The Vatican City

The Flag of the Vatican City

The Papal States covered large parts of the centre of Italy, and where lands under the direct control of the Papacy. The first flag in use was a simple square, made up of two stripes, red, and yellow.

In 1808, with a brief restoration of the Papal Sates after the French invasion, the new flag was yellow and white.

The Papal States where then invaded by France once more, and became parts of the new French Empire, under Napoleon. In 1814, the French Empire crumbled, freeing the Papal States once more. In 1848, with Italian nationalism now running the length of the peninsula, the Pope was forced from office by a military cadre, who established the Roman Republic, based on the Papal States lands. The flag they used saw a wreath in the centre of the Italian tricolour, with a double R emblem. 

However, the Roman Republic was short-lived, as under pressure from the Catholic community, France launched an invasion. Initially unsuccessful, eventually, the French invasion ultimately led to the restoration of the Pope. Though the Pope did have to institute the Code Napoleon legal system.

Up to 1870, Piedmont, the northern kingdom in Italy, had led a push for Italian unity, and in 1870, the new Kingdom of Italy entered the city of Rome. The lands of the Papal States where then annexed into the new kingdom. 

The Pope, up to the 1920's, believed themselves to be prisoners in the Vatican until the signing of the Lateran Treaty with Mussolini's Italy in 1929. This Treaty saw the Pope give up his claims to the Papal lands, in return for a yearly indemnity from the Italian republic. In return, a new Papal state was created, this time, based on the Vatican City within Rome.

The Vatican City saw the introduction of a new flag. Taking the old Papal flag of yellow and white. Also, it sees the addition of the Vatican City's coat of arms in the centre of the white stripe. the coat of arms consists of the Papal tiara, and crossed keys representing the keys to the gates of heaven. One of the keys is gold, representing spiritual power, and the other is silver, representing worldly power. A red ribbon binds them together.