View source for Flag of the Region of Murcia

{{Unsourced|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox National flag
| Name = Murcia
| Article = the
| Type = International
| Image = Flag of the Region of Murcia.svg
| Image_size = 230px
| Symbol = {{FIAV|normal}}
| Proportion =
| Adoption = {{Start date and age|1983|6|9|df=y}}
| Design =
| Designer =
}}
'''The flag of the [[Region of Murcia]]''' was defined in Article 4.1 of the Statute of Autonomy of the Region of Murcia, which established the following:
{{Quotation|The flag of the Region of Murcia is rectangular and consists of four castles with battlements [[Tincture (heraldry)|or]], in the upper left corner, arranged in rows of two, and seven royal crowns in the lower right corner, arranged in four rows, with a pattern of one, three, two, and one, respectively; against a [[crimson]] or [[carmine]] red background}}
The four castles evoke the region's history as a frontier zone caught between the [[Crown of Aragon]] and the [[Kingdom of Castile]], and the [[Nasrid dynasty|Nasrid]] [[Emirate of Granada]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea]]: four territories of land and sea, Christians and Muslims, adventurers and warriors, all of which created a distinct Murcian culture.  The four castles also can refer to the four lordships that initially carved up the area after it was conquered by [[Alfonso X of Castile]].
The seven crowns were granted to the Kingdom of Murcia by the Castilian Crown.  The first five crowns were granted by Alfonso X on May 14, 1281, when he granted the standard and municipal seal to the capital city of [[Murcia, Spain|Murcia]].  The sixth crown was granted by [[Peter of Castile]] on 4 May 1361, in honour of the loyalty of Murcia shown to Peter's cause during the [[War of the Two Peters]].
The seventh crown was granted by [[Philip V of Spain]] on 16 September 1709 in honour of the loyalty of Murcia shown to Philip's cause during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]].
==Former Flags==
<gallery>
File:First Flag of the Kingdom of Murcia.svg|First [[Heraldic flag|Standard]] of the [[Kingdom of Murcia]] (pre-[[1361]])
File:Banner of the Castilian Realm of Murcia (1266-1361).svg|[[Heraldic flag|Standard]] of the [[Kingdom of Murcia]] as part of the [[Crown of Castile]] ([[1266]]–[[1361]])
File:Banner of the Castilian Realm of Murcia (1361).svg|[[Heraldic flag|Standard]] of the [[Kingdom of Murcia]] as part of the [[Crown of Castile]] ([[1361]])
File:Banner of the Castilian Realm of Murcia.svg|[[Heraldic flag|Standard]] of the [[Kingdom of Murcia]] as part of the [[Crown of Castile]] ([[1361]]–[[1575]])
File:Bandera de la Diputación Provincial de Murcia.svg|Province of Murcia (1976–82)
File:Bandera del nacionalismo murciano.svg|Flag of the [[Murcianism]]
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[Coat of arms of the Region of Murcia]]
*[[Flags of the autonomous communities of Spain]]
{{Commons category|Flags of the Region of Murcia}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?sit=c,373,m,1915&r=ReP-26783-DETALLE_REPORTAJES La bandera y el escudo de la Región de Murcia]
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.lomejordemurcia.com/lmdm_bandera.htm Bandera y escudo de Murcia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714150213/http://www.lomejordemurcia.com/lmdm_bandera.htm |date=2014-07-14 }}
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.descubriendomurcia.com/las-7-coronas-y-los-4-castillos-en-la-bandera-de-la-region-de-murcia/ Las 7 coronas y los 4 castillos, en la bandera de la Región de Murcia]
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.carm.es/web/pagina?IDCONTENIDO=1611&IDTIPO=100&RASTRO=c$m22660,127,1605 Bandera de la Comunidad]
==External links==
{{Spanish Flags}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murcia, Flag of the Region of}}
[[Category:Flags of Spain]]
[[Category:Red and yellow flags]]