Flag of Marche
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| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 4 November 1995 |
| Design | A white field with the regional emblem of Marche, with the words Regione Marche ("Marche Region") in green above. |
The flag of Marche is one of the official symbols of the region of Marche, Italy. Like many Italian regional flags, it was adopted on 4 November 1995 for Armed Forces Day of Italy (). In absence of a law on the subject, the regional emblem that had been adopted on 15 March 1980 was simply inserted on a white background.
The emblem of Marche bears a stylized woodpecker, overlapping a black shape to form a capital letter M, against a green-bordered shield with a white field. The flag was designed by Maurizio Catani and Gianni Veroli.
The woodpecker was the tribal totem of the Picentes, an Italic tribe who lived in most of the territory of present-day Marche.
The bird's connection to the region is attested to in Greek and Roman literature:
— Strabo, Geografia, 5. 4. 2.
— Sextus Pompeius Festus, De verborum significatu, 235 L.
— Paul the Deacon, History of the Lombards,
The emblem of Marche
A European green woodpecker, the totem of the Picentes, according to Greek and Roman literary tradition.
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