2000. Dov Gutterman located the CoA image at the <www.virje.hr> site on 26 August 1999, together with a number of local flags of various associations. Now we can fill up the info with the flag, too.
According to the Vladimir Šešet, visitor of my site, the coat of arms and the flag are consecrated on 11th November 1994 on the Day of the Community - St. Martin's Day.
The coat of arms is blazoned: In golden yellow triangular shield bordered red, a red cloak cut per bend. The cloak is St. Martin's cloak, St. Martin being the patron of Virje. The cloak has painted a white cross on the inside and it has a circular clasp on the dexter shoulder. The flag is yellow with the coat of arms set near the hoist. The flag and the coat of arms are approved by the Ministry of Administration.
St. Martin is known for his deed of cutting his cloak in two and sharing it with a beggar. In many CoAs (and therefore some flags too) the sceene is shown, usually often with St. Martin sitting on a horse, giving a piece of his cloak to a beggar. You will see him quite a while in Croatian CoA's , being a revered saint in various Croatian regions (but he is also revered in other parts of Central Europe, but also in Northern Italy and Southern France). Over here, he is mostly known as patron of the vine making, St. Martin's Day being the date when traditionally the young vine is baptized and proclaimed ready to be consumated.
Željko Heimer, 25 and 26 Febuary 2003

According to Dražen Ernecic: Grbovi i zastave Koprivnicko-križevacke županije, Muzej Grada Koprivnice, 2003. i.e. [ern03], the Ministry approved the design on 7 July 1995. Design was made by Ivica Tišljar.
Željko Heimer, 9 June 2003

The web site at <library.foi.hr> include a project of digitazing of the regional journal Glas Podravine, from its first issues in 1951.
- An article from 1994 announces the celebration of the Community Day of Virje on 11 November 1994, the St. Martin Day, where "the new coat of arms and the flag shall be consecrated" in the local parish church..
- An article from 1995 includes a photo from the consecration ceremony of the flag and the coat of arms of Vrije in otherwise flag unrelated article.
Željko Heimer, 11 August 2009

From the official gazettes:
The description of the coat of arms and the flag is repeated in the new 2009 Statutes equal to the 2001 statutes: Statut Opcine Virje, 08.07.2009, Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko-križevacke županije, br. 9/2009, 15.07.2009. str. 859.
Željko Heimer, 13 September and 19 December 2009


Coat of Arms


image by Željko Heimer, 9 June 2003


Flags In The City Site


image resized from <virje.hr>, located by Dov Gutterman, 26 August 1999

This is the flag of the local voluntarly fire department, showing the sain patron of firemen
The site is the site of the community of Virje.
Željko Heimer, 28 August 1999

That would be St. Florian.  I bought a woodcarving of him in Vienna a few years ago--it purports to protect one's house from fire
Joseph McMillan, 29 August 1999

There are more flags on the site: Take a look at <virje.hr/kultura2.html#vrh> and <virje.hr/kultura3.html#vrh>.
Dov Gutterman, 3 September 1999