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Biograd na moru (Town, Zadar County, Croatia)

images by Željko Heimer, 9 February 2022

Horizontal and vertical versions

Presentation of Biograd na moru
Flag of Biograd na moru
Coat of arms of Biograd na moru
Variant flag and arms of Biograd na moru
Former flag of Biograd na moru

See also:

Presentation of Biograd na moru

The Town of Biograd na moru ("Biograd on the sea / by the sea"; 5,259 inhabitants in 2001) is located some 20 km south of Zadar. The Town status was granted in 1997.

Željko Heimer, 2 October 2003

Flag of Biograd na moru

The flag of Biograd na moru is prescribed by Decision Odluka o izmjeni Odluke o opisu i uporabi zastave Grada Biograda na Moru, published in 1999 in the Town official gazette Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 2. The penal prescriptions were amended amended as Odluka o prekršajnim sankcijama, adopted on 27 June 2008 by the Town Assembly and published on 30 June 2008 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 4 (text). The Decision was further amended in minor details as Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o opisu i uporabi zastave Grada Biograda na Moru, adopted on 21 June 2012 and published on 26 June 2012 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 4 (text). The further Decision Zaključak o zaduženju Odbora za Statut, Poslovnik i normativnu djelatnost Gradskog vijeća Grada Biograda na Moru u vezi s izradom pročišćenog teksta Odluke o opisu i uporabi zastave Grada Biograda na Moru, adopted on 26 July 2012 and published on 13 August 2012 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 5 (text), appointed a commission to establish a consolidated text of the Decision. This was achieved with Decision Odluka o opisu i uporabi zastave Grada Biograda na Moru (pročišćeni tekst), adopted on 5 November 2012 and published the same day in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 7 (text).

The symbols were designed by the Heraldic Art d.o.o. company, from Rijeka, based on an historical design (see below).

The flag is described in Article 2 of the Decision as follows:

The flag of the Town of Biograd na Moru is rectangular in shape, with a ratio of width to length of 1:2.
The flag of the Town of Biograd na Moru is composed of one colour, light blue, with the coat of arms of the Town set in the centre of the flag, so that the curved bottom part of the coat of arms is turned towards the bottom in regard to the place of hoisting. The central point of the coat of arms matches the crossing point of the diagonals.

Article 3 of the Decision prescribes that beisde the "horizontal hoisting, described in Article 2", the flag may also be hoisted vertically. Thus the vertical version is also prescribed - not a frequent thing in Croatian municipal flags (but not unheard of).

The golden-yellow outline of the coat of arms is not explicitly mentioned, but it seems that the flags in use do include it regularly. Not mentioning the outline but having one in practice is also a not unheard practice in Croatia.

Željko Heimer & Tomislav Šipek, 17 April 2016

Coat of arms of Biograd na moru

image by Željko Heimer, 9 February 2022

The coat of arms of Biograd no moru is prescribed by Decision Odluka o grbu Grada Biograda na Moru , published in 1994 in the Town official gazette Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 9. This invalidates the previous Decision Odluka o utvrđivanju grba Grada Biograda na Moru, published in 1994 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 3, probably without including much different prescriptions. The Decision was amended, probably to a minor degree, as Odluka o izmjeni Odluke o grbu Grada Biograda na Moru, published in 1999 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 2. The penal prescriptions in the Decision was amended as Odluka o prekršajnim sankcijama, adopted on 27 June 2008 by the Town Assembly and published on 30 June 2008 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 4 (text). The Decision was further amended in minor details as Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama Odluke o grbu Grada Biograda na Moru, adopted on 21 June 2012 and published on 26 June 2012 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 4 (text). The further Decision Zaključak o zaduženju Odbora za Statut, Poslovnik i normativnu djelatnost Gradskog vijeća Grada Biograda na Moru u vezi s izradom pročišćenog teksta Odluke o grbu Grada Biograda na Moru, adopted on 26 July 2012 and published on 13 August 2012 in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 5 (text) appointed a commission to establish the consolidated text of the Decision. This was achieved with Decision Odluka o grbu Grada Biograda na Moru (pročišćeni tekst), adopted on 5 November 2012 and published the same day in Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 7 (text).

The coat of arms is described in Article 2 of the Decision as follows:

The coat of arms of the Town is in the upper half rectangular in shape and in the lower half curved to the point where both bases intersect.
In the coat of arms are set diagonally two chequy fields with contour lines starting with a red field, each including a Tomislav Crown - the crown of King Tomislav, coloured golden yellow.
In the remaining, second part of the coat of arms are two city towers with double roof and opened doors beneath the first half of the tower, all in base of brown colour. The towers, the stones of which are coloured brown, are set on a dark green ground, divided from them with a straight contour line. The sky is coloured light blue.

Further Articles determine that the coat of arms may be used only in these colours, or in golden, silver or black-white technique. It may be also made as a relief.

The first, old Venetian coat of arms of Biograd is recorded from 1574. The new coat of arms was designed by one Simičić from Zadar after an idea of Šimo Ljubić (1822-1896), a noted historian. This coat of arms, still in use, is "Quarterly, first and fourth on a checky gules and azure, an Old Croatian crown or, and second and third, azure on a base vert a tower or with gates sable".
Originally, the shield was crowned as a symbol of Royal and coronation town and was inscribed "Insigni civitatis Albae maris Biograd" ("Arms of the White City at Sea Biograd"). During the Socialist period, the crown was replaced with a red five-pointed star that was removed in the early 1990s.

Željko Heimer, 2 October 2003

Variant flag and arms of Biograd na moru

images by Željko Heimer, 9 February 2022

Former flag of Biograd na moru

images by Željko Heimer, 17 April 2016

Horizontal and vertical versions

The former flag of Biograd no moru was prescribed by Decision Odluka o opisu i uporabi zastave Grada Biograda na Moru, published in 1997 in the Town official gazette Službeni glasnik Grada Biograda na Moru, No. 1.

The flag is made of 11 light blue and white stripes, with the coat of arms set in a baroque shield and rotated with the crown towards the hoist. The same design was prescribed for both horizontal and vertical hoisting.
A copy of the flag is preserved at the Local Museum of Biograd (photos). The drawings of the flag are based on detailed photos kindly provided by the Director of the Museum.

Željko Heimer, 17 April 2016