Montesson (Municipality, Yvelines, France)

Last modified: 2003-05-17 by ivan sache
Keywords: yvelines | montesson | flowers: 3 (blue) | crown (yellow) |
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by Arnaud Leroy

Source: Mairie de Montesson

• Presentation of the city
• Description of the flag

See also:

• France
• Yvelines (Department, France)

Presentation of the city

Montesson is a municipality of c. 12,000 inhabitants (called Montessonnais), located on the river Seine.

Ivan Sache, 2 January 2002

Description of the flag

The flag of Montesson is white with the municipal coat of arms placed in the middle.

The municipal coat of arms was initially the coat of arms of the Montesson family, which might descent from Ms. Dallard, one of King Louis XIV's wet nurses. The coat of arms is:

Argent, three quintefoils Azure placed two and one

The model of the quintefoil could be borage (Borrago officinalis L.), a hairy medicinal herb used in the past to expell the devil.

Other elements of the arms are a mural crown with three open towers creneled or and masoned sable, which represents the free and sovereign city, and branches of oak and olive added in the XIVth century. Oak symbolizes strength, longevity and wisdom, whereas olive symbolizes peace, fecundity and victory.

The last official version of the arms of Montesson was designed by the heraldist Robert Louis. In 1993, a graphist working for a design studio simplified and modernized the design.

Source: Unofficial municipal website