The piece of the month of November 2025

THE FLAG OF THE CITY OF CASCANTE

Santiago Rueda Pascual
President of the association Amigos de Cascante "Vicus".

The vexillology is an auxiliary discipline of history that focuses on the study of flags, banners, taffetas, banners and flags. In approaching this brief study on the flag of Cascante, we are faced with the problems arising from the scarcity of sources. 

Of the Celtiberian Kaiskata and the Roman Cascantvm, I can only point out that the Romans used metal insignia (totally rigid) and wool or leather hanging and barely waved, being used substantially in the identification of the different armies and legions. In the average the flags were rather banners, heavy fabrics such as linen or wool decorated with coats of arms and strictly linked to heraldry. 

Current flag of Cascante (year 2025). Photo Santiago Rueda

Entering in the Modern Age, in the year 1541 the obligation of the king-bird and his retinue of accompanying the flag or banner cascantino when they go to mugar the terms of this villa is recorded. But nothing informs us of its color, nor of its measures. Our most illustrious Cascantino writer, Fray Pedro Malón de Echaide, says nothing about the flag of Cascante and his only allusion to flags, is made as a result of the defense of the vulgar Spanish language with the hope (also current and shared) that "I hope in the diligence and good care of those jealous of the honor of Spain and its good industry that with the favor of God we will soon see all the curious and serious things written in our vulgar, and the Spanish language raised in its perfection, without being invidious to any of those of the world and as extended as the flags of Spain are". 

Throughout the Modern Age, references to the flag or banner of Cascantino are constant in three aspects.

In the first place, it is necessary to point out the determination of the population's boundaries. Previously we have alluded to the figure of the bird-king, but the demarcations and the control of the mugas of the jurisdiction of the population was a certainly habitual task. In 1701 there is a record of the inspection of mugas carried out by the alderman and the notary of Cascante with the places of Tulebras, Lor, Pedriz, Utrante (Urzante) and Murchante. The inspections and control of mugas were carried out by the Alamines (those in charge and responsible for irrigation) with the aim of punishing those who transgressed the rules and punishing the transgressors. In the mugas there were always problems, the most common examples were: moving the boundary markers, sowing on neighbor's land, grazing herds of small or large livestock on other people's land and so on. The official mugaciones were held every three years with the attendance of the entire council and the alamines, and to this official act between neighboring towns, the councils would attend with the corresponding banners of each town.

Town Hall with the flag (year 1979). Collection of photographs of the Town Hall of Cascante.

In second place are the felling for illegal irrigation. There are more than thirty lawsuits related to irrigation in the archives of Navarre in the Royal Courts section and in the historical file of Cascante. The problem of water rights is not new. The felling for illegal irrigation was a condemnation for the use of illegal water whose right corresponded to another population. When the infringement was proven, the injured population went to the farms irrigated with usurped water in order to destroy the plants and fruits of those farms. The aggrieved council would go out to those fields, and in many cases a town would enter the jurisdiction of another town. In Cascante, in the year 1757, Tudela was imposed the following for the realization of a felling: "do not carry a raised bara lebantada, a stretched banner, nor a trumpet or a blaring clarion". In the Cascante inventory books of the 18th century, the following reference letter appears: "a blue taffeta banner to go out to cut down the trees". This quotation is the first that we have found alluding to the blue color as reference letter of the flag of Cascante.

In third and last place are the proclamations of kings. Every time a new king was proclaimed, celebrations were held in all the towns of the Kingdom. Cascante is no stranger to this, and we have reflected the celebrations for these events. Thus it appears on the occasion of the appointments of Felipe V, Luis I and Fernando VI, Carlos III. The ceremonial of the proclamation was the following: On the balcony of the Town Hall a portrait of the new king was placed under a luxurious canopy, and in six other designated places in the city six coats of arms with the royal arms and the coat of arms of Cascante were placed. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the mayor would leave the Town Hall with the banner raised. They stood in front of the Town Hall facing the portrait hanging in the Town Hall and with the raised banner the mayor and the other members of the board, the elected members, the clergy and the whole town. The mayor said: "Navarre, Navarre, Navarre and this most noble City of Cascante for the King and Lord Don (the name of the king with the issue of Navarre and Castile), whom God keep for many years. Long live, long live", and the whole town answered with cheers and shotgun blasts. A tour was made visiting the other coats of arms and before each coat of arms the same proclamation was launched. The proclamation ended at eight o'clock in the evening, and after it began fires, bonfires, luminaries, rockets and other demonstrations. 

