Buy State Flags from Allstate FlagsBuy US flags from Five Star Flags
This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Lepoglava (Varazdin, Croatia)

Grad Lepoglava

Last modified: 2005-10-15 by dov gutterman
Keywords: varazdin | lepoglava | raven |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors




image by Željko Heimer, 18 September 2005



See also:


Overview

Lepoglava is a city in the Varaždin County some 20 km southwest of Varaždin. 9,000 inhabitanits, half of that number in the city itself. Lepoglava is probably most well known as a site of a prison (where a number of important persons were held by regimes of both Yugoslavia in 20th century), but Lepoglava is also a cultural canter with a Pauline order monastery and is especially famous for the intricate lacework school.   Anyway, a local news magazine printed a story "Lepoglava dobila službeno heraldicko znakovlje", Varaždinske vijesti, br. 127, 15.12.2005, str. 43. describing how on 8 December 2004 the mayor of Lepoglava ceremoniously presented for the frist time the symbols of the city.   The coat of arms of Lepoglava vert a raven sable holding a bread in its beak. The raven is symbol of St. Paul the Hermit who was fed by a raven with bread. St. Paul establsihed the Pauline order. A raven is also a symbol of royal family of king Ivaniš Korvin (1495 - 1497), who is remembered in Lepoglava for rebuilding of the monastery.   The flag is blue with the golden bordered coat of arms.
Željko Heimer, 27 Febuary 2005

In the mean time I received some answer from the city, so I may correct previous and add some further info: The symbols were adopted on 8th December 2004. Source: "Lepoglava dobila službeno heraldicko znakovlje", Varaždinske vijesti, br. 127, 15.12.2005, str. 43. Info Marija Varovic, Grad Lepoglava, 9.03.2005.  
The coat of arms of Lepoglava vert a raven sable holding a piece of bread in its beak standing on a lace clapper or with a sting argent. The raven is symbol of St. Paul the Hermit who was fed by a raven with bread. St. Paul established the Pauline order whose important centre Lepoglava is. A raven is also a symbol of royal family of king Ivaniš Korvin (1495 - 1497), who is remembered in Lepoglava for rebuilding of the monastery. The clapper is a tool for the lacework after which Lepoglava is famous.  
The flag is green with the golden bordered coat of arms. (it is not blue as I first guessed from a rather bad photo I had).  
The ceremonial flag is green gonfalon ending triangulary, with the coat of arms bordered golden with the name of the city aboe and an valnut and a fir branch below.
Željko Heimer, 10 April 2005

In Latin, a raven is a "corvus" (French, "corbeau"; Spanish "cuervo"); therefore, the association of the raven and the Korvin family might not be coincidental.
Was the famous Matthias I Korvin, King of Hungary from 1458 to 1490, a relative of Ivanis Korvin?
Ivan Sache, 12 April 2005

Of course, here is my translation from Enciklopedija leksikografskog zavoda, Zagreb, 1968:
"Ivaniš Korvin (Lat. Johannes Corvinus; Wroclav, Silesia, 1473 - Krapina, 1504), Hereditary Duke of Slavonia, Ban of Dalmatia and Croatia. Bastard son of king Matijaš Korvin, grandson of János Hunyadi. Since Matijaš had no sons in his marriage, he wanted Ivaniš to inherit his throne, so he was granting him possessions in Croatia. However, after the death of Matijaš, it was Vladislav Jagelo (Ladislas Jegielo) who was elected for the Croatian-Hungarian king. Before the election the large feudal lords promised to Ivaniš to become the king of Bosnia, a hereditary duke (vojvoda - dux) of Slavonia, ban of Croatia and Dalmatia and to keep his possessions. After the election, Ivaniš was granted only the hereditary dukedom of Slavonia, but still he was helping to Vladislav in his struggle against king Maximilian, pretender to the Croato-Hungarian throen. Ivaniš lead constant struggle against the Turks, and he was in a feud with Frankapanes who requested from him possessions taken from them by king Matijaš. Disapointed, Ivaniš denounced the dukedom. In the heavy times after the defeat on the Krbava field (1493) he took the dukedom again and maintained his rule from Bihac and Krapina, fighting the Turks. Defeated in fights near Knin retreated to Krapina where he soon died."
The attribute "king Ivaniš" given to him in Lepoglava connection is, no doubt according to the local legend. It may well been that the exact title was not quite clear anyway.
Željko Heimer, 12 April 2005

I received the original files of the adopted proposal of the symbols of Leploglava. The city administration previously sent me this what I call "Ceremonial Table Flag" while the files contain the "Ceremonial Flag" of slightly different design . I presume that the large ceremonial flag might have been made with three tails, but they decided that it is too complex for table flags, so they go with the other design for them. However, the difference in ornamentatio species strikes me as odd.
Željko Heimer, 18 September 2005


Ceremonial Flag


image by Željko Heimer, 18 September 2005

"Ceremonial Table Flag"


image by Željko Heimer, 18 September 2005


Coat of Arms


image by Željko Heimer, 18 September 2005