Last modified: 2004-11-06 by dov gutterman
Keywords: dubrovnik | ragusa | croatia | hungary | st.blasius | libertas |
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Translation from: Josip Luetic - O drzavnoj zastavi Dubrovacke Republike, Zadar, 1967, Drustvo za proucavanje i unapredjenje pomorstva Jugoslavije u Zadru, Izdavacki zavod JAZU, Zagreb.
The Flag of the Republic of Dubrovnik
Summary
The flag used to designate by its form, various colours and different drawings to which organized authority - State - it belonged.
Our [Croatian; Zeljko Heimer] maritime communes in the past had their own flags. Our most prominent flag over the span of several centuries was that of the Dubrovnik commune or Dubrovnik Republic, wich, in 1272, was made official and recorded in the Statute: VIXILLUM S. BLASIJ. (2)
In the ancient portulans of the most prominent world cartographers since 14th century also the flag of Dubrovnik Republic was recorded.
As a 'seal' of statemanship in rectangular form, the Dubrovnik flag was made of cloth - domestic white woollen fabric called raša - or of imported linen, more rarely the fabric used was domestic silk. It was positioned at the stern flagstaff, or on the main mast, or on the jigger boom, or on the gaff of all Dubrovnik sailing-vessels.
The secondary Dubrovnik flag (1) was white in colour, and in the middle stood the inscription Libertas. As in other maritime States, sometimes a special flag - the coat-of-arms of the Dubrovnik Republic drawn in the white field - used to be employed as a designation of the personality carried aboard.
In view of the significance of flying the State flag, the Dubrovnik government discussed the question in the fremework of it's councils and State organs, and in this connection it passed certain decisions and conclusions.
Besides the printed works and tables of the flags, the yet published complements and written archival documents, there exists a rich artistic material that tells us in the form of reliefs about the Dubrovnik State flag which was flown on the ships of the Republic.
In the Maritime Muesum for Historical investigations of the maritime affairs of Dalmatia of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in Dubrovnik are kept original flags that were flown on the sailing-vessels of the Dubrovnik Republic in the 18th and at the beginning of the 19th centuries.
In discussing this question the author of this paper draws the inference that the true and only official State flag of the Republic of Dubrovnik was that in white colour with the effigy of St. Vlaho, which was flown for centuries on the ships of this our only express maritime State in the past until the 27th December 1807, when the French occupation General A. Lauriston ordered the Dubrovnik Senate to substitute this flag with the foreign flag of Napoleonic Italy.
Artistic annexes (drawings) complement the author's expositions.
There is at least one interesting source quoted in the text:
G. Pash, Pavillions des villes de la cote Dalmate au Moyen age.
Neptunia, Paris, No. 77/1 1965.
Zeljko Heimer, 16 August 1996
I have been visiting my stamp dealer and there are several
flag stamps that should be reported here.
As a part of EUROPE issue a series of two stamps was issued, on
23-JAN- 1998. They present two important fastivals - which one of
those, in the vallue of 4.00 kn is dedicated to Dubrovnik Summer
Games (theatre festival), picturing the main square in old
Dubrovnik, with the Orlando's pole, the flag pole which is in the
middle of it, on which the flag of Dubrovnik always was flown. On
the stamp, there is a flag too, white with red shield with golden
letters in three rows LI/BER/TAS. Unfortunately, the stamp is
made in manner of children's drawing, and is hardly that anyone
would notice it. In any case, even if it is possible that it was
used (and there are some evidence on it) it is most probably that
the drawing was made without much background on real flag.
Zeljko Heimer, 7 June 1998
I came by a refference on some article on Ragusa flags: James
Marill "St. Blaise and Liberty: the Flags of
Ragusa", Flag Bulletin no. XXVI: 1-3 (Report of the Tenth
ICV).
Zeljko Heimer, 29 August 1999
The cover of [sie63] shows what
the book describes as approximately a quarter of a flagchart, one
of many to roll of the, mostly Dutch, presses for the use of
seafarers: "Tableau des Pavillons que la Plupart des Nations
arborent a` la Mer. Faitau de'po^t des cartes et plans de la
marine pour le service des vaisseaux du Roy par ordre de M. de
Machault, Garde de se'aux de France. Par le Sr. Bellin Inge'nieur
de la marine. 1756." [bel56]
On the 3rd row from the bottom there is "Pavillon de
Raguse" - A white flag with grey shield outlined in black.
On the shield the text "LI" "BER"
"TAS". ["Libertas": Freedom".]
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 4 January 2001
At J.W Norie - J.S. Hobbs Flaggen aller seefahrenden Nationen,
1971[ nor71] (original print
1848):
181 Ragusa: White, a Franciscan (?) monk black (detailed in
white).
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001
The figure should be St. Blasius. He should be pictured as a
bishop, though similar black-habited figure is shown in several
sources.
Zeljko Heimer, 13 November 2001
Reading the [isa01], the
Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) had flag prescribed already in the
statutes of 1272.
Zeljko Heimer, 17 July 2002
![[Republic of Dubrovnik]](../images/h/hr-du-sb.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer
by Zeljko Heimer
At Dubrovnik
Maritime Museum there is a flag
"...which belonged to a sailing vessel from Dubrovnik that
was commanded by Captain I. Birmisa. The flag is made of canvas
that is turned dark. It has been preserved in its entire width
with the figure of St. Blasius, while lengthwise a part is
missing. St. Blasius has a grey beard and is wearing a miter and
a robe that is red on the outside and blue on the inside. He is
making a sign of blessing with his right hand, while in his left
hand he is holding a triangular model of Dubrovnik with outlines
of town walls (Minceta Tower). In the upper corners of the flag
are two loops."
Jan Mertens, 26 October 2004
This is an important flag for us, I belive. It is the ensign
of the Dubrovnik Republic. This particular example was made
around 1800. The text claims that at the fly there is a part
missing (there might have been some tails or something - the
photo does not look as if anything of consequence is
missing!). I believe that this particular flag served also
as the base after which the current civic flag of Dubrovnik was
made.
Zeljko Heimer, 30 October 2004
Flag According to Steenbergen Book (1862)
by Jaume Ollé, 27 April 2003
No. 504 - Ragusa.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 27 April 2003
![[Republic of Dubrovnik]](../images/h/hr-du-li.gif)
by Zeljko Heimer
by Zeljko Heimer
Flag According to Steenbergen Book (1862)
by Jaume Ollé, 18 April 2003
No. 459 - Ragusa.
Source: [stb62]
Jaume Ollé, 18 April 2003
by Zeljko Heimer
Special ensign, typically as the flag indicating that the high
officials of the Republic are on board of the vessel.
Zeljko Heimer
