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Sicily - Historical Flags (Italy)

Sicilia

Last modified: 2020-12-28 by rob raeside
Keywords: sicily | sicilia | trinacria |
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Historical Flags

image by Jaume Ollé , 1 November 1998

Historical flag (reconstructed).
Jaume Ollé , 1 November 1998

Isn't this one supposed to be on a diagonally divided red and yellow field?
Jorge Candeias , 2 November 1998

If I don't remember wrong the flag that you described is for the current region.
Jaume Ollé , 5 November 1998


image by Jaume Ollé , 2 November 1998

Sicily was the insular part of the Kingdom od Two Sicilies. 1798-1799 and 1806-15 it was the only part that was preserved by the Bourbon dinasty since the continental part was under french influence. In 1848 the island revolted in the mark of the Italian unitary revolution but the revolt was supressed April 1849. During this time italian flag with "Trinqueta" was used.
Jaume Ollé , 2 November 1998


Historical Naval Flags

image by Mario Fabretto

Sicily: 14th-15th century - Merchant ensign (?)(circa 1339 - circa 1447).
Source: portolanos
From Carmine Colacino site

This flag appears in the following portolanos:
- map of Angelino Dalorto (c. 1325) - author thought to be identical with Angelino Dulcert (see below): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dalorto_1325_map_%28partial%29.jpg
- map of Angelino Dulcert (1339): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Angelino_Dulcert_upside-down.jpg
- and map of Guillem Soler (Guillelmus Soleri; c. 1380): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portolan_chart_of_Guillem_Soler_%28c.1380,_Paris%29.jpg
Tomislav Todorovic, 14 April, 2016

image by Jaume Ollé , 1 November 1998

Sicily ships ensign.
Jaume Ollé , 1 November 1998

Scan of a flag of Sicily. It is from Wilson's 'Flags at sea', 1986, p. 71; a flagchart published by R. H. Laurie, 1842.
Jarig Bakker , 16 July 1999

I think there is a missing color problem with the Sicilain ensign from Flags at Sea. Norrie/Hobbs shows that flag with the center stripe yellow and an additional yellow stripe below the bottom red stripe. As you can see on the scanned image from Flags at Sea there is a thin black line separating that stripe with the missing yellow from the white at the bottom of the ensign.
Ned Smith , 16 July 1999

I guess both the Sicilian and Lucca ensigns, in a pattern of yellow field with two red stripes, have some relationship with the 1785 Spanish ensign.
Santiago Dotor , 24 July 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'pot 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 4th row from the bottom there "Pavillon de Sicile" - A flag of 6 flywise stripes 8/1/1/1/1/8, of white, red, gold, red, gold, and white. On each white stripe, centered hoistwise and  8 units out from the hoist a black eagle with outstretched wings, looking hoistward.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 4 January 2001

At J.W Norie - J.S. Hobbs: Flaggen aller seefahrenden Nationen, 1971[ nor71] (original print 1848):
226 Sicily - As the second image, with over it a white pennant. - As Ned mentions Norie agrees with our image in the use of yellow, but it agrees with Laurie in that the ratio, at that time, is 2:1:1:1:1:2, rather than 3:1:1:1:1:3 as we have it, and that the eagle is off-set rather than centered.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001

Flags According to Steenbergen Book (1862)

image by Jaume Ollé, 25 May 2003

No. 611 - Sicily.

mage by Jaume Ollé, 25 May 2003

No. 612 - Sicily. Stenbergeen don't know which one of two images is correct. The correct one must be 612.
Source: [stb62].
Jaume Ollé, 25 May 2003


image by Jaume Olle , 2 November 1998

Ensign of Sicilian Galley
Jaume Olle , 2 November 1998

According to W. Smith in the last release of "Ar Banniel" : Sicily, around 1250. Plain white with black eagle with spread wings.Associated to Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen (1194-1250), king of Sicily (1197-1250) and German emperor (1220-1250).
Ivan Sache , 2 August 1999


Guerilla Movement of 1943

  image by Jaume Ollé and António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 January 2006

In 1943, during the World War II, the bandit Salvatore Giuliano, according to sectors of the Democratia Christian of Sicily, established a guerrilla Movement of separatist character, that collaborated with the allies in the release of the island. Giuliano had relationships to the Mafia and the United States thought, if was necessary , in using it to put it to the front of a Sicilian independent Republic, that collaborated with the allies. After the war Giuliano participated in the communists massacre of Portella of the Ginestra (1947), until it was murdered by the Mafia in Castelvetrano (1950). Giulano was the personage alluded in the movie "The Sicilian" and a magazine of Barcelona published some years ago a interview with a sister of Salvatore (already of advanced age) in the one which was exhibiting proud the flag of her brother and his movement. The flag was basically the Catalan Flag (recalling without doubts the sicilian past, of long Catalan control , with complete autonomy; in canton appears a blue table with a red circle within which is the Trinacria, insular symbol, in white. Catalonia dominated Sicilia between 1282 and 1392 (with the own kings, but the Barcelona royal house). In 1392 Sicilia was annexed to the crown, confirmed in 1460. In 1554 a vice-kingdom was installed for the Spanish and Catalan king Charles, but under Catalan influence; in 1714, when Catalonia was occupied by Borbon Spanish-French army, the territory was transferred to Austria, and in 1735-38 was transferred to Spanish dynasty. The happy days of Sicilian was finished. The Catalans currently they do not have no recovery on Sicily (though if on part of Sardinia, concretely Algher, where is spoken the Catalan), but it is agreeable to know that finally of the centuries the peoples yet recall with nostalgia the exercised domination so with benevolence and with so many freedoms by the you laugh of the Catalan crown, and Catalan people.
Jaume Olle, 8 September 1996

Sicily was part of Italy after 1860. But several attempys to regain its freedoms were make. One of the most important was the starringed by Salvatore Giuliano in 1943, with help of The Mafia and the allied forces. The warriors of Giuliano controlled an important part of the island. The flag was the Catalan one with blue canton (like USA) and trinqueta in the canton. The Catalan bars were used because the Catalan era was remembered with nostalgia. Later Salvatore Giulano was murdered (1950). In 1945 the Sicilian separatist used a yellow flag with red trinqueta. The exact pattern of trinqueta is not known.
Jaume Olle , 2 November 1998


Flag at Cigarette Silks Iron-on

image from <maureengreeson.safeshopper.com>

Sicily from Cigarette Silks Iron-on Transfers - Nation Animals & Flags series.
Source: <maureengreeson.safeshopper.com>.
Olivier Touzeau, 18 October, 2002