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Saint-Flour (Municipality, Cantal, France)

by Ivan Sache

Description of the flag

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Description of the flag

Saint-Flour is a city of c. 10,000 inhabitants, located on the edge of a basaltic plateau in the department of Cantal.

The city was founded around the grave of saint Flour, one of the evangelists of Auvergne (IVth century). In the Middle Ages, the city was administrated by three elected consuls. Before being incorporated to France, Auvergne was a duchy administratively divided in Lower- and Upper-Auvergne.
In 1317, Saint-Flour became a bishopric and in 1360 Jean de Berry recieved Auvergne in privilege (apanage). The city had a great strategic importance since it was located on the border with the then English Guyenne. During this period, there were in Auvergne 19 bonnes villes (litt. good cities), which had been not ruined by the wars and were allowed to send representants to the Etats (Parliament) of Auvergne. Saint-Flour was one of the six bonnes villes of Upper-Auvergne.

Saint-Flour has a swallow-tailed gonfanon vertically divided green and white. The colours are those of the standard of the milicia which protected the city in the Middle Ages.

Source: Pascal Vagnat's website

Ivan Sache, 12 November 2000