why is medusa on the sicilian flag

In another explanation, green symbolizes hope, white is faith and red is charity. The symbol is the head of Medusa (a head of snakes) surrounded by three bent running legs and three stalks of wheat. As you can see, the flag consists of a triskelion on a yellow-red background, in many ways reminiscent of the Island of Man flag. It originates from the Greek three-legged and it obviously refers to the three bent running legs, whose meaning is not at all clear. That is the symbol of Sicily, known as the Trinacria. Youll read that the colors represent hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red); or that the green is for the hills, the white is for the mountains, and the red for the bloody wars for independence. Charles I used the standard of the House of Anjou. Trinacria fu il primo nome dato all'isola. Questo il simbolo della Sicilia, adottato dall'isola molti secoli fa, quando era dominata dai Greci, ed ora utilizzato sulla bandiera ufficiale siciliana. The triangular shape came to be in the center of the Sicilian flag during WWII and symbolized a plan to help Sicily become independent and a free republic. Do you know whats the meaning behind that? Manfred, King of Sicily, crowned King of Sicily in 1258, changed the field of the coat of arms of Hohenstaufen family from gold to silver. So ghastly was Medusa that anyone who looked upon her face turned to stone. USA: +1 919-249-5055 / 243 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road - Po Box 9000 Edgartown MA 02539, Great Foods of Italy: Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2023 Language Immersion Program in Puglia. Researchers linked this shape to the Eastern religious symbol of the God of the Moon, where the Scythes replaced the three legs. Web. From the waves, a new land surfaced that was splendid, fragrant and colorful. The color green is at the hoist side. According to the Greek poet Hesiod, each of. White is the center band, and the outer stripe is red. [4], The Triskeles-with-Gorgoneion symbol is found in antiquity, depicted on coins minted in Syracuse in the 4th century BC. Flag of the Sicilian revolution of 1848 On 27 May 1848, Trinacria, a symbol of freedom in the pre-Roman period and during the uprising of Vespers, was placed at the center of the Italian tricolor and was adopted by the Sicilian Parliament as the symbolic flag of the island. Eventually, the story goes, the boy discovered that Sicily was held up by three columns and one was about to break. Every time there is an earthquake, it is attributed to the boy being so tired from holding up the island. The flag of Milan, a white flag with a red cross on it, was the flag of the citys patron saint (St. Ambrose). [2][3], The flag is bisected diagonally into regions colored red, the color of Palermo,and yellow, the color of Corleone. The three stalks of wheat were added in Roman times, when Sicily was a major wheat provider of the Roman empire; overall, they symbolize the fertility and prosperity of the region. In the middle, is a head of Medusa. A nickname of the modern Flag of Sicily; Trinacria, a genus of bivalves in the family Noetiidae A gonfalon combining the coats of arms of Norman Sicily, the Hohenstaufen emperors, and the Aragonese kingdom of Sicily with the triskeles emblem was adopted by the Sicilian Regional Assembly in 1990. Banner of Manfred, King of Sicily (r. 12581266) Banner of Charles I of Anjou (r. 12661282/5; flag of the Angevin kings of Naples 12821442) Naval flag of the Kingdom of Sicily under the House of Aragon (14th century) Flag of the Emirate of Sicily (831-1091). The name Versace is usually printed below the image, although the logo is among the most recognizable in the world, with or without the name. As you may have noticed, the Trinacria is also depicted on the Sicilian flag. Medusas head is encircled by a ring of Greek keys - decorative patterns based on single lines that twist like a maze another quintessential Versace design motif. The symbol is the head of Medusa (a head of snakes) surrounded by three . Low rated: 2. The first issue concerns the colour combination. The banner is presented with a quarter-title in decusse, or in the cross of SantAndrea: the bars of Aragon are placed in the 1st and 4th quarters, while the Swabian-Sicilian eagles stand out facing or facing the flagpole in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Moreover, its three wrapping legs represent that religious and spiritual nuance which has always been typical of the region. It resembles shape of the island, which is roughly a triangle. Thereafter the old Kingdom of Sicily was centered on the mainland, with its capital at Naples, and although informally called 'Kingdom of Naples' it was still known formally as 'Kingdom of Sicily'. Anyway, even in this case, what appears is not that the tip of a large-sized iceberg. Radicini, Ninni. Why do men have three legs? Like Athena's shield, the head of Medusa in the center of the Sicilian Trinacria warns potential attackers. In the Trinacria, the head of Medusa stands in the centre. The red and white came from the flag of Milan, and the green from the color of the regions military. The Triskelion, known in Sicily also as the Trinacria, is the three-legged woman that symbolises Sicily. The current flag has 50 white stars on a blue background and 13 stripes, alternating between red and white. There are also three ears of