Municipality of Despotovac
Pomoravlje District, Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia
- Bearer
- Municipality of Despotovac
- Author
- Dragomir Acović
- District
- Pomoravlje District
- Region
- Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia
- Eparchy
- Eparchy of Braničevo
- Official website
- despotovac.rs
The Municipality of Despotovac uses arms and a banner; the arms occur in a lesser and a greater form. The insignia were designed, according to the rules of Serbian heraldry, by the Serbian Heraldry Society, and their author is Dragomir Acović. In the greater arms the shield is supported by Despot Stefan Lazarević with a model of the church of the Manasija Monastery and a young warrior with a halo, and the banner, in red and blue fields, bears a white double-headed eagle on a red circle.
Blazon
A gold field with a silver chief bearing a red pale with a silver cross between two red lilies. In the field are a crossed red sword and quill, and at the base a black fortification with crenellated walls and a central tower, containing two crossed silver hammers.
A golden mural crown of dressed stone with crenellations.
On the dexter Despot Stefan Lazarević, crowned, in royal dress of Byzantine cut and with a gold halo, holding in his right hand a model of the church of the Manasija Monastery; on the sinister a young warrior with a halo, in gold armour and a red cloak, with a sword. Both hold lances, the first with the flag of Serbia and the second with the banner of the municipality.
A green grassy hill with blue mountains in the background and wavy water at the foot.
A white ribbon with the inscription “ДЕСПОТОВАЦ” in black letters.
A square flag divided crosswise into red and blue fields, with the upper field next to the lance red. In the centre is a red circle framed with a yellow, according to some descriptions white, border, and within it a white double-headed eagle.
Symbolism and meaning
The white double-headed eagle on red in the circle of the flag is the arms of the medieval Serbian kingdom, later empire and despotate. The red and blue fields correspond to the colours of present-day Serbia, but also to those of the oldest described Serbian flag, from the thirteenth century.
The chief bears the arms that the Illyrian armorials attribute to Despot Stefan Lazarević (ruled 1389–1427): on a silver field a red pale with a silver cross between two red lilies. On some of the despot's seals there is a similar device, in which a bend between two lilies takes the place of the pale. Despot Stefan, shown as a supporter of the arms, holds a model of the church of the Manasija Monastery.
