Last modified: 2005-04-09 by ivan sache
Keywords: saint-malo | cross (white) | ermine (white) | ermine (black) | ermines: 3 (black) | fleur-de-lys: 15 (yellow) | portcullis (yellow) | corsair |
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by Ivan SacheNaval flag
In the XVIIIth century, the naval flag of Saint-Malo was ermine plain with a red canton charged with a black cross voided throughout. The red colour was probably borrowed from the municipal arms of Saint-Malo.
Merchant flag
The merchant ships used two closely related flags, both quartered by a black cross voided througout and with a plain red canton; the first flag, shown on Joseph Roux' flag chart (1766), has five ermine spots placed 2-1-2 in each white quarter.
The second flag has only one ermine spot in each white quarter.
Roux's chart shows yet another merchant flag for Saint-Malo, blue, quartered by a black cross voided througout, with a plain red canton and five yellow fleurs de lys placed 3-2 in each blue quarter. There seems to be a progressive change from a pure Breton design (white with a black cross) to a French design (blue with a white cross).
Municipal flag
At the same time, the city of Saint-Malo used a flag quartered by a white cross, with the first and fourth quarters red and the second and third quarters blue; the canton bears a white shield charged with a yellow portcullis and surmonted by a white ermine passant.