The Spanish Flag History and Meaning

Spain, a geographically and culturally diverse country in southern Europe, has 17 autonomous regions called “Comunidades Autónomas”.The capital city of Spain is Madrid, and Madrid is home to the Prado museum and the Royal Palace. Spain has a national flag, the flag of Spain. The Spanish flag’s history is much diversified and gives one glimpse of the struggle and victories a country faced. The current version of the Spanish flag was defined in the constitution in 1978 and adopted on 5 October 1981.

Flags have been in tradition and used by empires and dynasties since time immemorial. The oldest design of the Spanish flag dates back to 15 May 1785. 

The Spanish Flag History

The Spanish flag was adopted in 1978 officially in the constitution. The design of the Spanish flag has undergone various changes in the past. The current flag’s design was adopted from the naval ensign of the Kingdom of Spain, 1785, which Charles III ruled. 

Spain had started exploring its state through Christopher Columbus. Thus, the coat of arms was developed during the 18th century under King Charles.

The new government of Spain adopted a new flag with a horizontal tricolour of red, yellow, and purple. The centre has a coat of arms placed in it. Later a new coat of armoire was used when Francisco Franco took over from the republican government in 1936. Until then, the Spanish flag colour was not fixed.

Over time, the coat of arms saw major and various changes several times. It got a stable and fixed design only in 1978 when the constitution of democratic Spain adopted it. It had indeed changed several times and reached a stable form only in 1978 when a democratic government of Spain took over.

The Spanish Flag Colour Meaning

The Spanish flag history made its colours and designs a mixture. The national flag of Spain, also called Bandera de España, comprises a horizontal rectangular design. It has a triband of two colours; red and yellow. The arrangements of the three bands areas:

• the red band at the top, 
• a yellow band in the middle, and 
• a red band at the bottom. 

Many legends introduced several changes, so the Spanish flag’s colour meaning is different. 

One such legend describes:

• The red colour represents the blood spilt by the bull, and the yellow colour represents traditional Spanish bullfighting. 
• Another legend claimed that the yellow colour showcases the sun’s warmth, and the red represents blood shredded by the people of Spain. Spain is the first country in Europe to use red and yellow in the flag. 
• In the 18th century, the colours represented King Ferdinand II. The red and yellow colours of the flag were chosen to be the primary colours on the coat of arms. 

The Design and Shape

The constitution of Spain defines the size and shape of the Spanish flag. As described, the flag of Spain should have three horizontal stripes of red and yellow. The yellow strips must be twice the size of each red stripe. The coat arms appear on the left third of the yellow strips. It should make 2/5th of the width of the flag. The flag should be square in shape. The flag should have a width to length 2:3 proportion. 

Facts About the Spanish Flag

Following are some facts about the Spanish flag.

• Governments’ offices are expected to host the flag 24/7.
•  Charles III chose the present colours.
• The flag is kept hosted and masked flying on public holidays and ceremonies.
• The flag of Spain was adopted in 1978.
• It is the first country in Europe to adopt red and yellow colours for its flag.
• Some unofficial Spanish flags include the 1990’s Second Republic flag and 1982’s FIFA World Cup.

Conclusion

Spain is a part of Southern Europe, with the first global empire. The flag of Spain is the country’s national pride and showcases the country’s rich history. It was adopted in 1978 by King Charles III. The shape of the Spanish flag is square and not rectangular, and it has two colours, red and yellow. The rich Spanish flag history has been widely discussed. The Cross of Burgundy was the first Spanish flag. There are some facts about the Spanish flag discussed in the section. The meaning of the Spanish flag colour has also been discussed above briefly.