Flag of Vatican City
Two vertical halves, yellow at the hoist and white at the fly. In the centre of the white half are the crossed keys of Saint Peter, one gold and one silver, under the papal tiara.
What the flag means
The Fundamental Law describes the flag without giving the colours a meaning. The yellow and white are traditionally traced to the gold and silver of the two keys of Saint Peter.
History
The Papal States used yellow and red until 1808, when Pope Pius VII gave his Noble Guard a white and yellow cockade so they could be told apart from papal troops taken into the French army. Yellow and white merchant flags followed in the 1820s. After the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929 set up the new state, the flag was adopted on 7 June 1929 and first raised the next day. Article 23 of the 2023 Fundamental Law describes it.
Many copies of the flag, including a version widely shared online, show the inside of the tiara in red. In the official design it is white.
Flags of Vatican City's neighbours
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of Vatican City
- Holy See (vatican.va): Storia della Bandiera dello Stato della Città del Vaticano
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
