This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Šibenik (Town, Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia)

Last modified: 2024-03-08 by rob raeside
Keywords: Šibenik |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


[Flag] image by Željko Heimer, 3 September 2013

See also:

Presentation of Šibenik

The Town of Šibenik (46,332 inhabitants in 2011, 34,302 in the town of Šibenik) is located at the confluence of river Krka into the Adriatic Sea, forming beautiful waterfalls. Unlike many other Adriatic towns, Šibenik was not founded by the ancient Romans but was established in the 10th century under the Croatian king Krešimir (Petar Krešimir IV), who, unlike all other previous Croatian rulers, built a strong fleet that ruled the Adriatic Sea for a time.

Željko Heimer, 24 July 2004

Flag of Šibenik

The symbols of Šibenik are prescribed by Decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Grada Šibenika, adopted on 24 July 1998 by the Town Assembly and published on 10 November 1998 in the County official gazette Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 14.
The final prescriptions of the Decision determine that it shall be published only after the Ministry approves the design, which was done on 21 October 1998; the additional Notice Napomena uz Odluku o grbu i zastavi Grada Šibenika, adopted on 30 October 1998 and published on 10 November 1998 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 14, includes the Ministry's approval.

The symbols are described the Town Statutes Statut Grada Šibenika, adopted on 17 November 2001 and published on 20 December 2001 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 18. This is repeated in the consolidated Town Statutes Statut Grada Šibenika (pročišćeni tekst), adopted on 12 April 2006 and published on 28 April 2006 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 6.

Decision Odluka o komunalnom redu, adopted on 23 July 2002 and published on 21 August 2002 in Službeni vjesnik Šibensko-kninske županije, No. 12, addresses the issue of flag hoisting in Šibenik: the flag of Croatia shall be hoisted according to the Law on the Coat of Arms, the Flag and the Anthem. The flag shall be hoisted on public areas during the public holydays of the Republic, on the Šibenik Day, on the mourning days and other legally established circumstances, and could be hoisted in public assemblies (political, scientific, cultural, artistic, sport and others). The public areas for hoisting are five main spots in the town and in other settlements that are part of the Town according to local regulations. Three of the spots are determined for hoisting all year round. Also flags are raised during the International Children Festival. It is determined that beside the flag of Croatia the flags of the County and the Town could be hoisted. The flag masts must be uniform, the flags shall be hoisted a day before and lowered a day after the occasion. I suppose that many other towns in Croatia have very similar regulations.

The symbols were designed by the Heraldic Art d.o.o. company, from Rijeka.

The flag is in proportions 1:2, blue with the coat of arms, bordered yellow, in the middle.

Željko Heimer, 3 November 2007

Coat of arms of Šibenik

[Arms] image by Željko Heimer, 3 September 2013

The coat of arms pictures the patron saint of the town, Archangel St. Michael (Sveti Mihovil) wearing a white tunic and a red cloak, with his wings displayed, holding in his sinister a golden orb with a cross and in his dexter a golden spear with which he kills a black devil beneath him.
These arms are based on the depictions of St. Michael from medieval seals carved in the town stone walls.

Željko Heimer, 1 November 2009

Table flag of Šibenik

[Flag] image by Željko Heimer, 6 December 2015

The table flag (photos, photo) is a blue vertical flag with a golden border, the town coat of arms in the centre, the name of the town in two arches above and two branches and a bunch of grapes with two leaves below.

Željko Heimer & Marko Vitez, 6 December 2015

Former coat of arms of Šibenik

1993-1998

[Arms] image by Željko Heimer, 26 August 2006

The Town Statutes Statut Grada Šibenika, adopted on 15 April 1994 and published on 5 May 1994 in Službeni vjesnik Županije Šibenske, No. 4, includes the description of the coat of arms in Article 6: "a shield picturing St. Michael Archangel, patron of Old Šibenik', without any further details.
The review of the Town 1993 Budget Pregled izvršenih isplata iz tekuće rezerve Proračuna za 1993. godinu, published on 1 September 1994 in Službeni vjesnik Županije Šibenske, No. 10, includes "Production of graphical standards manual for the use of the coat of arms of the Town of Šibenik", granted to Duje Šilović, a designer from Split.

A town map issued by the Šibeni Tourist Office, released around 1995, shows a coat of arms that must be the coat of arms designed by Šilović. It seems that no flag with this coat of arms was ever used.
This coat of arms is based on the oldest preserved seal of Šibenik from 1255, depicting St. Michael standing above the walls of the town.

