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Venaissin

 

Contents

Flag

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

Coat of Arms

Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

Map of the historical Regions in France

Explanations about the Regions

History

Origin of the Country's Name



Flag

Flagge Fahne flag drapeau Venaissin
Flag of Venaissin
– drapeau de Venaissin,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen





Flagge Fahne flag drapeau Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
since 1999,
Flag of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region
– drapeau de la région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag drapeau Vaucluse
Unofficial flag of Département Vaucluse
– drapeau officieux de la Département Vaucluse,
Source, by: Wikipedia (FR)



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Meaning/Origin of the Flag

The flag of Venaissin is a scutcheon-flag, its design is the image of the coat of arms. The related Heraldry displays a red flag with two crossed golden keys, bound with a blue ribbon. Since 1999 is in the region of "Provence- Alpes-Côte d’Azur" – to which the Venaissin belongs – an unofficial flag in use, which combines the features of the heraldry of the County of Barcelona (Provence belonged from 1112 to 1245 to the County of Barcelona), of the County of Dauphiné and of the County of Nice. In the Département Vaucluse is – probably unofficially – a flag in use, which containes the features of the heraldry of Venaissin. However, there are not both keys are golden, but only one, and the other is tinged with silver, as in the coat of arms of the Vatican.

Source: Volker Preuß, Wikipedia (D)

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Coat of Arms


Wappen arms crest blason Venaissin
14th century to 1791,
Coat of arms of the County of Venaissin
– Blason du Comte de Venaissin,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D)


Wappen arms crest blason Avignon
Coat of arms of Avignon
– Blason du Avignon,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D)

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Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Venaissin shows a red shield with two crossed golden keys, bound with a blue ribbon. Venaissin was a papal county between 1274 and 1789, a possession of the Holy See, and Avignon was even the seat of the Pope between 1309 and 1377. So it is no wonder that the papal symbolism in the form of the keys of Saint Peter has been included in the coat of arms. But both keys are golden and not one of them tinged in silver, as it is the case with the Vatican's coat of arms.

Source: Wikipedia (D), heraldique.org

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Map of the historical Regions in France

The historical, French Regions:

in black: governorate and province in 1776,
in red: former county, province oder governorate

Map: Volker Preuß

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Explanations about the Regions

The until the French Revolution existing provinces (or governorates) have been historically grown structures, which had their roots oftenly in former fiefdoms of the French crown, historic counties and duchies. They oftenly existed for hundreds of years and had preserved regionality (e.g. cultural particularities and regional languages). On the occasion of the French Revolution such phenomena were of course not desirable, and as part of their bloody and violent egalitarianism any regional references were eliminated. Shortly after the French Revolution the provinces were dissolved and France became divided into many départements, which should have approximately the same size and the same status. The départements were named after rivers or mountains, to use never and in no circumstances the name of an old province. However, there was no success in cutting the connections of the people of France to their respective regions, so that administrative regions were re-created in 1960, to have a better control in regional administrative processes. In this way became départements, which were placed in a historical province, administratively grouped to an oftenly historically named region. The resulted structures coincide only approximately with the boundaries of the old provinces. In the strictly centralist France any regionality is avoided, so that even the official flags of these regions mostly look like flags of companies, unloving, unhistorical, technocratic and modernistic, and these flags should not be a subject of any lexical considerations here. Only in a few of that regions, exist official flags which remember the historical models. But, even the existence of these today's regions is douptful, because in 2014 was passed a territorial reform valid from the year 2016, that reduces the number of the existing regions by merging to nearly the half. However, there exist unofficial flags in nearly all of these regions, which should remember the old provinces and the old heraldry.

Wikipedia Link to the regions of France: click or tap here
FOTW Link to the regions of France: click or tap here

Source: Flags of the World, Wikipedia (D), Volker Preuß

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History

antiquity · settlement by Celtic tribes, the largest of them are the Cavarers

58 B.C. · Roman conquest, the area comes to the province of Gallia Narbonensis

52 B.C. · an uprising of the Gauls under Vercingetorix is suppressed

4th/5th century A.D. · the Burgundians come from the region between the Oder River and Vistula River and invade into the Roman Empire, settle on the Middle Rhine near Worms and plunder neighboring Roman settlement areas

436 · the Kingdom of Burgundy in the Middle Rhine area is shattered by Huns in Roman service