Transfer of the Virgin to the place of the Coronation with banners and flags (year 1928). Photo donated by José Melero to the Cascante Town Council.

The banner or blue flag of Cascante was also used in many other occasions, since it was and is a sign of identity of the city. In the year 1795 "men were raised for the defense of the border, publishing this order throughout the town flying the blue flag of the city, while all the bells were ringing in rapture". As we can see, the flag has always been in historical events. One of them was the canonical coronation of the Virgen del Romero in 1928. We hardly have images of such a great event, but we have been able to rescue a photo in which, being in black and white, we cannot determine which of all the flags corresponds to the flag of Cascante, but we can observe the use of numerous banners and flags in that act.

The flag of Cascante precedes for many years in the ascent to the Virgen del Romero the entire City Council along with its guests on the first Sunday of the festivities. The second weekend of the festivities, in the procession of the Cristo de la Columna, recently incorporated to the festivities, the flag also precedes the Corporation. 

Climbing the first Sunday of festivities to the Virgen del Romero (year 2021). Photo file Municipal Cascante

The flag of Cascante is present in all important civil events. Thus the day of the local holiday, on May 25 date of St. Vicenta Maria, in the festivities of the cross and other dates or events of local significance.

At present the flag is placed on the facade of the Town Hall every day of the year, together with the flag of Navarre, the flag of Spain and the flag of the European Union. 

Façade of the town hall (1930). Photograph published by José Miguel Ruiz Maeztu in the book "Cascante, historia y recuerdos en imágenes".

For my part, I venture that the current flag of Cascante has been blue since the beginning of the Modern Age, with the reference letter of the bird-king. There is no reason to meeting document that alludes to changes in the color of the flag, being the blue color inveterate. The color blue in heraldry is associated with nobility, loyalty, justice, truth, wisdom, divine light. Could it have a Marian origin? It is true that the blue tonality used in the flag may be an indication of a Marian origin, but I leave this question for other scholars and researchers, to whom I yield my humble witness, to discover more information.

To conclude, I have observed that the use of the flag is not regulated. But even more important I consider that with today's means, it should be determined in a more concrete and exact way the color of the flag in agreement with the Catalog of names and color code, and also the proportion of the flag according to the size of the flag. I am not aware of any municipal agreement in this regard, although I have inquired about it. I have observed in different flags coats of arms with the same background as the flag, and in other cases a darker blue and even other shades. It would be prudent that two elements as important in the representation of the municipality as the flag and the coat of arms were homogenized in their use for future generations.

Cascante Town Hall (year 2025). Photo Santiago Rueda

SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

Royal and General file of Navarre. Royal Courts Section
file Parroquial de Cascante. Magazine "El Romero ".
file Historical of Cascante. Books of Inventories, conference proceedings and Lawsuits.
file Municipal of Cascante: Program of celebrations of 2014
ARANDA RUIZ, A., Dressing the authority. Attributes of power and municipal representation of Navarre, Publishing Services of the University of Navarre, 2021.
ARELLANO, I., ALADRO, J. and MATA, C., Critical edition of the Conversion of La Madalena, Instituto de programs of study Auriseculares. 2014, pp. 43 and 115
FERNÁNDEZ framework, J. I., Cascante, Ciudad de la Ribera. Tomo II association Cultural Amigos de Cascante, Vicus, 2006.
HURTADO MAQUEDA, J., Hispanic Medieval Vexillology. El uso civil y militar de las banderas en la Edad average, Ministerio de Defensa, 2023.
SANZ ARTIBUCILLA, J. M., La Ciudad de Cascante y su Virgen del Romero. Notas históricas, Tarazona, Tipográfica Martínez Moreno, 1928.
SEGURA MONEO, J., Casas consistoriales de Navarra. Gobierno de Navarra, Pamplona, Government of Navarra, department of Presidency and Interior, 1988, p. 172.
TARIFA CASTILLA, M. J., "La Casa de la villa de Cascante a la luz de la contratación y trazas del siglo XVI", Revista del Centro de programs of study Merindad de Tudela (2016), pp. 7-64.