Catalonia (Autonomous Community, Spain): Political and cultural flags

Last modified: 2026-09-05 by olivier touzeau
Keywords: catalonia | donkey | language |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

• Independentist flags
  • Estelada
  • Tricentennial flag
• Political parties
  • Ciudadanos/Ciutadans
  • Partit Socialista d'Alliberament Nacional
  • Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya Viu, PSUC-viu (Living Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia)
  • Revolta Global
  • Unió Catalanista (1891-1936)
  • Unió Democratica de Catalunya (1931-2017)
  • Front Nacional de Catalunya (1940-1990)
  • Moviment de Defensa de la Terra (1984-2014)
• Extremist groups
  • Moviment Patriotic Catala
  • Terra Lliure
• Cultural flags
  • "Catalan spoken" flag
  • Donkey flag
• Specific use of the catalan flag
  • Flag at the Sagrada Família

See also:

• Spain
• Catalonia (Autonomous Community, Spain)

"Catalan spoken" flag

"Catalan spoken" flag - Image by António Martins, 21 December 1998

A flag meaning "Catalan spoken", seen in Valencia in 1993, is white with a large speech balloon outlined and shadowed in black and filled with the Catalan flag: four red stripes on a yellow background. I suppose this was a leftover from some kind of language campaign in the mid-80s; the Catalan standardization campaign El català, cosa de tots had a similar logo.

António Martins, 21 December 1998

Donkey flag

Donkey flag - Image by David Montón Farrioli, 28 June 2026

Text by Gemma Meca from shbarcelona.com blog:

"One of the most striking aspects of Catalan culture is its famous donkey. If you visit Barcelona for the first time, you might be surprised to see cars with a donkey sticker. It appears in the colors of the Catalan flag and is quite unique. When you ask locals about its meaning, some don't know; it's simply associated with their culture. The Catalan donkey is a native breed of donkey originating in the province of Girona. It's estimated that there are around 400 of these animals in the world, characterized by their slightly more robust build, black coat, and large head. In the countryside, they were used as working animals, allowing for perfect plowing of the extensive local crops.

The origin of this symbol dates back to 2004 , when two young designers decided to create a car sticker featuring the silhouette of this donkey. They were trying to draw attention to the endangered status of this animal. The sticker became surprisingly popular, and the logo spread to other items such as t-shirts, caps, and countless other products. Today, it has become an emblem of Catalan culture, a way of showing its resilience to the world. Catalans are known for being tough and resilient, as well as having a strong work ethic. The donkey stands in contrast to the silhouette of the iconic Osborne bull, which is associated with Spanish culture. In fact, these bulls were removed from Catalonia in an attempt to distance themselves from its symbolism."

David Montón Farrioli, 28 June 2026

Flag at the Sagrada Família, Barcelona

Catalan flag at the Sagrada Família - Image located by John Moody, 26 April 2026

A practice/tradition used by builders when a building is topped off is to place a flag atop of it.
Here we see the flags of the Vatican and Catalonia put in place atop the cross of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona which was topped off on February 20th 2026.

John Moody, 26 April 2026