The flag that came from the sea. The colours that identify us

From 5 December to 5 April, the Naval Museum is putting on an exhibition featuring 57 original pieces that encourage visitors to trace the 240-year history of the Spanish flag, from its origins as the insignia of the Royal Navy in 1785 to its establishment as a national symbol.

In May 1785, The Spanish King Charles III decided that the ships of his Royal Navy would display a new flag, easily recognisable from a great distance at sea. 240 years have passed since then, and the colours chosen for this flag, red and yellow, are no longer used exclusively by the Navy, gradually becoming Spain’s national colours.

Following the 1812 Constitution, these colours became a symbol of national identity and, in 1843, during the reign of Isabella II, a Royal Decree officially made them the flag of Spain, the flag of the State and of the Monarchy.

The Naval Museum takes visitors on a journey through the history of the Spanish flag through 57 original exhibits, many of which have been specially restored for the exhibition and never displayed before  due to their size or the fragile nature of the materials, such as the diorama of the Battle of Toulon or the 18th-century water colour paintings of ships by Alejo Berlinguero de la Marca, along with other objects and graphic resources that help us understand how the flag became part of our everyday life. 

The exhibition is organised into several thematic areas, taking visitors on a journey from the origins of the flag to its expansion as a national symbol.