Flag of Department of Alpes de Alta Provenza

The flag associated with Alpes de Alta Provenza is a blue field with three figures laid over one another: a golden fleur-de-lis in the centre, a red band above and three white peaks below.

How it came about

Alpes de Alta Provenza is a department in southern France. The coat of arms was proposed by Robert Louis, and the flag transfers its figures to the field.

What distinguishes it is that it does not carry the coat of arms with its shape: it carries the figures loose, laid over the blue field. It is the coat of arms taken apart, as on the flag of Alió.

How it has changed

It has never changed. No approval date is recorded.

What it means

• Blue

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

• Fleur-de-lis

  yellow, centred. It is the largest figure.

• Red band

  a horizontal ribbon in the upper part, with three pendants.

• Three white peaks

  they rise from the lower edge.

Fun facts

1. The coat of arms without its shape

   The flag does not draw the coat of arms: it draws its three figures loose on the blue. It is an unusual device, because it forces you to reassemble the shield mentally from separate pieces.

2. One figure, one band and three points

   The design comes down to three very different elements: a central fleur-de-lis, a red ribbon above and three peaks below. The simplicity lets each figure be read on its own, without confusing it with the others.

3. No known date

   No approval date is recorded for this department. In France it is usual for departments to have no flag of their own, and when one exists it often lacks a formal decree.

Location