Last modified: 2005-08-26 by antonio martins
Keywords: christ knights’ order | ordem dos cavaleiros de cristo | templar | cross: patté (red) | cross: christ knights |
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![[Flag of the Order of Christ]](../images/p/pt_ocri1.gif)
The cross of the Order of the Knights of Christ (Ordem dos Cavaleiros
de Cristo, yet another medieaval warrior-monk order) is always red with
white core. It was used in the Discovery sail ships, both as flag and painted
on the sails, and has been used as an ubiquous symbol of Portugal ever since.
(In fact, it would have give a great national emblem,
even in a flag, — simple, striking, distinct — but somehow it never resulted
that way…)
António Martins, 14 Jan 1997
Real flags of the order had this cross over a number of
backgrounds, being most frequent white, green,
and white/green gyronny — the later
said to be the most “correct”.
António Martins, 19 Feb 1998
This symbol, cross potent-formy gules voided argent has currently
official usage in the flag and arms of the Madeira
Autonomous Region, in the roundel of the
Portuguese Air Force, and in some municipal
and sub-municipal arms and flags.
António Martins, 10 Dec 2001
![[Green background]](../images/p/pt_oxp2.gif)
The square green flag with Christ Knight’s Order cross, said to
have been used by the re-independentist in the revolution of
1640.
In that date Portugal become regained independence after 60 years of
spanish domination, and the flag, originally a naval pendon, reminded
of a glorious age that had then already passed by.
António Martins, 01 Dec 1999
Historische Fahnen [neu32]
has an image of the Banner des Christordens:
Green over white and slightly longer than wide with a red with white Cross
of Christ, the red-white-red of the cross’ arms in ~1:1:1, and
the arms 1/6 of the hoist in width (or maybe slightly less), and the ends
of the arms extending no more than to twice their width.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 18 Apr 2002
Shown in [qpt94], referencing a painting of Jan Huygen van Linschoten, 1638: Chist Order cross on green. Also used as “national” flag in 1495-1521 (King Manuel’s reign) along with an arms-on-white flag. Also known as the Restoration Flag, used as revolution banner in 1640 (regain of independence from Spain).