The meaning of the flag of Sardinia: the four Moors

The meaning of the flag of Sardinia have its deep roots in an ancient past soaked in legend and confirmed by the historical facts: the origin of the standard of the four Moors, symbol of Sardinia, is shrouded in mystery still today.

Originally, the meaning of the flag of Sardinia was related to the war events of the Kingdom of Aragon, that ruled the Sardinia from 1324 AD to 1479 AD. The historical tradition has it that the four heads represent four victories achieved by the Kingdom of Aragon against the invading Moors: Zaragoza, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearics.

Instead the legend gives another meaning to the flag of Sardinia: the standard is the celebration of the victory that king Pietro I of Aragon achieved at Alcoraz in 1096 AD, city defended by the Moors; the army of the Kingdom of Aragon won the victory only through the agency of Saint George who, appeared in the battlefield as a white knight with a red cross on his chest, picked the heads of four great and brave Moors princes.

Then, when it became possession of the dukes of the House of Savoy in 1718 AD, the Sardinia held the flag of the four Moors as its Symbol.

Even though its origin is from Aragon, this flag has a very more ancient meaning for the Sardinian people, previous to the domination by the Kingdom of Aragon: indeed the standard represents the four Giudicati of Sardinia, four little and independent states that governed the Sardinia between IX and XV century and strenuously defended their island just against the continuous invasions of the Moors.

The meaning of the flag of Sardinia is deep, symbolical, viscerally related to the historical events of the island. And a journey in Sardinia is an itinerary exploring this fascinating and ancient past.

Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/cristianocani