Flag of Department of Aude

The flag associated with Aude is a red field with a large golden cross in the centre and, around it, a white embattled border like a wall.

How it came about

Aude is a department in southern France, in the Languedoc. Its flag is an armorial banner: the coat of arms of the department drawn over the whole cloth, without a frame.

The embattled border is what distinguishes this coat of arms: it is not a plain band, but a wall with battlements, a literal image of defence.

How it has changed

It has never changed. No approval date is recorded.

What it means

• Red

  the background of the field.

• Golden cross

  large, in the centre.

• White embattled border

  surrounds the field from the inside, in the shape of a wall with battlements.

Fun facts

1. A border with battlements

   The white border is not decorative: it is drawn as an embattled wall. It is one of the most figurative borders in French heraldry, because the wall is an image, not a simple fillet.

2. The coat of arms without a frame

   The description says so: it is an armorial banner, the shield extended over the whole cloth. There is no coat of arms on top of the field, no crown and no crest: the arms of the department are the field itself.

3. Cross and wall, two images of force

   The golden cross in the centre and the embattled wall around it are two figures of power: one religious and one military. Together they fill the whole field without leaving empty space.

Location