![Flag_of_Wallonia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Flag_of_Wallonia.svg)
The flag of Wallonia is a sub-national flag in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
that represents the
Walloon Region
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
and
French Community
The French Community (1958–1960; french: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which ...
. Designed in 1913, the flag depicts a red rooster, commonly known as the ''bold rooster'' (french: coq hardi) or ''Walloon rooster'' ( wa, coq wallon), on a yellow field. The red and yellow coloring is historically associated with the city of
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
. The flag's association with Wallonia also mean that it is commonly used by the
Walloon Movement
The Walloon Movement (french: Mouvement wallon) is an umbrella term for all Belgium, Belgian political movements that either assert the existence of a Walloons, Walloon identity and of Wallonia and/or defend French culture and language within Belg ...
.
History
Before the present flag was created, the Walloons used the
French flag
The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland ...
.
The rooster was created in 1913, based on a painting by
Pierre Paulus
Pierre Paulus (1881–1959), later Baron Pierre Paulus de Châtelet, was a Belgian expressionist painter. He is best known as the designer of the "bold rooster" (french: coq hardi) adopted on 3 July 1913 as the symbol of the Walloon Movement and ...
, but choosing the colors of Liège was not obvious from the start. In the beginning, the image of a rooster on the French tricolor was often used, this design survived as a flag of
Rattachism
Rattachism (french: Rattachisme, , "reattach-ism") or Reunionism (''Réunionisme'') is a minor political ideology which calls for the French-speaking part of Belgium or Wallonia to secede from Belgium and become part of France. Brussels, which ...
.
On 3 July 1991, the French Community adopted by decree the Walloon Flag as its symbol, confirming an older decree from the former French Cultural Community of Belgium on 20 July 1975.
On 15 July 1998, the Walloon Flag was officially recognised as the Flag of Wallonia by the Walloon Region.
File:LuikVlag.svg, Flag of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial State, Imperial Estate, so the List of ...
, but also of the Republic of Liège
The Republic of Liège (french: République liégeoise) was a short-lived state centred on the town of Liège in modern-day Belgium. The republic was created in August 1789 after the Liège Revolution led to the destruction of the earlier ecclesia ...
.
File:Flag of the Liege Volunteers 1830.png, Flag of the revolutionary volunteers from Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
, led by Charles Rogier
Charles Latour Rogier (; 17 August 1800 – 27 May 1885) was a Belgian liberal statesman and a leader in the Belgian Revolution of 1830. He served as the prime minister of Belgium on two occasions: from 1847 to 1852, and again from 1857 to 1 ...
, during the Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.
T ...
.
File:Projet de drapeau wallon au coq.jpg, 1913 painting by Pierre Paulus
Pierre Paulus (1881–1959), later Baron Pierre Paulus de Châtelet, was a Belgian expressionist painter. He is best known as the designer of the "bold rooster" (french: coq hardi) adopted on 3 July 1913 as the symbol of the Walloon Movement and ...
.
File:Flag of the French Walloon movement.svg, Flag of rattachism (used, inter alia, by Rassemblement Wallonie France
The ''Rassemblement Wallonie France'' (Rally Wallonia France, RWF) is a small political party in Belgium. It is active in Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region. In Brussels it is known as the Rassemblement Bruxelles France or RBF. Its aim is t ...
).
File:Flag of Wallonia (1913).svg, Flag used unofficially from 1913 to official adoption and up to a slight simplification in 2010.
File:Flag of Wallonia (2010 et 2017).svg, Flag of Wallonia (2010-2017)
File:Flag of Wallonia.svg, Flag of Wallonia (2017-)
See also
*
Gallic rooster
The Gallic rooster (french: le coq gaulois) is a national symbol of France as a nation, as opposed to Marianne representing France as a state and its values: the Republic. The rooster is also the symbol of the Wallonia region and the French Commu ...
*
Flag of Belgium
The national flag of Belgium ( nl, vlag van België, french: drapeau de la Belgique, german: Flagge Belgiens) is a tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours of Belgium: black, yellow, and red. The colours ...
*
Flag of Flanders
The flag of Flanders, called the ''Vlaamse Leeuw'' ("Flemish Lion") or ''leeuwenvlag'' ("Lion flag"), is the flag of the Flemish Community and Flemish Region in Belgium. The flag was officially adopted by the Cultural Council for the Dutch Cultura ...
*
Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region
The Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region consists of a stylized yellow, grey and white iris on a blue background. Note that this is the flag of the whole Brussels Region, and the City of Brussels municipality has a different flag.
The first flag w ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
The Flagon the website "Connaître la Wallonie" (in French).
based on the online Encyclopedia of the Walloon Movement.
The official flagof the French Community of Belgium on its website.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Wallonia
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
Walloon culture
Flags displaying animals