Last modified: 2010-02-12 by dov gutterman
Keywords: zadar | zara |
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image by Željko Heimer, 8 November 2009
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The flag of the city of Zadar (known also by its Italian name
Zara) is blue with the coat of arms of the city in the middle.
The coat of arms are divided per fess embattled gules and argent,
on base wavy azure a "rearing" (what is heraldese for a
horse in such position?) horse sable mounted a horseman with halo
or and mantle azure, holding in sinister a shiled argent with a
cross gules and in dexter a spear with gonganon of the same
design.
The saint is St. Grisogon (St. Krs<evan) is the patron of the
city. The coat of arms (and the flag) of this design are recently
adopted around 1996 (?), based on the older coat of arms of the
city, also picturing the St. Grisogon infront of a citadel with
flag etc. less heraldically simplified and more naturalistically
made (During the socialist period the coat of arms in use was
similar, with a warrior on a horse (without the halo) holding a
pure red flag.).
There seems to exist a vertical variation of the flag, with the
coat of arms in lower part and inscription in gold in two rows
"GRAD ZADAR" with golden fringe on lower edge, which is
probably the ceremonial flag. It would not be unexpected also
that there exists a vertical gonfanon of even more ceremonial
layout.
Željko Heimer, 18 March 1999
The new
city statutes (Statut Grada Zadra, 07.07.2009, Glasnik Grada
Zadra, br. 9/2009, 16.07.2009) includes in its article 4 a very
general determination that the city has a coat of arms, a flag, a
mayor's chain and an anthem, all determined with a paticular
decision of the city assembly - repeating the determination of
the previous 2001 statutes.
However, not much after the new statutes, apparently all the city
decisions were to be amended to match it, so is the decision on
the coat of arms and the flag, where we now for the first time, I
believe, get any reference to it (Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada
Zadra, Glasnik Grada Zadra, br. 9/95, 16/95 i 1/96). Namely, a
2009 decision amends it in minor details (providing some
responsibilities to the mayor, that was previously responsibility
of the city magistrate). It is determined that the consolidated
text of the original 1995 decision and all the amendments to it
(1995, 1996 and 2009) be issued, so we may look for it soon:
Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada
Zadra, 27.08.2009, Glasnik Grada Zadra, br. 11/2009 here.
The city web site
includes some further descriptions of the coat of arms and the
flag. The descriptions there are probably taken directly from the
1995 decisions on the city symbols.
My translation: "The coat of arms of Zadar is based on the
historical city arms, shaped as a semi-circular shield with red
background showing a knight on a horse, armoured or, without
helmet, young in the face with black hair and golden nimbus (St.
Grisogon), in his left hand a trinagular shield (argent a cross
gules), in his raised right hand a golden lace with a flag
semicircularly flying above his head, flag is silver witha red
cross, formin three tails in the fly, the middle one being
continuation of the red cross, equipped with a golden sheated
sword, behind his shoulders a flying three times twisted cloak
azure, his horse sable salient, with its for legs embowed, hind
legs firmly trusted, harnessed or with saddle gules edged also
or, and behind the rider, embatteled walls argent and in the base
wavy azure. A copy of a separate document displaying the coat of
arms is being preserved in the State archives."
This is followed with some other determinations on where and when
the coat of arms is used and how one can obtain the grant to use
it. Also, a PDF with vectorized drawing of the coat of arms is
attached there.
The flag s described together with the ceremonial flag. My
translation:
"The city has a flag and a ceremonial flag (gonfalon). The
flag is blue, with the length to width ratio 2:1, in the centre
of it, at the crossing-point of the diagonals is the city coat of
arms, embroidered or painted in special textile colours. The
height of the coat of arms is 2/3 of the flag height. The coat of
arms os bordered with a golden outline 2c(m?).
The unique ceremonial flag (gonfalon) is produced from the atlas
or silk by embroidering, to be used in ceremonial occasions. The
dimensions of the ceremonial flag are 1.30 × 2 m. It is twice
indented at the bottom until 1/3 of the flag heght, so forming
three tails depicting ornaments from the chest of St. Simon of
Zadar. The entire flag is edged with a golden ribbon and
ornamented with golden tassels at the top and finges at the
bottom. In the centre of the unindented part of the flag is the
city coat of arms bordered golden, and above it in golden leters
inscription Grad Zadar. Together with an ornamental bar and
ribbons, the ceremonial flag is hoisted from a vertical staff set
in a base of wrought iron."
Again a PDF and a image of the flag is available there.
Unfortunately, no drawing, nor photo of the ceremonial flag.
Željko Heimer, 8 November 2009
I inquired the city authorities about the 1995 documents, and
I received them most kindly a few days ago.
Indeed the wording on the web site is copying from the 1995
original decision (actually, the decision was adopted on 16
November 1994, but was issued only in a January issue of the city
official gazette): Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Zadra,
16.11.1994, Glasnik Grada Zadra, br. 9/1995, 05.01.1995.
This was soon amended by the decision: Odluka o izmjeni i dopuni
Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Zadra, 27.11.1995, Glasnik Grada
Zadra, br. 16/1995, that changes only prescription of the
previous decision about the flag that it should have "golden
edge (ribbon or fringe)", possibly this was objected from
the Ministry of Administration, although I am not sure that the
Ministry was doing the objections of any kind at that time (would
have to check, but I think the Ministry Commission for the
approval of the COAs and flags was established only later that
year).
Also, not much later new amendments were made by: Odluka o
izmjeni i dopuni Odluke o grbu i zastavi Grada Zadra, 09.01.1996,
Glasnik Grada Zadra, br. 1/1996, providing for some minor changes
in the penalty prescriptions (the original fines determined were
indeed hilariously law, so a private misuse of the flag was to be
fined by 20 kuna - ca. 2.5 Euro!)
After that, the rules stayed the same until the 2009 amendments,
that I reported previously.
Željko Heimer, 18 November 2009
za-za.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 8 November 2009
image by Željko Heimer
There is a link which leads to a picture of the last gonfalone
of Zara (on- line "Il Dalmatia", May/June 2002) at <www.dalmazia.it>.
It seems that this was the gonfalone of Zara until 1944.
Jan Mertens, 18 May 2004
Zara/Zadar came under Italian rule after the Wolrd War as a
result of "award" to Italy for switching sides in 1915
(London Agreements, I believe), in 1918, though I believe that
the final trieties were signed somewhat letter (1921?).
Zadar was under Italian rule until the capitulation of Italy in
1943. Both the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and the Tito's
government (NOV) declaired it at once as integral part of
Croatia, though until the end of the WWII it changed military
rulers - German, NDH and NOV - several times.
Željko Heimer, 28 May 2004
A red gonfalon with the coat of arms of the city, the shield
picturing St. Grisogon on a horse galloping in front of the city
walls, crowned with the massoned Venetian crown with the winged
lion of St. Mark holding an open book and with a red ribbon with
inscription in base. Below is the name of the city and golden
fringe along the lower edge. The flag was taken to Italy in 1944,
and since 2002 is kept in the Golden Medal Museum.
Zadar was capital of the Austrian crown-land Dalmatia until the
break up of Austria-Hungary, when it was occupied by Italian
troops. With the Rapallo agreements in 1920 Zadar was given to
Italy. With the decisions of the 2nd session of the AVNOJ in
Jajce and with the Italian capitulation Zadar was rejoined with
Croatia.
Željko Heimer, 13 December 2006
