Flags and Costumes

HISTORY

It’s hard to trace the origin of the flag, but evidence suggests that it might even date back to the XI century: crusaders, in fact, used to paint crosses of different colors on pieces of cloth to indicate where they came from. More information about proper flag waving, though, comes from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, when troops on manoeuvres would use flags to communicate movements and strategies even at a distance.

Of course flags were also used on parades in time of peace and, in these cases, the standard bearers would carry the banners of noble families, popes, cities or even armies. In particular, some eighteenth-century illustrated manuals have drawings just of these events. And it’s from these ancient customs that the modern art of flag-waving has developed.

THE FLAGS  OF OUR ASSOCIATION

In ancient times the size of a flag was partially dictated by the loom used to weave it, and the height had to be equal to (or a multiple of) 70 cm – which was the maximum width allowed. So the flags mostly measured 140 cm high by 160 cm across. In the Renaissance, though, sizes changed a lot, as well as the variety of colors and cloths.

The flags of the Flag-wavers Association of Arezzo have a wooden pole and a lead counterweight, for a total weight of about 1.5 kg. Also, they’re all hand-woven and hand-painted. Nowadays, most of the flag-wavers groups tend to use printed materials rather than unique, sewed flags, abandoning that historical authenticity our group chose to preserve .

All our costumes are of fifteenth-century style and were sewed drawing inspiration from Piero della Francesca’s paintings. They’re entirely hand-crafted and embroidered by hand and each costume has the colors and heraldry of one of the 39 Aretine municipalities.