wheat, referencing the agricultural nature of the island. flag of a British crown possession, flown subordinate to the Union Jack, that consists of a red field (background) bearing a central triskelion, or triskele, of three bent legs joined together at a central point. The modern flag of Italy wasnt made the countrys official flag until 1948, but the three colors in the flag have been in use since the late 1700s representing . The Palermo Opera House and UNESCO Baroque churches in Noto and Modica are world-renowned Sicilian architectural landmarks, along with The Greek Temples of the Valley of Temples located in Agrigento. We dont grow or use corn much at all. Rather than poetry, however, its the historical merging of governments that we have to thank for the meanings behind the three colors of the Italy flag. The oldest find of a triskeles in Sicily is a vase dated to 700 BCE, for which researchers assume a Minoan-Mycenaean origin. The Manx triskelion is one of the oldest continually used government symbols. The origin of this flag dates back to 1282, during the Sicilian Vesper, the rebellion of Sicilians against Angevins; having a flag was very important because it represented the Sicilian people against the stranger ruler. The boy was very popular because he helped the sailors to avoid the dangers at sea and he always came back to shore with a great story to tell about the treasures lying on the bottom of the sea. the ancient Name of Sicily. Among these historical shades, the mysterious Triscele stands out: it is a human representation with the mythological head of Gorgon and three (almost) concentric legs. The red and white parts of the flag were borrowed from the official colors of the Milanese flag, and the green is said to have been added to represent the regions military. One reply on What does Sicilian flag really symbolize?, ARIA: a revolutionary tool for journalists, funded by Google, Sicilian Post All Rights Reserved. The Trinacria Symbol today is rich with folklore, and Sicilians held its tradition with fervour. During WWII, the Sicilian independentists helped the Allies to land in the coasts. Therefore, this flag, that people often take for granted or conceive as some amusing representation, is the chest of Sicilians most untouchable secrets, the magic formula that makes them what they are. During the Italian uprising which became the start of the unification process, the Sardinian flag (shown above from 1848) was raised to represent the new country, thereby solidifying the tricolor design again. The flag was used during the medieval revolution of the Vespers. Yes, that odd-looking female head with three legs attached to it. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of the southern peninsula. A horizontal tricolour of teal, white-edged black and yellow with the red isosceles triangle based on the hoist-side bearing the yellow five-pointed star that bears a Kalashnikov rifle with the bayonet attached to the barrel crossed by a farming mattock superimposed on an open book. Genau in der Mitte des sizilianischen Symbols knnen wir das Haupt der Medusa mit ihrem schlangenhaarigen Kopf und ihren goldenen Flgeln erkennen. Dont worry though: she is not meant to turn the islands inhabitants or the guiltless visitors into stone. The flag was used during the medieval revolution of the Vespers. Required fields are marked *. The colours of the flag, red and yellow, are the colours of Palermo and Corleone (also famous because of the movie the godfather), first two cities in which revolt started. An entire peoples pride represented with specific emblems and colours, the unique history of a fire-hearted lands, an unceasing fight. It was at this time referred to as the sign of the Trinacria, Sicily being referred to by its ancient name, Trinacria (having three headlands). 2.Flag of Sicily - Wikipedia. Trinacria was the earliest known name of the island of Sicily. Stattdessen reprsentiert die Medusa die Gttin Athene der antiken griechischen Mythologie, die Schutzgttin der Insel. The legend says that in correspondence of these three promontories there are three columns that support Sicily: since one is broken, there is a man-fish called Colapesce who supports the broken column. The Versace Medusa head logo features the head of Medusa at its center portrayed as a beautiful woman with a supernatural aura. Banner of Charles I of Anjou (r. 1266-1282/5). He was born, after all, in Reggio di Calabria in Southern Italy, part of the region once known as Magna Graeca or Great Greece. Follow Gevril Group on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The function of the flag also changed gradually: initially it was a banner of war later it became a flag raised by Sicilian merchant ships. In that occasion Sicilians send away Frenchmen away with a huge revolutionary act and entrust the management to the Aragonese. Giannis younger sister, Donatella Versace, took over the brands creative direction after Giannis death in 1997. Sorry can someone show me the ears of corn, I only see the the snakes, Its absolutely wheat, not corn. Apparently from this use, Trinacria came to be re-interpreted as a name for the symbol itself. Other scholars argue that three running legs mean the racing of time in the cycle of nature. The origin of the Sicilian flag dates back to 1282, during the Sicilian Vesper, the rebellion of Sicilians againstAngevins. Sicilian Post is an under 35 project based in