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# Dictionary of Vexillology: C (Cross of Anjou – Cross of Victory)

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Last modified: 2026-08-29 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- CROSS OF ANJOU
- CROSS OF ATHLETICS
- CROSS OF AVIS
- CROSS OF BURGUNDY
- CROSS OF CALATRAVA
- CROSS OF CALVARY (or CROSS OF CRUCIFIXION)
- CROSS OF EIGHT POINTS
- CROSS OF JERUSALEM
- CROSS OF LORRAINE
- CROSS OF PISA
- CROSS OF ST ANDREW
- CROSS OF ST ANTHONY
- CROSS OF ST GEORGE
- CROSS OF ST JAMES
- CROSS OF ST PATRICK
- CROSS OF ST PETER
- CROSS OF SANTIAGO
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF AVIS
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF MALTA
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST JAMES
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF SANTO DOMINGO (or CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST DOMINIC)
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF CHRIST (CROSS OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST'S KNIGHTS or OF CHRIST)
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
- CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM
- CROSS OF THE PORTUGUESE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
- CROSS OF TOULOUSE
- CROSS OF VICTORY

CROSS OF ANJOU
  See cross of Lorraine and its following note.

  Flag of Merzig, Germany

CROSS OF ATHLETICS
  The term, and a colloquial translation of the German “Turnerkreuz”, which may be used to describe a cross formed from four capital letter F's and is thus voided – an athletics' or athletic cross – see the note below (also cross 1), cross-voided).

  Flag of the Albis Steam Shipping Company 1897, Germany; Flag of the Darmstädter Turngemeinde 1844, Germany

  Please note that the four F's stand for the German "frisch, fromm, fröhlich, frei" (fresh, pious, cheerful, free).
  Pascal Gross provided the French version: "fier, fort, franc, fidèle" (proud, strong, frank, faithful)
  (Derived from this, a possible English version could be: fresh, free, frank, faithful)

CROSS OF AVIS
  See avis cross.

  Flag of Avis, Portugal; Putative Banner of Arms of the Avis Order, Portugal; Flag of Coruche, Portugal

CROSS OF BURGUNDY
  See ragged cross.

  Spanish Infantry Colour c1600

CROSS OF CALATRAVA
  A symbol of the Spanish Order of Calatrava and a particularly Hispanic form of the cross fleury – an Iberian cross (see also avis cross).

  Flag of Almagro, Spain; Flag of Aldea del Rey, Spain; Flag of the Order at Alcaudete, Spain

CROSS OF CALVARY (or CROSS OF CRUCIFIXION)
  1) The alternative terms for a (normally but not exclusively) latin cross that does not usually (although it may) extend to the edges of a shield, flag, panel or flag, but which is mounted on three steps – a cross of crucifixion, cross Calvary, Calvary cross or Calvary – but see wayside cross.
  2) See crosses of calvary.

  Flag of Atalaia, Portugal; Flag of Abreiro, Portugal; Flag of Madalena, Portugal

CROSS OF EIGHT POINTS
  1) See Maltese cross 2).
  2) A cross which has eight outward facing points, but the sides of whose arms are parallel – see cross fourché.

  Flag of Portel, Portugal; Flag of Pontével, Portugal; Flag of Mozhginsky District, Russia

CROSS OF JERUSALEM
  1) A term occasionally used to describe a cross potent.
  2) See Jerusalem cross.

  Flag of the Scouts of San Jordi, France; Flag of the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1162–1191

CROSS OF LORRAINE
  A cross in which two horizontal arms cross the vertical arm, and currently seen on the arms and alternative national flag of Hungary, the arms and national flag of Slovakia plus the arms and state flag of Lithuania – a cross patriarchal, patriarchal cross, archiepiscopal cross or cross of Anjou, a double, double-beamed or double-armed cross, or a Jagiellonian cross – but see vytis cross and the note below (also armorial bearings, cross 2), national flag 1) one-and-a-half armed cross, orthodox cross, papal cross, two-and-a-half armed cross, state flag 1)).

