Flag of Elba
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| Proportion | 2:3 |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 4 May 1814 |
| Design | White, divided diagonally by a red stripe that starts from the upper side of the flagpole on which there are three golden bees. |
| Designed by | Napoleon |
The flag was used during the period of stay of Napoleon Bonaparte as sovereign of the island of Elba, from 4 May 1814 to 26 February 1815. The flag, donated by Napoleon on his arrival on the island, was hoisted on the highest point of Portoferraio on the day of the landing of the emperor on the island. The original flag is kept in the Napoleon residence, Palazzina dei Mulini in Portoferraio. The meaning of the insignia chosen by the Emperor has long been, and continues to be, a matter of debate among historians.
There are different theories about the origin of the red stripe on a white background. One of those, is that the red and white colors were chosen from the Polish flag in honor of the Major Jan Paweł Jerzmanowski who followed Napoleon in his exile on Elba. Many authors agree however that Napoleon was inspired by a picture book on flags. The commander of the British frigate HMS Undaunted, Thomas Ussher, which led Napoleon to Elba from Marseille, tells that Napoleon had with him a book in which were represented all the flags of Tuscany, ancient and modern, and he asked me my opinion on the one he had chosen. The British Commissioner designated to accompany Napoleon on Elba, , confirms this version writing in his diary: it was as exactly as possible an ancient flag of Tuscany.
According to some authors, the red stripe on the white field was inspired by the colors of the flag of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany which ruled the island with the House of Medici first and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine after. Robert Christophe mentions that The Emperor himself designed the flag. During the five days of the journey, he studied some books about Elba which he brought from Fontainebleau. Inspired by the Medici coat of arms, the ancient rulers of the island, he designed a new flag with a white background and a diagonal strip with three golden bees on top. The symbol of Florence would have been appreciated by the people of Elba and the golden bees, memory of the imperial mantle, were intended as a tribute to the soldiers who, under the command of Cambronne, after crossing France, were going to reach Portoferraio 20 days after. The flag of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany under the House of Medici had, however, nothing to do with the flag of Elba with the exception of the white background while the flag of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, being red-white-red horizontal stripes, resembles the Elba flag due to the colors.
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Wikipedia