Last modified: 2003-11-08 by dov gutterman
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by Zeljko Heimer, 18 October 2003
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Kastav is a medieval fort, today the western suburb of Rijeka
of some 6000 inhabitants, just a mile or so inlad from the
northermost point of the Rijeka (Kvarner) bay.
The coat of arms of Kastav is modernization of the historical
one: Azure St. Helena issuant from the base clead in white and
cloaked gules, crowned and haloed or holding a cross of the last.
St. Helena was mother of Empiror Constantine the Great, therefor
ethe crown on her head. She had imporant role in establishing
many places of cult of Chirstians in the Holy Land (therefore the
cross-staff).
The source claims that the modernized coat of arms is not in the
official use (yet), which would mean probably that the
modernization was a (winning?) proposal on a concourse that is
either not yet approved by the Ministry or it is not yet fully
adopted by the local administration. Surely, that means that no
flag is used also.
Since administrative reform in 1992/93 until 1997 Kastav had
status of a community, when it was upgraded to city level.
Source: [osg02]
Oštric Goroslav: Monumenta heraldica, izbor iz heraldicke
baštine primorsko-goranske županije, Pomorski i
povijesni muzej Hrvatskog primorja Rijeke, 2002.
Zeljko Heimer, 24 June 2003
There is a more straightforward relation between St. Helena
and the cross. A late and apocryphal tradition claims that St.
Helena found the "True Cross", on which Christ had been
crucified. The "True Cross" was a very popular relic in
the Middle-Ages. Abbeys and monasteries competed for showing such
relics to pilgrims, often violently.
Ivan Sache, 25 June 2003
The decision on the symbols was issued: Odluka o upotrebi grba
i zastave (Opc'ine Kastav), 27.04.1995, Službene novine
Županije primorsko-goranske, br. 10/95, 22. svibnja 1995.
Apparently the Ministry did not approve the symbols adopted by
it, and the new proposed design (the one shown in [osg02]) is still not adopted by the
City.
The 1995 decision adopts the coat of arms: gules two towers
connected with walls with city gates Voltica, rising above the
belfry of the Church of St. Helena and below all two ivy branches
with golden fruits. The flag is bicolour - silver over red with
the coat of arms in the middle.
Also a ceremonial gonfalon is prescribed, red with coat of arms
and the inscribed name of the community above and three tails
with ivy leaves and golden fruits.
Zeljko Heimer, 17 August 2003
Tomislav Šipek and Rober Grubiša forwarded me the article from Novi list (newspaper from rijeka) dated 26 September 2003. I translate it in somehwat shortened form: "With some amendments and additions to the decisions, the mem