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Kastav (The Coast-Gorski Kotar, Croatia)

Grad Kastav

Last modified: 2010-02-19 by dov gutterman
Keywords: kastav | primorsko-goranska |
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image by Željko Heimer, 15 October 2005



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Other Sites:

  • Collection of Croatian Local Flags at FAME

Overview

Kastav is a medieval fort, today the western suburb of Rijeka of some 6000 inhabitants, just a mile or so inlad from the northermost point of the Rijeka (Kvarner) bay.
The coat of arms of Kastav is modernization of the historical one: Azure St. Helena issuant from the base clead in white and cloaked gules, crowned and haloed or holding a cross of the last. St. Helena was mother of Empiror Constantine the Great, therefor ethe crown on her head. She had imporant role in establishing many places of cult of Chirstians in the Holy Land (therefore the cross-staff).
The source claims that the modernized coat of arms is not in the official use (yet), which would mean probably that the modernization was a (winning?) proposal on a concourse that is either not yet approved by the Ministry or it is not yet fully adopted by the local administration. Surely, that means that no flag is used also.
Since administrative reform in 1992/93 until 1997 Kastav had status of a community, when it was upgraded to city level.
Source: [osg02] Oštric Goroslav: Monumenta heraldica, izbor iz heraldicke baštine primorsko-goranske županije, Pomorski i povijesni muzej Hrvatskog primorja Rijeke, 2002.
Željko Heimer, 24 June 2003

There is a more straightforward relation between St. Helena and the cross. A late and apocryphal tradition claims that St. Helena found the "True Cross", on which Christ had been crucified. The "True Cross" was a very popular relic in the Middle-Ages. Abbeys and monasteries competed for showing such relics to pilgrims, often violently.
Ivan Sache, 25 June 2003

The decision on the symbols was issued: Odluka o upotrebi grba i zastave (Opc'ine Kastav), 27.04.1995, Službene novine Županije primorsko-goranske, br. 10/95, 22. svibnja 1995.
Apparently the Ministry did not approve the symbols adopted by it, and the new proposed design (the one shown in [osg02]) is still not adopted by the City.
The 1995 decision adopts the coat of arms: gules two towers connected with walls with city gates Voltica, rising above the belfry of the Church of St. Helena and below all two ivy branches with golden fruits. The flag is bicolour - silver over red with the coat of arms in the middle.
Also a ceremonial gonfalon is prescribed, red with coat of arms and the inscribed name of the community above and three tails with ivy leaves and golden fruits.
Željko Heimer, 17 August 2003

Tomislav Šipek and Rober Grubiša forwarded me the article from Novi list (newspaper from rijeka) dated 26 September 2003. I translate it in somehwat shortened form: "With some amendments and additions to the decisions, the members of the council of the city of Kastav have adopted the decision on the coat of arms and the flag. The coat of arms bears the image of St. Helen the Crusaider shown with a golden crown and a glden nimbus, wearing a white dress with a red cape bordered golden and holding in her hends a slanted golden cross. Her image is in a blue heartlike shield. The flag is monocoloured, red with the coat of arms set on both sides in the middle of the flag, bordered golden. The ceremonial flag is dark red bordered golden-yellow with the coat of arms topped with the inscription "Grad Kastav". The amendment by a councelor was adopted unanimously regarding the shape of the letters, that are to be of the type of the Roman Capital with a famous slanted 's' of Kastav".
Hopeing to get more info on the ceremonial flag, especially on the slanted 's' (I suppose that it goes about an inscription that is well known locally with some special type of the letter S).
The description matches well the shape of the Coat of Arms as I reported from Ostric's book (that clearly indicated that at the time it was only a proposal), except for the golden border of the cloak.
Željko Heimer, 18 October 2003

The decision: Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Kastva, 25.09.2003, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 26/03, 24.10.2003, finally adopts the coat of arms and the flag as was proposed. The flag is red with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the middle. The decision also formally abrogates the 1995 decision that was already not followed by in practice.
The decision: Odluka o sveanoj zastavi Grada Kastva, 25.09.2003, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 26/03, 24.10.2003, determines the ceremonial flag of the city of Kastav. It is dark red golfanon bordered golden-yellow and with golden fringes along the bottom, with the coat of arms in the middle bordered golden-yellow.
Above the coat of arms is inscription "Grad Kastav" in two rows and below the coat of arms two crossed golden-yellow ivy branches with circular fruits.
The images are based on the photos of the flag and the ceremonial flag I took in Kastava on 6 June 2004.
Željko Heimer, 15 October 2005

The symbols were designed by the Heralid Art d.o.o company in Rijeka.
Željko Heimer, 4 November 2007

The new 2009 describes the coat of arms, the flag and the ceremonial flag in its articles 4 though 6. This is not described in the previous 2001 Statutes (as they were adopted only in 2003), only reference to adoption procedure to be held.
- Statut Grada Kastva, 14.07.2009, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 26/2009, 15.07.2009.
After changes in the administrative structure of the city official bodies, the change is reflected in amendments to the two decisions regarding the COA, the flag and the ceremonial flag, the amendments being just minor.
- Odluka o I. izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Kastva, 14.07.2009, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 26/09, 15.07.2009.
- Odluka o I. izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o svecanoj zastavi Grada Kastva, 14.07.2009, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 26/09, 15.07.2009.
Željko Heimer, 7 and 8 December 2009


Ceremonial Flag


image by Željko Heimer, 15 October 2005


Coat of Arms


image by Željko Heimer, 15 October 2005