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Vrbnik (The Coast-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia)

Općina Vrbnik

image by Željko Heimer,14 August 2003

Overview
Coat of Arms

See also:

The Coast-Gorski Kotar County
Croatia
Collection of Croatian Local Flags at FAME

Overview

Vrbnik is a community in easter part of the island of Krk, opposing Novi Vinodolski on the mainland. Community has about 1300 inhabitants (this multiplies several time during summer, no doubt), and apart from tourism it is well know for a high quality white wine produced there (of unpronouncable name: žlahtina). Some of the best restaurants on Adriatic are there, too. There is an other place named Vrbnik, just south of Knin, but it does not have a community status - it is virtually a suburb of Knin.
The decision on the Coat of Arms and the flag is issued in the local official gazette, but unfortunately I don't have the full text of it, only the name: Odluka o grbu i zastavi Opcine Vrbnik, Službene novine Promorsko-goranske županije, br. 14/98 .
The coat of arms is blue with white religious motives and golden star in canton. The flag is yellow with the coat of arms in the middle. So claims Tomislav Šipek, spotting the flag on TV report about a month ago.
Željko Heimer,14 August 2003

The decision is now available on the official gazette site: Odluka o grbu i zastavi Opcine Vrbnik, 23. ožujka 1998, Službene novine Promorsko-goranske županije, br. 14/98, 10.07.1998.
The decision includes virtually the same descriptions of the coat of arms, flag and the ceremonial flag as is also found in the 2001 Statutes: Statut Opcine Vrbnik, 29. rujna 2001, SN PGŽ, br. 24/01, 10.10.2001.
According to the text, the coat of arms pictures St. John holding a lamb and the Eastern flag in its left hand all argent, in base on both his sides kneeling "kapari" and in the chief dexter a mullet or. It may be noted that the colour of the halo (or) and the cross of the flag (gules) are not named!
Compare this with drawings on <opcina-vrbnik.hr> where the coat of arms indeed does not include any cross and golden halo!
The "kapari" obviously refers to the monks, but I am unable to find the meaning of this word - it is probably a local name of the member of this monk order, I guess.
The Decision and the Statutes both describe also the ceremonial flag - being yellow with the coat of arms in the middle and the inscription above it "Opcina Vrbnik"
Željko Heimer, 26 August 2007

The 2009 repeats the description from the 2001 Statutes. There is also an intermidiate 2005 statutes issued in gazette 34/2005, but this is for some reason unavailable from the gazette site. There is little doubt that this includes the same description.
The two versions of the coat of arms as still a bit of a mystery - the gazette and several other soruces shows the coat of arms with red cross in the flag and golden haloes, while the community seems to be using an other artistic version with all white flag and white nimbuses. The last is actually in accordance with the statutes text "ad literam".
- Statut Opcine Vrbnik, 29.09.2001, Službene novine Promorsko-goranske županije, br. 24/01, 10.10.2001.
- Statut Opcine Vrbnik, 08.07.2009, Službene novine Promorsko-goranske županije, br. 31/09, 07.08.2009.
Željko Heimer, 8 December 2009

Coat of Arms

image by Željko Heimer,12 August 2003