The state and war flag of San Marino is formed by two equal horizontal bands of white and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield with a closed crown on top, flanked by an oak and laurel wreath, with a scroll below bearing the word LIBERTAS. The two colors of the flag represent peace and liberty. Although the Law on the flag and coat of arms of San Marino from 2011 refers only to the "official flag" of the republic, a de factocivil flag, which omits the coat of arms, can sometimes be seen flying. Some official sources of San Marino suggest that the civil flag is actually the bicolor with the coat of arms of the specific city it is used in, instead of the national one. The national ensign of San Marino is identical to the state flag. San Marino's municipalities all have flags that are very similar to San Marino's national flag. These flags all contain a shield-like emblem on the horizontal white and blue bicolor. Closest to the hoist of these flags is the name of the municipality written vertically.
History
The oldest attested flag of the republic dates back from 4 September 1465, when it was commissioned from a manufacturer in Florence. It showed a horizontal tricolor of orange, white and purple, with the old emblem of San Marino depicted on the white stripe. It is not known how long it remained the state flag of the republic or when the white-blue bicolor appeared. In 1797, most likely influenced by the wave of reforms in France, the Supreme Council of the Republic commissioned a white and blue cockade, which, coincidentally or not, was identical to the one used by the French revolutionaries. The current flag was adopted on 6 April 1862 by a Decree of the Supreme Council and since then, little but graphic details of the coat of arms and some proportions were changed.
Proportions and colors
The official proportion of the flag is 3:4, the coat of arms' width being of the flag's length. While the arms are horizontally centered, their vertical position on the flag is defined by the location of the center of the cross on top of the crown: at of the flag's length. The proportion of the coat of arms is 5:6. A 2:3 proportion can be used internationally and/or when specifically requested. In this case, the coat of arms' width is of the flag's length, and the center of the cross on the top of the crown will be at of the flag's height below the upper edge. The colors of the flag are officially prescribed as follows:
