Stari Grad Flag
The Stari Grad flag is a modern design based on a 13th century coat of arms. It includes the Budded Patriarchal Cross, seldom seen in heraldry.
Stari Grad Flag
Flag of Stari Grad
Budded Patriarchal Cross
RN Commander insignia (completely unrelated to both flag & cross)
Stari Grad is Serbian for 'Old Town' and Serbia is full of old towns. Several places are called Stari Grad, and the town featured on this page is the municipality of Stari Grad in Belgrade.
It includes some of the oldest parts of Belgrade and its flag is appropriately based on the city's 13th century coat of arms. The flag shows a crenelled tower with a Patriarchal Cross on either side. Each cross is budded on the arm ends and at the top.
The Patriarchal Cross has two cross-beams. One reason for this can be likened to the number of rings on a military uniform sleeve; it's a sign of ecclesiastical rank. The Patriarch is the highest-ranking bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Budded Cross has more of a religious meaning. The buds represent many different ideas, and when there are three buds in a cluster the most common representation is of the Holy Trinity.
The reason why there are two crosses on the emblem is unclear. There is no record of the Patriarchate having two bishops holding office concurrently and it's possible the two crosses are simply to give aesthetic balance. Alternatively, they could represent the two municipalities of Skadarlija and Terazije, which merged in 1957.
If this cross looks a bit like a tree, then the designer has fulfilled his or her wish. The tree gives us yet another Christian meaning, reminding us of the verse 'I am the true vine'. (more...)
Go back to the main Serbian Cross page.
For an excellent site giving more detailed information about Serbian flags, see: zastave-grbovi.com, and for flags in general, a very good flag locator is at: flagid.org
