Lower Navarre (Traditional province, France)

Basse-Navarre

Last modified: 2004-07-03 by ivan sache
Keywords: navarre | nabarra | basque country | chain (yellow) | bearn |
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by Pierre Gay

• Presentation of Navarre
• Description of the flag of Navarre

See also:

• France
• Traditional provinces
  • Béarn
• Region
  • Aquitaine
• Department
  • Pyrénées-Atlantiques
    
• Spain
• Navarre (Spain)
• Basque country

Presentation of Navarre

The kingdom of Navarre was a kingdom of its own, not a province, nor a possession of Béarn. When the southernmost part of Navarre was annexed by Spain, the Navarre royal family legitimate heirs retained the title and the Lower Navarre territory. They happened to be viscounts of Béarn, too, but there were no dependence in that. The rulers of Soule were personal vassals of the viscounts of Béarn as for themselves, not for their territory.

François-Jean Blanc, 25 August 1998

Description of the flag of Navarre

The chains of Navarre are linked with a legend of a king defeating the Moors. The chains of the camp of the Moors had been cut and had tied up with the sword of the king. He decided to put chains on his red shield. In fact the reality is somewhat different. It is the same explanation as for the brisure, the need to reinforce the shield with nails, pieces of wood, etc... Little by little, those pieces disappered and only their image remained and took the shape of those chains.

Pascal Vagnat,, 28 August 1997