List of flags of the Papacy

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The following is a list of flags used in Vatican City and for its predecessor, the Papal States.

National flag and State flag

FlagDateDescription
7 June 1929 – 1 February 2001 Two fields divided vertically, yellow field on the staff side and a white field on the fly side, which bears the tiara and the keys.[1][2][3][4]
1 February 2001 – 7 June 2023
7 June 2023 – present

Papal flags

Papal standard

FlagDateDescription
1523–1534 Orange and red stripes charged with the coat of arms of Pope Clement VII.
2005–2013 Two fields divided vertically, yellow field on the staff side and a white field on the fly side, which bears Pope Benedict's personal arms.
2013–2023 Two fields divided vertically, yellow field on the staff side and a white field on the fly side, which bears Pope Francis's personal arms.
2023–2025
2025– Two fields divided vertically, yellow field on the staff side and a white field on the fly side, which bears Pope Leo's personal arms.

Papal pennant

FlagDateDescription
2005–2013 With a yellow band at the hoist and Pope Benedict's personal arms in color in the white fly.
2013–2023 With a yellow band at the hoist and Pope Francis's personal arms in color in the white fly.
2023–2025
2025– With a yellow band at the hoist and Pope Leo's personal arms in color in the white fly.

Papal banners

FlagDateDescription
1922–1939 Papal banner of Pope Pius XI
1939–1958 Papal banner of Pope Pius XII
1958–1963 Papal banner of Pope John XXIII
1963–1978 Papal banner of Pope Paul VI
1978–2005 Papal banner of Pope John Paul II
2005–2013 Papal banner of Pope Benedict XVI
2013–2025 Papal banner of Pope Francis
2025– Papal banner of Pope Leo XIV

Military flag

FlagDateDescription
1978–1982 Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Pope John Paul II and Commandant Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen
2002–2005 Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Pope John Paul II and Commandant Elmar Mäder
2005–2008 Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Pope Benedict XVI and Commandant Elmar Mäder
2008–2013 Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Benedict XVI and Commandant Daniel Anrig
2013–2015 Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Pope Francis and Commandant Daniel Anrig
2015–2025 Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Pope Francis and Commandant Christoph Graf
2025– Papal guard flag of 1914, but with the arms of Pope Leo XIV and Commandant Christoph Graf

Historical flags

FlagDateUseDescription
Papal naval ensign White flag with a version of the coat of arms of the Holy See between the figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
1300s Banner of Pope Boniface VIII A red swallowtail with two golden keys crossed over an umbraculum of the same colour.
1510s Banner of Pope Leo X An orange swallowtail with seven red roundels.
1520s An orange swallowtail featuring two crossed keys on a white shield.
1520s Flag used by papal military strategist Jacopo Pesaro
1540s Banner of Pope Paul III Dark red swallowtail with the keys and tiara design.
1669–1771 Flag for Papal Ships A red flag with Christ on the cross, surrounded by St. Peter and St. Paul.
1808–1870[5] Pilot flag, Infantry colours and de-facto civil flag[6] Vertical yellow and white bicolour.
–1870 War and proto-national flag[7] flown over Porta Pia during the fall of Rome (1870)[8][9][10] Yellow and white, with simplified coat of arms of the Holy see in the middle
1803–1825 Flag for Papal Merchant Ships A white banner with the keys and tiara in the centre.
1849 Flag of the Roman Republic The Italian tricolour with the phrase DIO E POPOLO
(God and People) in the centre.
1825–1870 Flag for Papal Merchant Ships Vertical yellow and white bicolour with the tiara and keys in the center of the white half.

See also

References

  1. "Flag of Vatican City". Retrieved 2021-09-26. vertically divided yellow-white national flag with an emblem on the white stripe featuring two crossed keys and a papal tiara. The flag is square in its proportions.
  2. "The Flag of the Vatican City". Retrieved 2021-09-26. The Vatican City State flag is square in shape, with yellow and white vertically divided on each side of the flag.
  3. "Legge fondamentale dello Stato della Città del Vaticano 26 novembre 2000" (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  4. "letter to the German nunciature (2010-05-27)" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  5. "Bandiera pontificia" (in Italian). Stato della cità del Vaticano. Archived from the original on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2008-07-09. Anticamente la bandiera dello Stato pontificio era giallorossa (o per meglio dire amaranto e rossa, colori derivati dai colori dello stemma della Santa Sede), i due colori tradizionali del Senato e del Popolo romano, che vennero tuttavia sostituiti con il bianco e il giallo nel 1808, allorché Pio VII
  6. William Becker "Vatican Flags", 2018
  7. William Becker "Vatican Flags", 2018
  8. "Vaticano, la bandiera di Porta Pia ritorna dopo 141 anni". La Stampa (in Italian). 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  9. "MEMORIAE TRADERE. E' TORNATA IN VATICANO LA BANDIERA DEI DIFENSORI DI PORTA PIA – di Pucci Cipriani – Ricognizioni". www.ricognizioni.it. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  10. Cipriani, Pucci (2022-10-31). "È tornata in Vaticano la Bandiera dei difensori di Porta Pia" (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-11-03.