^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Gradignan (Municipality, Gironde, France)

Flag of Gradignan - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 19 April 2022

Presentation of Gradignan
Flag of Gradignan
Former flag of Gradignan

See also:

Presentation of Gradignan

Gradignan (25,835 inhabitants in 2021 on 1,577 ha) is a commune in the Gironde department. It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux and is located on its southwest side.

In the Middle Ages, Gradignan enjoyed a certain notoriety, as still testified by the priory of Cayac, the remains of Castéra and the motte Saint-Albe. In 1152, when the King of England became, by his marriage, Duke of Aquitaine, the castle of Ornon, known as Le Castéra, located in the parish of Gradignan, was the capital of the "comtau" of Ornon, a vast territory located south of the Garonne belonging directly to the King of England, then Duke of Aquitaine.
The castle of Ornon was ravaged in 1405 by the Count of Armagnac, vassal of the King of France. This medieval period coincides with that of the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. At the exit of Gradignan, on the main road to Bayonne, the priory of Cayac allowed thousands of pilgrims to rest before approaching the terrible moors.

Until around 1950, Gradignan was a simple village living off the resources of its land and its river, the Eau Bourde. From 1952, under the mandate of Bernard Roumégoux Gradignan was equipped and became a town of more than 20,000 inhabitants while retaining its green look. In 1967, a prison which can accommodate around 400 detainees was built on the municipal territory.

The arms of Gradignan are blazoned:
Party per pale, 1. Argent a wavy fess azure between three escallops Sable, 2. Or a tower Gules, masoned Sable, port and window of the field, overall a chief Gules a lion passant guardant Or armed and langued Azure.

Olivier Touzeau, 23 April 2022

Flag of Gradignan

In 2006, a new logo was adopted, and a white flag with this logo is in use: photo from this page, 2016.

Olivier Touzeau, 23 April 2022

Former flag of Gradignan

Flag of Gradignan - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 19 April 2022

The former flag of Gradignan was white with the former logo, in the shape of a scallop, as observed by Frenc vexillologist Pascal Vagnat in 2006 (source).

Olivier Touzeau, 23 April 2022