443 · the surviving Burgundians get settled by the Romans in the area of Lake Geneva and the today's Savoy

443–500 · establishing of the Kingdom of Burgundy (Burgundia), territorial expansions

534 · conquest of the Kingdom of Burgundy by the Franks, today's Burgundy comes to the Frankish Empire, the area will remain as part of empire with its own administration

870 · at the division of the Frankish Empire (Treaty of Meersen) arises the West Frankish Kingdom, the East Frankish Kingdom, and the Frankish Kingdom of Italy – Burgundy gets divided, the north (Upper Burgundy) comes to the West Frankish Kingdom, the south (Lower Burgundy) comes to the Frankish Kingdom of Italy

877 · Lower Burgundy separates from Italy

879 · Boso of Vienne is king of Lower Burgundy

880 · by the division of the Frankish Empire (Treaties of Verdun and Ribbemont) arises the West Frankish Kingdom (later France), the East Frankish Kingdom (later German Empire), the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy (under Rudolf the Welf), the Kingdom of Lower Burgundy persists, and formerly Burgundian territories in the northwest come as "Regnum Burgundiae" to the West Frankish Kingdom too

920–1016 · Regnum Burgundiae develops to a duchy of France, which adopts the name of Burgundy (=> Duchy of Burgundy)

951 · Upper Burgundy and Lower Burgundy become united to the Kingdom of Burgundy, under Conrad III. of Upper Burgundy, this country is also called Arelat, there are several formed counties, including the counties of Venaissin and Avignon

965–1019 · rule of the Counts of Provence, Arles and Avignon over the county Venaissin with its capital Venasque

1019 · Emma of Provence, the heiress of Provence, Arles and Avignon gets married with William III. Count of Toulouse, the Venaissin comes thus to the house of Toulouse

1033 · the Kingdom of Burgundy (Arelat) comes as an inheritance to the German Empire, the Roman-German Emperor Conrad the Elder is elected in Peterlingen (Payerne) to the king of Burgundy, but in subsequent years, the country is divided into several counties (County of Provence, County of Venaissin, County of Savoy, County of Dauphiné, Franche-Comté), the last king of Burgundy is the Emperor Charles IV., who was enthroned in 1365

1241 · Joan of Toulouse, the heiress of Toulouse, Provence, Arles and Avignon marries Alfons of Poitiers, the brother of the king of France (Louis I .), these areas and the Venaissin come in this way to the french crown

1274 · the King of France cedes Venaissin to the Pope, which was not brought to a county until years later (under Pope Clement V.), a county of the Papal States, which is locally represented by a Papal Rector

1309 · Avignon is the seat of the Pope

1320 · Carpentras is the capital of Venaissin

1348 · Pope Clement VI. purchases from Countess Johanna of Provence the city and county of Avignon, which is now locally represented by a Papal Vice-Legate

1377 · the seat of the Pope will be moved back to Rome

1663 · invasion of French troops

1668 · invasion of French troops

1768–1774 · Venaissin and Avignon are occupied by French troops

1789 · during the French Revolution there are riots in Venaissin and Avignon too, Avignon calls the connection to France

April 1790 · national estates assembly of Venaissin, the political system is reformed republican, but the supremacy of the Pope is confirmed, however, the Vice-Legate of Avignon flees to Venaissin

14th of September in 1791 · in consequence of a popular uprising and an unauthorized referendum the French Constituent National Assembly decides the affiliation of Venaissin and Avignon to France

19th of September in 1797 · Peace of Tolentino, the Pope cedes Venaissin and Avignon to France, under pressure

1793 · Venaissin , Avignon and Orange are merged to the Department of Vaucluse

1814/15 · Congress of Vienna, reorganization of Europe after the era of Napoleon, the Papal States protest because the former and by Napoléon extorted papal areas of Venaissin and Avignon were not discussed at the congress

1960 · reintroduction of regions in France, the Department of Vaucluse comes to the Region of Provence-Alpes- Côte d' Azur

Source: Meyers Konversationslexikon, Wikipedia (D)

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Origin of the Country's Name

The name "Venaissin" goes probably back to Venasque, the old capital of the county. The latin name of the country was Comitatus Vindascinus, the french name was Comtat Venaissin.

Source: Wikipedia (D)

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