France attracts many tourists with its culture and history. Cuisine, haute couture, architecture - all this amazes the imagination of foreigners. The state symbols of the French also deserve attention - it hides a lot of information about this original country. What can the French flag or their emblem say?
The official appearance of the banner
Many people know what the flag of France looks like, because souvenirs with such symbols are popular even outside the country. The cloth is a rectangle whose width refers to a length of two to three. It has three vertical stripes. The first on the left is made in blue, in the center is white, and the right edge is red. This version of the national flag was approved in the eighteenth century, in 1794, and to this day it has remained unchanged.
Origin history
The way the flag of France looks was determined by many historical events. Initially, the flag of the Gauls was a blue banner designed to symbolize St. Martin. It was used by the first French Christian king, Clovis the First. Until 496, the banner was white and depicted three golden toads. When Charlemagne ascended the throne, the three-tailed red banner with roses became the state standard. There were six of them, and they were made in blue-red-yellow. After the collapse of the French Empire, the country returned to its former blue banner. In the twelfth century, King Ludwig the Sixth Fat added gold lilies to the fabric. They symbolized the Blessed Virgin. Charles the Fifth used the image of three lilies to mention the Holy Trinity in this way. During the Hundred Years War, the French wanted to distinguish themselves from the British and used as a symbol a white panel with lilies, which also had a coat of arms, a God and two angels. Supporters of Joan of Arc also used white. After the war ended, the blue flag returned to use. At the end of the eighteenth century, after the capture of the Bastille, red and blue tones were combined with white. So for the first time appeared tricolor banners. Soon the first republican flag was adopted, using the tricolor. At the time of Napoleon, on a white element in the center were gold inscriptions reminiscent of the banners of the Roman Empire. After the French Revolution, flag stripes meant freedom, equality and fraternity as fundamental ideals. One way or another, the variant of how the flag of France looks has already taken a modern look.
What do flag colors mean?
Those interested in the Gaul country and its culture should not only know what flag France has, but also understand its symbolism. Red denotes the hearth, the warmth of French hearts, and also recalls Saint Dionysius. White is associated with the idea of divine order and the memory of the national heroine of France, Joan of Arc. The blue color is a symbol of St. Martinius of Tours, who patronizes Paris. There is a legend according to which he gave a blue cloak to a beggar who was freezing from the cold. Knowing what the flag of France looks like and why, you can get an idea of the mores of this country and its history.
Coat of arms of France
Tourists always know what the flag of France looks like. Photos and images can be found without any problems. But the coat of arms can be seen less often, despite the fact that it is of no less importance. In its modern version, you can see the pelt with the head of a lion, on which the letters RF are engraved, this is the short name of the French Republic. The picture is surrounded by branches of oak and olive, which symbolize wisdom. The basis is fascia and ax, which indicate unity and justice.