The Origins of the Corsican Flag

As promised a long time ago, here are a few words about the origins of the Corsican flag.

Many things have been written about the flag with the Moorish head, many legends have been invented and peddled by masking the historical aspect. Some uncertainties still remain but one thing is certain, the Corsican flag with the Moorish head is officialized during the independence of the 18th century, which makes it one the most ancient of Europe !

It’s clear nowadays that the Moorish head comes from Aragon. Aragon was a kingdom of the Middles Ages that corresponded to the current Catalonia but bigger. In 1467 the alliance between the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragon gave birth to Spain. The King of Aragon had in his emblem 4 Moorish heads with a diadem on their eyes.

In 1297, this King receives the management of Sardinia and Corsica from the Pope BonifaceVIII. However the King of Aragon will only settle in Sardinia neglecting Corsica. The Moorish head appears for the first time on the arms of the King of Aragon in 1281.

In the 15th century, regiments composed of Corsican and Sardinian soldiers in the pay of the Pope and some Italian republics are represented with flags with a Moorish head. The most remarkable illustration is to be found on a painting by Pietro Della Francesca on St François in Arezzo dating from 1466.

Finally it’s in the 16th century that the flag  with the Moorish head is attested for the first time as the flag of Corsica. The Italian geographer Mainaldi Galerati estalishes in 1573 an atlas of the possessions of Philippe II, King of Spain with a coat of arms for each province. Mr Galerati decides to make Corsica appear in his atlas and as he doesn’t know its arms, he decides to put 1 Moorish head, undoubtfully to make a difference between Corsica anf Sardinia, on whose flag there are 4 Moorish heads. The Dutchman Joan Blaeu and the German Seutter will do the same on their atlas in 1662 and 1731.

In 1735, revolutionary leaders declare the independence of Corsica. In 1736, Corsica still in quest for independence, is endowed with a new monarch, Theodore de Neuhoff. This baron of German origin makes his arms more Corsican by adding a Moorish head on it. He must have taken it from the atlas of his compatriot Seutter.

It’s with Pascal Paoli, named unique General of the Corsicans in 1755 that the flag became the official emblem of Corsica. The Council of Corte decides on 24 November 1762 to make the Moorish head the flag of Corsica. This emblem will be confirmed in 1794 during the period of the second independence when Corsicans separated from France to create the Anglo-Corsican kingdom.

We can affirm that it is in the 16th century that the blindfold was raised on the forehead and this was interpreted by historians as a way for Corsica to open its eyes on years of obscurantism and Genoese rule.

Nowadays, the Moorish head is well known everywhere around Europe as the symbol of Corsica.