Flag of Marche

The flag of Marche is one of the official symbols of the region of Marche, Italy. Like many Italian regional flags, it was adopted on 4 November 1995 for Armed Forces Day of Italy (it). In absence of a law on the subject, the regional emblem that had been adopted on 15 March 1980 was simply inserted on a white background.

The emblem of Marche bears a stylized woodpecker, overlapping a black shape to form a capital letter M, against a green-bordered shield with a white field. The flag was designed by Maurizio Catani and Gianni Veroli.^{[citation needed]}

The woodpecker was the tribal totem of the Picentes, an Italic tribe who lived in most of the territory of present-day Marche.

The bird's connection to the region is attested to in Greek and Roman literature:

—Strabo, Geografia, 5. 4. 2.

—Sextus Pompeius Festus, De verborum significatu, 235 L.

—Paul the Deacon, History of the Lombards, II, 19

The only historical evidence (around 1508) of the Duchy of Urbino flag is in a painting by Timoteo Viti stored at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. It appears to have two elongated tails. The background is golden yellow, the wheel located closer to the mast, essentially imitating the coat of arms of House of Montefeltro - blue and gold stripes, with a second stripe containing a black eagle, which has been the coat of arms of the city of Urbino for centuries.