Flag of Department of Aveyron

The flag associated with Aveyron is a red field with a yellow lion rampant in the centre. It is the armorial banner of the Rouergue, stretched over the cloth with no frame or crown.

How it came about

Aveyron is a department in southern France. Its flag is not the coat of arms of the department but that of the old province of the Rouergue.

The lion in profile, standing on its hind legs, is the single figure of the banner: there are no other charges on the red ground.

How it has changed

It has never changed. No approval date is recorded.

What it means

• Red

  the background of the field, plain and with no divisions or border.

• Yellow lion

  in profile, rampant, standing on its hind legs, in the centre.

Fun facts

1. It is the province, not the department

   The flag of Aveyron does not carry the coat of arms of the department but that of the Rouergue, the old province. It is a case where the symbol that is flown is that of a territorial unit larger and older than the current one.

2. A single figure on a red ground

   The banner comes down to a yellow lion on a red ground. No border, no band, no coat of arms on top: it is one of the simplest departmental flags in France.

3. The lion in profile, not en face

   The animal is in profile, standing on its hind legs. That posture is the traditional form of the heraldic rampant lion, and it is what distinguishes it from a lion rampant facing forward.

Location