Flag of Alcanó

The flag of Alcanó is a dark green field with an old yellow cannon lying in the centre, its muzzle pointing at the flagpole.

How it came about

Alcanó is a municipality in the comarca of Segrià, in the province of Lleida. Its flag was approved on 23 March 2006.

The cannon is the only element of its coat of arms, and the flag enlarges it: it takes up a quarter of the height of the field and five eighths of its length. It is the canting element of the place name.

How it has changed

It has never changed. It was approved in 2006 and there are no documented later modifications.

What it means

• Dark green

  the colour of the field, plain and with no divisions.

• Cannon

  yellow, lying horizontally, with its muzzle pointing at the flagpole.

• Type

  the rule calls it a ‘culverin’, a cannon with a wide mouth.

• Size

  a quarter of the height of the field and five eighths of its length.

Fun facts

1. A single piece, very large

   The coat of arms of Alcanó has a single element: the cannon. The flag enlarges it until it takes up most of the field. It is a consistent decision: if the coat of arms has only one figure, the flag can afford to have that figure at large scale.

2. The culverin, by its technical name

   The official description calls the cannon a ‘culverin’. It is not an ornament: it is the name of that model of artillery piece, and the blazon uses it so that the drawing is unambiguous. Any yellow cannon would be valid; a culverin, no.

3. Lying down, with the muzzle at the flagpole

   The cannon is horizontal, pointing at the flagpole. The orientation is part of the blazon: a vertical cannon, or one pointing at the fly side, would be a different flag. The rule specifies it because the drawing changes completely depending on which way it faces.

Location