The flag of the Vatican City belongs to the world’s smallest country by size and population.
Perhaps this explains why its flag is so instantly recognisable.
While the papacy dates back to 33 CE, the Vatican City did not become a sovereign state until 7 June 1929.
With the ratification of the Lateran Treaty between Pope Pius XI and then-fascist Italy, the new city-state officially adopted its flag.
For its colours of yellow and white, we must look to Pope Pius VII.
In 1801 he established the Guardia nobile, household guards whose hats bore a yellow and red cockade.
However, French forces wore the same colours and members of the Guardia were changing sides.
So, in 1808, Pius ordered his loyal guards to substitute a white ribbon for the red.
In 1825 the Papal States added a yellow band at the hoist of its merchant flag, the papal symbol on white.
This became the flag of the Papal States until 1870, except during the brief exile of Pius IX in 1849.
The short-lived Roman Republic used an Italian tricolour, bearing the motto ‘Dio e Popolo’ (‘God and the People’) on the white band.
In 1929, the papal authorities selected the 1825 merchant flag as the flag of the Vatican City.
Its square proportions, however, came from the 1862 Papal Infantry Flag (a plain yellow and white vertical bicolour).
The Vatican City flag is almost identical to that of the Papal States prior to 1870.
Within the white band lies the Vatican symbol, depicting the papal tiara above crossed gold and silver keys.
The keys represent the Keys to Heaven given by Jesus to St Peter.
The gold key represents spiritual power; the silver key, worldly power.
On the Vatican City flag, it is the silver key that points towards the yellow band.
(Note: this arrangement reverses the arms of the Holy See.)
A red cord connects the two keys, alluding ‘to the bond between the two powers’.
When a pope dies, the flag is flown at half-mast throughout the prescribed nine days of mourning or novemdiales.
Bonus fact: There are only two square national flags: Switzerland and the Vatican City.
Author: Alex Crouch, Flag Institute accredited journalist (2015/16).
About the flags and: the Resurrected Christo; the Vatican flag; the sain George flag and the England flag, you can see “La Bandera de Cristo Resucitado” – March 29, 2016
OK
God bless the Vatican State!
The Apostolic Nunciature (Holy See Embassy) flies a flag without the keys (March 2019). Why?