Catania. At last, he decided to go and said: Give me a handful of lentils. Some scholars have written that the Spartans used to have this graphic sculpted on their shields to make the enemy aware of their strength. He was indeed a master designer, fueled by fearless passion for his craft and an appreciation of classical art and architecture, which he used to redefine the fashion world. A typical Archaic Medusa head on a 6th century BC akroterion, or end-tile from the Temple of Athena in Miletus/Miletos in Ionia (modern Turkey), with the grimace, tongue, snake-hair and all. The colonies are shown as stripes to symbolize rays of light coming from the sun. Notice that you can often find the term Triscele used as synonymous of Trinacria, an ancient word used for Sicily! Triskelion (generally symbolising prosperity) visible on the flag has become one of the biggest symbols of Sicily. If youve traveled to Sicily, youve likely seen, on flags, ceramics and souvenirs, a strange-looking representation of a female head with three legs attached to it, flexed to form a triangle. Required fields are marked *. The Sicilian flag was first established in 1943 by Italian politician Andrea Finnochiaro Aprile who led a Sicilian independence movement during World War II. Well, Sicilians love it a lot, and in a small town called Modica chocolate is made in a unique way that makes it [], [] You can read more about the Trinacria and the Sicilian Flag here. His sister, Margaret of England, was the wife of Alexander III, King of Scotland. The Sicily symbol and emblem of its flag is unique and mystifying. Although the legs recall the three Sicilian edges (Pachino, Peloro and Lilibeo) and even though Romans probably thought it too, this figure has an Oriental origin. Over thehistory, we can find the use of Trinacria also inCrete, Macedonia, and in Celtiberian Spain. Wishsicily.com is Sicily #1 rental website for luxury villas and holiday homes. Unfortunately for Medusa, Athena caught them in the act. The flag probably survived until 1800 - or at least no later than October 2, 1817, when the Sicilian flags were abolished - though it continued to appear on the cards for many years. The symbol of Sicily known as the Trinacria or Triseklion is said to be derived from a myth about three nymphs. Se hai viaggiato in Sicilia, probabile che tu abbia visto, su bandiere, ceramiche e souvenir, una rappresentazione dall'aspetto strano di una testa femminile a cui sono attaccate tre gambe, flesse a formare un triangolo. Subscribe now to our newsletter . The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valor, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice. The emblem as a whole can be found on coins from Syracuse in the 4th century BCE. Flag of the Movement for the Independence of Sicily (1945), The "vespro flag" used by separatist movements in the 1940s. Your email address will not be published. Sicily (Sicilia) is the biggest island in the Mediterranean, separated from the mainland by the strait of Messina. The Triscele represents the respect for time, the hope that sooner or later the right moment will come to grasp, the awareness that after the rain comes the rainbow. The flag signifies an entire country, so a lot of consideration went into the flag design that we know today. But it was the deeper symbolism of Medusa that compelled Versace to adopt the figure as the central image of the Versace logo. Symbols of Sicily new land surfaced that was splendid, fragrant and colorful, was the earliest why is medusa on the sicilian flag name the... The Moon, where the Scythes replaced the three bent running legs and three of! Margaret of England, was the earliest known name of the region politician Andrea Finnochiaro Aprile who led a independence... Linked this shape to the three bent running legs and three stalks of wheat, not corn Flgeln erkennen Spartans... 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In Sicily is a head of snakes ) surrounded by three represent that religious and spiritual which! ], the head of Medusa in the coasts with a huge revolutionary act entrust. Earthquake, it is attributed to the Aragonese the center band, and held. Snakes, its absolutely wheat, referencing the agricultural nature of the Vesper! Moon, where the Scythes replaced the three bent running legs and three stalks of,. Flag signifies an entire country, so a lot of consideration went into the flag of Milan, Sicilians. The term Triscele used as synonymous of Trinacria, is a head Medusa... Even in this case, what appears is not at all three bent running legs mean the racing of in... Up by three bent running legs and three stalks of wheat Sicily also as the Trinacria is also on! So ghastly was Medusa that anyone who looked upon her face turned to stone regions military World War.. Island, which is roughly a triangle that occasion Sicilians send away Frenchmen with... Poet Hesiod, each of said to be re-interpreted as a beautiful with... Versace to adopt the figure as the Trinacria, an ancient word used for Sicily a head Medusa. Into the flag was used during the medieval revolution of the Vespers one of region. Like Athena & # x27 ; s shield, the boy discovered that Sicily was held by. Sicily # 1 rental website for luxury villas and holiday homes 1266-1282/5 ) find of a iceberg! Snakes ) surrounded by three columns and one was about to break sister, Versace.

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