The flag of the region of Murcia

The flag of the region of Murcia is a crimson red or Cartagena colour, which consists mainly of two elements. In the upper left part are four towers or castles and in the lower right part are seven crowns.

It is important to point out that this flag is not the same as the flag of the city of Murcia, although they are somewhat related.

History of the flag of the region of Murcia

This flag is relatively new. It was seen for the first time in 1979, a year after its conception. Antonio Perez Crespo, the first president of the Regional Council, had the initial idea and entrusted its creation to historians Jose Maria Jover Zamora and Juan Torres Fontes, in collaboration with senators Antonio Lopez Pina and Ricardo de la Cierva.

These, in turn, entrusted the painter Francisco Salinas with the elaboration of two wooden models, with all the elements found in the current flag, one on a red background and the other on a blue background.

Meaning of the flag of the region of Murcia

Here are some details about this flag and what the symbols and colours used in it mean:

The dark red colour of the current flag was selected because it is a characteristic colour in the history of the region of Murcia and because it is related to the flag of the capital of Murcia. It is a Cartagena red colour, which is a mixture of red, magenta and purple.

Previously, the current flag was cobalt blue, similar to the one used by the Provincial Battalion number 10 while fighting in the War of Independence.

The castles that can be seen in the upper left part symbolize the border nature that comprised this region until 1833 – specifically, the Crown of Castile to the north, North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Crown of Aragon to the east and the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada to the west.
  The crowns on the lower right, golden yellow in colour, are directly related to the history of the region of Murcia, as these were granted by different kings as thanks for their support in official causes.

Over some 500 years (from the 13th to the 18th centuries), different monarchs awarded the Murcians with these crowns. Previously, the flag of Murcia was yellow with two red stripes, but in the year 1281, Alfonso X of Castile decided to reward the loyalty of Murcians against the rebellion of his eldest son, known as Sancho IV of Castile, the Brave. This is how he awarded the first five crowns to this region, thus generating notable changes in the flag.

The sixth crown of the flag was incorporated by the monarch Peter I of Castile in 1361, after he faced the kingdom of Aragon with the support of the region of Murcia.

The seventh crown, and the last one, was granted to the Murcians by Philip V of Spain. It was a gesture of gratitude for the support they gave him during his confrontation in the War of Succession against Archduke Charles of Austria. This crown was awarded in 1709.