Country flag
Vatican City (Holy See) Flag
Vatican City’s national flag is closely associated with the Holy See’s visual identity but is specifically the flag of the State of Vatican City. Its ve...
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About Vatican City (Holy See) and its flag
Vatican City’s national flag is closely associated with the Holy See’s visual identity but is specifically the flag of the State of Vatican City. Its vertical yellow and white halves carry crossed keys and a papal tiara in the white half. Official Vatican material distinguishes it from the older Banner of the Holy Roman Church, while retaining the keys-and-tiara device central to Holy See insignia.
Flag design and meaning
The banner is divided vertically into yellow at the hoist and white at the fly. The crossed keys, surmounted by the papal tiara, are centred in the white part rather than spread across both colours. Vatican City’s official description also notes a yellow-and-white cockade on the ceremonial flagstaff, but the two-colour field and white-panel emblem identify the flag itself.
- Crossed keys: The Holy See explains that the keys draw on the Gospel account of keys given by Christ to the Apostle Peter. It identifies the gold key with power in the kingdom of heaven and the silver key with the papacy’s spiritual authority on earth.
History and adoption
Vatican City’s official history traces the yellow-and-white colours to 1808, when Pius VII instructed loyal corps to use a new cockade. An 1824 yellow-and-white flag divided the colours diagonally; they were later rearranged vertically. Following the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929, the flag acquired its present appearance, and the modern version was first hoisted on 8 June 1929.
How to recognise this flag
- The yellow panel is at the hoist; the white panel carries the keys and papal tiara.
- Look for crossed keys beneath a tiara, and do not confuse this flag with the red Banner of the Holy Roman Church.
Vatican City (Holy See) flag quiz context
On Name The Flag, the Vatican City (Holy See) flag is currently grouped as hard difficulty for quiz progression.
Its region is listed as Europe, which helps place the country among nearby geography questions in the game.
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