  Flag of Free France 1940–44; Flag of Ergisch, Switzerland; National Flag of Slovakia

  Please note that the terms cross of Lorraine, cross of Anjou, cross patriarchal and archiepiscopal cross are now considered interchangeable, however, in strict usage the crosses of Lorraine and Anjou (unlike the others) should both have horizontal arms of equal length. see supplemental note

  Cross of Lorraine and of Anjou according to strict usage

CROSS OF PISA
  A variation of the cross clechee, and (as far as can be discovered) unique to Pisa, which has a white (or argent), twelve-pointed cross with a roundel of the same colour placed at each of those points – compare with occitan cross (see also cross 2), cross clechée, roundel 2)).

  Flag of Pisa, Italy

CROSS OF ST ANDREW
  See st andrew’s cross.

  National Flag of Scotland

CROSS OF ST ANTHONY
  In heraldry see cross tau (also acorn cross).

  Flag of St. Antönien-Ascharina, Switzerland

CROSS OF ST GEORGE
  See st george’s cross.

  Flag of England

CROSS OF ST JAMES
  See cross of santiago.

  Flag and Arms of Algorfa, Spain

CROSS OF ST PATRICK
  See st patrick’s cross.

  St. Patrick's Cross, Ireland

CROSS OF ST PETER
  A latin cross in which the horizontal arm is set across the lower part of the vertical – a St Peter's cross or a Latin cross reversed – but see the note below.

  Flag of San Pedro, Belize; Arms of Britelo (until 2013), Portugal; Flag of Freitas e Vila Cova (until 2013), Portugal

  Please note that according to Christian tradition the Saint was (at his own request) crucified upside down.

CROSS OF SANTIAGO
  The sword-like cross of the Spanish/Portuguese Order of St James – a Latin cross fleury fitchy – see cross fitchy and cross fleury.

  Flag of Sobrescobio, Spain; Flag of Quinta do Conde, Portugal; Flag of Ferreira do Alentejo, Portugal

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF AVIS
  See avis cross.

  Flag and Arms of Maranhão , Portugal

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF MALTA
  See maltese cross and the note below.

  Flag of the Grand Master of the Military Order of Malta

  Please note that the flag of the Grand Master of the (Sovereign Military) Order of Malta (as illustrated above) carries a true Maltese cross, however, the flag of the Order shows a plain white cross throughout on red (as illustrated below), so the editors suggest a degree of caution before using this phrase.

  Flag of the Military Order of Malta

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST JAMES
  See cross of santiago.

  Flag and Arms of Santiago, Portugal

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF SANTO DOMINGO (or CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST DOMINIC)
  See dominican cross.

  Flag of Aldeanueva de Santa Cruz, Spain

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF CHRIST (CROSS OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST'S KNIGHTS or OF CHRIST)
  A red cross pattée surmounted by a white Greek Cross being the former symbol of the medieval Iberian Order of the Knights of Christ (Ordem dos Cavaleiros de Cristo) which now forms the air force roundel of Portugal, and is often seen on the sub-national flags of both Portugal and Spain – a Cross of the Order of Christ, a Cross of the Order of Christ's Knights or a Christ’s Knight’s Cross – but see note below (also greek cross 2), roundel 1), voided).

  Flag of the Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, Portugal; Air Force Roundel, Portugal; Flag of Lourosa, Portugal

  Notes
  a) This not a voided cross, but is properly described in heraldic terms as a cross pattée Gules surmounted by a cross-couped Argent – as described and referenced above.
  b) Later variants may be based upon a Latin rather that a Greek Cross as in the example shown below.

  Flag of São Paulo, Brazil

CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
  See templar cross.

  Templar Cross (Wikipedia)

CROSS OF (THE ORDER OF) ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM
  See maltese cross.

  Flag of St John's Ambulance Brigade; Arms and Flag of Ivanec, Croatia

CROSS OF THE PORTUGUESE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
  See rounded cross.

  Putative Banner of the Portuguese Knights Templar; Arms of Mogadouro, Portugal; Flag of Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal

CROSS OF TOULOUSE
  See occitan cross.

  Flag of Languedoc, France

CROSS OF VICTORY
  In Spanish, particularly Asturian, usage, a form of the cross botonny (most often a latin cross botonny).

  Flag of Asturias, Spain; Flag of Gozón, Spain

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