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Rab (Town, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia)

Flag of Rab, horizontal and vertical versions, and horizontal variant - Images by Željko Heimer, 2 August 2016

Presentation of Rab
Flag of Rab
Coat of arms of Rab
- Traditional coat of arms
- Modernized coat of arms
Ceremonial flag of Rab
Tunera sports club

See also:

Presentation of Rab

The Town of Rab (8,065 inhabitants according to the 2001 census, 437 in the village of Rab) is located on the island of the same name near the coast beneath the Velebit mountain range, some 60 km south of Rijeka.
Rab is known in Italian as Arbe, a name originating from the ancient Roman times when the town was established and known as Felix Arba. The attribute "Felix" was given to towns in Roman times as a special gratitude.

Željko Heimer, 29 June 2003

Flag of Rab

The symbols of Rab are described in the Town Statutes Statut Grada Raba, adopted on 30 December 1993 by the Town Assembly and published on 7 March 1994 in the County official gazette Službene novine Županije primorsko-goranske, No. 6, describe the symbols. The description is repeated word for word in the Town Statutes Statut Grada Raba, adopted on 5 October 2001 by the Town Assembly and published on 10 October 2001 in Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, No. 24, and in the current Statutes Statut Grada Raba, adopted on 14 July 2009 by the Town Assembly and published on 20 July 2009 in Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, No. 27.

The flag is described in Article 10 of the Town Statutes, as follows:

The flag of the Town of Rab is composed of two colors, diagonally divided in the middle: Marian blue and white with the coat of arms of the Town of Rab in the middle bordered with the shield colored golden, with the crown of St. Christopher above from which is hanging the ribbon of glory seven times surrounding a wreath on the one side of olive and on the other of black oak and containing the inscription "Felix Arba".

The symbols were not approved by the Ministry.

The flag (photo, photo) is used in horizontal (photo) and vertical (photo) versions. The flag is divided by a slanted line white-light blue with a wide yellow border all around. The coat of arms (version with ribbons falling from the crown) is set in the centre either on a white oval patch or only edged with a thin white outline.
The flag is also used (photo), horizontally, with the other version of the arms (without ribbons falling from the crown). THe matching vertical version is used as a table flag (photo).

Željko Heimer, 7 December 2009

Coat of arms of Rab

Traditional coat of arms

Traditional coat of arms of Rab, two versions in actual use - Images by Željko Heimer, 2 August 2016

The coat of arms actually used in the town is described in Article 9 of the Town Statutes, as follows:

The coat of arms of the Town of Rab is of shield shape, with the ratio of its height to the width 1:0.9. In the first [lower] third of the height, there is an eight-pointed star above a crescent moon both being in front three wavy lines symbolizing the sea. The star and the moon are set in the middle vetically. In the right part of the shield, on the top wavy line is the silhouette of the Town of Rab, where the large belfry (St. Mary belfry) is set in the very vertical axis of the shield so that the ball at the top of the belfry is set on the 0.7 of the total height. In the left of the shield is the depiction of St. Christopher, shown from the front in early Romanesque style. The background of the shield is blue, the crescent, wavy lines and the skyline of Rab are silver while the star and the St. Christopher's depiction are golden.

The design that best matches this description includes a golden (yellow) wreath with white olives and acorns, almost entirely encircling the shield, except at the top. There is a bicolour ribbon falling from the "St. Christopher's crown" forming seven loops around the wreath, and bearing the inscription "Felix Arba" in black letters on the central bottom loop.
A variant design has the wreath in natural colours (various shades of green) with black olivesand acorns. The ribbon is layed beneath the shield, golden with black inscription in Roman letters. The stripes of the waves beneath the town are irepresented straight.

As reported by Oštrić [osg02], the coats of arms used since the Middle Ages contain a representation of St. Christopher crossing a river and carrying Baby Jesus, and, in his right hand, a staff with a branched end. A crescent and mullet also appeared regularly.
The white and light blue ribbon certainly refers to the flag of San Marino. The saint who established this republic was born in Rab, where his tradition is well respected.

Željko Heimer & Marko Vitez, 2 August 2016

Modernized coat of arms

Modernized, coat of arms of Rab, not in use - Image by Željko Heimer, 29 June 2003

Oštrić [osg02] shows a modernized version of the coat of arms, designed by the Heraldic Art d.o.o. company, from Rijeka. It is noted in the book, though, that this version is not used, and that the traditional version is still in use.

Željko Heimer, 27 August 2009

Ceremonial flag of Rab

Ceremonial flag of Rab - Image by Željko Heimer, 2 August 2016

The ceremonial flag (photos) is a gonfalon with three rectangular tails edged vertically with wide yellow ribbons and a golden fringe allaround, divided diagonally white-blue with the coat of arms (version without ribbons falling from the crown) in the centre.

Željko Heimer & Marko Vitez, 2 August 2016

Tunera sports club

Flag of Tunera - Image by "Rabko", Panoramio website, 17 March 2007

Tunera (website), locted in Supetarska Draga, Municipality of Rab, is an "organization for promotion of all sports and recreational sea activities and the protection of coastal flora and fauna like fishing, diving, sailing, rowing, beach volleyball, ecological actions of brushing the coast and the sea, etc."

Valentin Poposki, 26 February 2009