Cross of Alcoraz facts for kids
The Cross of Alcoraz is a special design used on flags and coats of arms. It features a red cross on a white background. In each corner of the cross, there is a head of a Moorish person. This design is also a part of the current Coat of arms of Aragon.
The first time we see this design officially was around 1281. It was on a lead seal used by Peter III of Aragon, a king of Aragon. People believe he used it as his own symbol. It reminded people of the Crusades, which were religious wars. It also honored his ancestor, Peter I of Aragon.
Stories from the 1300s say the 'Cross of Alcoraz' started during the Battle of Alcoraz in 1096. King Peter I supposedly used it on his battle shield. The legend says Saint George miraculously helped in the battle to take back Huesca.
The oldest picture of the cross, from the 1281 seal, shows four Moorish heads. They have beards but no headbands or bandages.
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Over many centuries, from the Middle Ages until the 1900s, the design changed. Both in Aragon and other places, like the flag of Sardinia, the heads were shown differently. Sometimes they faced different directions. Sometimes they faced each other. Other times, they looked like heads of kings with crowns.
This special design became a symbol for the Kingdom of Aragon in the mid-1400s. It was also used as the royal flag for the Kingdom of Sardinia from the late 1400s. At that time, Sardinia was part of the Crown of Aragon. On the Sardinian flag, the Moorish heads were shown with blindfolds. On the modern flag of Sardinia, the heads face right, and the "blindfolds" now look like headbands.
See also
In Spanish: Cruz de Alcoraz para niños
- Moor's head (heraldry)
- Battle of Alcoraz