Željko Heimer, 26 August 2006

1980s

[Arms] image by Željko Heimer, 24 July 2004

In the Socialist period, the historical coats of arms of towns depicting saints were depreciated and new symbols were being made. The coat of arms of Šibenik shown on a post card from c. 1980 depicts the panorama of the old town with fortresses, walls and the cathedral above the waves and with a large red five-pointed star in the base sinister. The shield was topped with the name of the town. No flag was reported for the period.

Željko Heimer, 24 July 2004

950th anniversary flag

A flag was designed in 2016 for the celebration of the 950th anniversary of the first mention of town in written documents. The flag (photo) is blue with the event's emblem.

Željko Heimer, 29 September 2016

Polytechnic of Šibenik

[Flag] image by Tomislav Šipek, 13 June 2020

The flag of the Polytechnic of Šibenik (photo) is white and blue with the institute's logo.
The central element of the logo is Homo Volans, designed by Faust Vramčić (1551-1617), a polymath, inventor, diplomat and bishop born in Šibenik.

Tomislav Šipek, 13 June 2020

Sailing Club "Val"

[Burgee] image by Željko Heimer, 4 July 2001

The burgee of the club is a triangular pennant, red with a white disk and a stylized, light blue letter "V" in it.

Željko Heimer, 4 July 2001

Historical flag of Šibenik (14th century)

[Flag] image by Tomislav Todorović and Željko Heimer, 11 February 2024

In her monography Monumenta Cartographica Jugoslaviae II (Historical Institute, Narodna knjiga, Belgrade, 1979), Gordana Tomović compares different 16th century naval maps of the Balkan peninsula. She notices flags above some place names on a map preserved in the Paris National Library (Maps and Plans Department) made on parchment by Angelino Dulcert (1339) [drt39]: "13. Flag above the Town of Šibenik (Sibinicho), in today's Croatia".
The flag of Šibenik from the map of Angelino Dulcert has a very large white disc, charged with a red cross, on the yellow field.

Source: Gallica digital library - Map of Angelino Dulcert: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52503220z

Ivan Sarajčić & Tomislav Todorović, 24 August 2006

[Flag] image by Tomislav Todorović and Željko Heimer, 11 February 2024

On the map of Guillem Soler (Guillelmus Soleri) [sgm85], which was created on Majorca c. 1385, and nowadays is kept in the National Library of France, Paris, the flag of Šibenik has a very oblong form, with a very large white disc, charged with a red cross, set off-centre, closer to the hoist, on the yellow field.

Sources:
[1] Wigal, Donald: Historic maritime maps used for historic exploration 1290-1699, Parkstone Press, New York, USA, 2000 ISBN 1-85995-750-1

[2] Gallica digital library - Map of Guillem Soler: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b530648817?rk=21459;2

Tomislav Todorović, 18 July 2007, 11 February 2024

[Flag] image by Tomislav Todorović, 28 September 2006

The flag of Šibenik from the Catalan Atlas shows a white disc, charged with a red cross, on a gold field. This is essentially the same design as in the map of Angelino Dulcert, the greatest difference being in the flag shape: a square which extends into a short, wide tongue with concave curved top and bottom edges; also, the disc is a bit smaller on this flag and the cross has a simpler form, with straight arms' edges.

Tomislav Todorović, 24 August 2006

This flag does not appear in the "Book of All Kingdoms" [f0fXX]. However, it bears some similarity with the coat of arms of Bosnia, which is depicted in Manuscript "S" of the book [f0fXXn] and could be blazoned as: Per fess in chief gules a mullet of eight rays argent and in base Or a roundel vert charged with a cross gules. The text clearly states that Bosnia bears the same flag as the neighboring country of Slavonia, and makes no mention of the said coat of arms, so it is probably a later addition. However, it must have been added not long after the book was written: most of Dalmatia, including Šibenik, was conqueredby Stjepan Tvrtko I of Bosnia in 1387-1389, but lost by his successor, Stjepan Dabiša, in 1394, so it is possible that the blazon might be somehow related to this ephemeral Bosnian rule over Šibenik. Still it remains unclear whether the town's flag from the portolanos is derived from this blazon or vice versa, as well as whether the flag did exist.

Tomislav Todorović, 4 September 2016