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Ilirska Bistrica (Municipality, Slovenia)

Municipal flag of Ilirska Bistrica, horizontal and vertical versions - Images by Željko Heimer, 18 October 1999

Presentation of Ilirska Bistrica
Municipal flag of Ilirska Bistrica
Coat of arms of Ilirska Bistrica

See also:

Presentation of Ilirska Bistrica

The attribute in the name of Ilirska Bistrica (14,461 inhabitants) was added in the Napoleonic period, when the town was in part of the Illyrian provinces, to distinguish it from several other places of the same name throughout the Slavic speaking parts of the Empire. After Napoléon's defeat, the name was shortly retained by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The German name was Illyrisch Feistritz and the town was renamed Villa del Nevoso during the Fascist Italian occupation.

Željko Heimer, 22 January 2006

Municipal flag of Ilirska Bistrica

According to Banderas municipales de Eslovenia [drn96i], published in Banderas [ban] #58 (March 1996), the coat of arms and the flag are prescribed by a decision published in the local official gazette Primorske Novice on 4 October 1975, with effect on 18 September 1975.

The flag is light blue, with a white shield-shaped cartouche bearing the coat of arms and the name of municipality in blue letters.

Stanič & Jakopič [j2s05] show the arms as a blue shield with the golden ship, that is without the white cartouche and without writing. He quotes a Decision on the symbols adopted on 15 April 1998.
The images shown on this page are based on drawings received from Ilirska Bistrica, unfortunately undated.

On 29 June 2006, the Municipal Council discussed on a proposed visual identity made by Diego Kolarič from Kreattive advertising d.o.o., Koper. Some members of the Council said that the proposed coat of arms (we don't know of which design) is too much different from the tradition. Other did not like the proposed dark blue flag. The need of a vertical flag was considered. Other claimed that the current light blue colour of the flag should be retained. Finally, the proposal was accepted as the basis for the production of the identity, 8 votes for and 4 against.

Željko Heimer, 29 September 2006

Coat of arms of Ilirska Bistrica

Coat of arms of Ilirska Bistrica - Image by Željko Heimer, 24 October 2002

The ship shown on the blue shield of Ilirska Bistrica is a liburna of the Illyrians, an ancient people who settled the area and were famous for their ships still around the time of Marc Anthony. The coat of arms is the same as the coat of arms of the Illyrian Provinces formed in Napoleonic times and shortly afterwards retained in the Hapsburg system as the Kingdom of Illyria. The coat of arms was first adopted as the coat of arms of Ilirska Bistrica in 1872 after a lengthy dispute over it with the Imperial office in Vienna. Since it has been used until today in various artistical renditions. In the early 1930s the Italian governor added the word Grepenna on a ribbon below the shield.

Željko Heimer & Vojko Celigoj, 24 October 2002