Flag, coat of arms, national anthem

Flag

Art. 11, first paragraph, of the General Statutes defines the flag of the Principality of Seborga: “The flag of the Principality of Seborga is divided into two parts: the left part, corresponding to one third of the length, has a white background, with a blue Samnite shield with a white Greek cross, surmounted by a royal crown; the right part, corresponding to two thirds of the length, with a white background, has nine horizontal bands of blue color, placed at equal distance each”. The nine blue bands symbolize the first 9 Templar Knights, which according to some legends would have been ordered as such in Seborga.
For the personal banner of HSH Princess Nina, please see the page “HSH the Princess of Seborga“.

Coat of arms

Art. 11, second paragraph, of the General Statutes defines the coat of arms of the Principality of Seborga.
The current coat of arms of the Principality of Seborga seems to derive from the House of Savoy (about 1760), since it has a royal crown and is very similar to that of the House of Savoy. The shield, which for the Savoy coat of arms is red, is light blue, perhaps to refer to the fact that Seborga is located in a seafaring area or perhaps because the Savoy bought the village from the monks, who resided on the sea near the Islands of Lérins. The blazon of the coat of arms is as follows: “Azure, a cross argent”. The band with the motto of the Principality is from a later period (19th century).
Sometimes – actually quite rarely – a smaller version of the coat of arms (in heraldry “lesser coat of arms”) is also used.
For the personal coat of arms of HSH Princess Nina, please see the page “HSH the Princess of Seborga“.

The motto of the Principality of Seborga is “Sub Umbra Sedi” which can be translated into “I sat in the shade”. This motto, which already appears in the “Statutes and Regulations” of 1261, seems to derive from a sentence pronounced by Prince-Abbot Aicardo on the occasion of his visit to Seborga, when he told that during his walk along the steep and sunny paths that led to the village he had found refreshment under some olive and chestnut trees that surrounded the village.

National anthem

As sanctioned by art. 12 of the General Statutes, “The official anthem of the Principality is “La Speranza””. The Seborgan national anthem is entitled “La Speranza” (“The Hope”). The version below was orchestrated, starting from the original melody, by the prestigious Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra (Slovakia) of about 90 players, conducted by Maestro Peter Breiner. For years, Maestro Breiner has been in charge of guiding and supervising the work “The complete National Anthems of the World” (Naxos editions), a collection of 10 CDs with over 400 national anthems from various countries around the world, considered “the most complete and updated collection of national anthems available”. The versions of the national anthems recorded by this orchestra have also been used in prestigious international events, such as the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics and the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

National anthem of the Principality of Seborga “La Speranza” – Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra (Slovakia), dir. M° Peter Breiner

Text
La Speranza è in colui che crede
nella forza della Verità;
c’è l’uomo che lotta per la Fede
e chi per amor di Libertà.

Non tema chi lotta con onore
e sorride nelle avversità,
giacchè se nel tempo il corpo muore
più forte vivrà la Volontà.

[Ref.] E vai, sii Uomo e vai,
di bianco e azzurro vestiti!
E vai, Seborghino vai,
nei tuoi colori fonditi!
Non ti fermare mai
se trovi degli ostacoli,
nel tuo trionfo avrai
gli onori del tuo Popolo.

Non giunge la mano del potente
a fermare Storia e Dignità,
finché la radice della Gente
nella propria Terra affonderà.

Non dona conquista al detentore
chi dimostra fede e civiltà,
ma è contro la Legge del Signore
l’uomo che si macchia di viltà.

[Ref.] E vai, sii Uomo e vai,
di bianco e azzurro vestiti!
E vai, Seborghino vai,
nei tuoi colori fonditi!
Non ti fermare mai
se trovi degli ostacoli.
Vai, Seborghino vai,
Vittoria arriverà!
Vittoria arriverà!