Flag of Montecara
 | |
| Name | I sangi "The Bloods" |
|---|---|
| Use | National flag and ensign  |
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | Early 14th century |
| Design | Two red stripes of equal width on a white field |
 Variant flag of Montecara | |
| Use | Naval jack |
| Proportion | 1:1 |
| Design | Concentric squares of alternating white and red |
The flag of Montecara is one of the oldest flags in continuous use in the world. Its use is definitively recorded as early as the fourteenth century in depictions of Montecaran merchant ships, and records indicate that it came to symbolize and be used by the city-state as a whole by the end of that century.
Origin
According to legend, the design comes from an event that occurred in 515. After the wealthy merchant Piero de' Malatesta took control of the city with his mercenary army and made himself dictator, the city's burghers conspired to assassinate him and restore their traditional rights to govern Montecara collectively. Their plan was hatched on 16 April, which is commemorated as Montecara's national day. A crowd of burghers and their supporters disguised in hooded white priests' robes fell on Piero as he left the old cathedral, stabbing him to death. The assassins each dipped two fingers into the fallen dictator's blood and drew them across their white robes to signify their participation in the conspiracy, creating the design that still appears on Montecara's flag today.
Protocol
The flag is afforded legal protection under Montecaran law. It is an offense to deface, sully, or destroy it, though the last prosecution for flag desecration took place in 1983. The government has issued additional non-binding guidance regarding the use of the flag, directing that the flag should never be allowed to touch the ground or water, that no other flag should be flown higher than or on the same pole as the national flag, and that the flag should always occupy the place of honor and be the first raised and last lowered. The government recommends that, when excessively worn, the flag should be burned (if made of natural fiber) or unstitched and recycled (if synthetic).
In times of mourning, the College of State can order the flag to be flown at half-mast from public buildings. If half-masting is not practicable, a black cravat can be attached at the upper hoist.
The flag is required by law or order to be displayed at the following places and times:
- At the Palaço Pùblico every working day
- Above the façade of the Palaço di Senàt when the Senate is in session
- At ports of entry when open
- On vessels of the Montecaran Navy
- At military installations during daylight hours
Official specifications
The Montecaran constitution defines the flag as one of the national symbols along with the coat of arms, anthem, motto, and personification of the Republic. The Secretariat of State publishes official specifications of the colors to be used in manufacturing and depicting the flag.
| Name | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | ||
| White | 255 | 255 | 255 | #FFFFFF
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Luminous red | 255 | 42 | 42 | #FF2A2A
|
0 | 84 | 84 | 0 | |