The flag of Catalonia is also known as the Senyera, a widely recognized vexillological symbol consisting of a golden background and four red horizontal stripes.  Although this flag wasn’t used by Catalonia until the early 20^th century, it has a rich history.  It is thought to have originated in the early middle ages, and represented the King of Aragon. There are several stories concerning the creation of this flag dating back to as early as the 9^th century, but it is most widely accepted that the design was derived from an early version of Barcelona’s coat of arms, or even preceded Barcelona in adopting the colors from the Vatican’s coat of arms.