The Catalonian flag is of simple design but with an interesting history. It is called the Senyera and is one of the oldest flags in Europe. Apparently representations of it dating back to 1159 have been found..
According to a local legend, in the 9th century the ruler of Barcelona, Wilfred the Hairy (the Count of Barcelona), lay dying of wounds obtained in a battle to protect the city from moors, when someone drenched their fingers in his blood and dragged them across the Count’s golden shield. This color scheme became the basis for the flag.
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However, the flag’s color theme is shared by other local regions in the vicinity (Aragon, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia in Spain; Provence-Alpes-Cote-d’Azur and Rousillon in France) and residents of those areas may have different tales to tell about the origins of the design.
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Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 16 June, 2007
