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Maggia commune (Ticino canton, Switzerland)

Maggia
Maggia (old)
Aurigeno
Coglio
Giumaglio
Lodano
Moghegno
Someo

See also:

Maggia

image located by Martin Karner

On 4 April 2004 the new commune of Maggia was created by the former communes of Aurigeno, Coglio, Giumaglio, Lodano, (old) Maggia, Moghegno and Someo (see below).

To the old emblem of Maggia a yellow letter M was added, which stands for the surrounding mountains, the valley and the name of the commune (source).

Maggia (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Azure a fess wavy argent.
Željko Heimer, 18 January 2004

The wavy stripe on the flag of Maggia symbolizes the river that gave its name to the village.
Pascal Gross, 18 January 2004

Aurigeno (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Tireced per fess argent an eagle issuant displayed sable azure two mullet or and argent three pallets gules.
Željko Heimer, 12 January 2004

Coglio (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Azure a dove flying argent and issuant from the base three leaves vert.
Željko Heimer, 14 January 2004

Giumaglio (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Azure a pall argent and in chief a rose also argent barged and seeded proper.
Željko Heimer, 15 January 2004

The flag of Giumaglio alludes to the position of the village at the confluence of the river Maggia and the brook Riale di Giumaglio.
Pascal Gross, 15 January 2004

Lodano (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Argent four bendlets wavy azure and in chief sinister a rose gules barbed proper.
Željko Heimer, 18 January 2004

The flag of Lodano is topographical, the rose symbolizes the position of the village located on the riverside of the Maggia where it becomes larger.
Pascal Gross, 18 January 2004

Moghegno (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Gules a ram's head erased argent.
Željko Heimer, 18 January 2004

The flag of Moghegno has been changed recently to show only the head of a ram where it showed the whole animal before.
Pascal Gross, 18 January 2004

Someo (until 3 April 2004)

image by Pascal Gross

Azure a deer trippant argent with a Latin cross issuant from the head between the antlers and in chief sinister a moon figuree increment or.
Željko Heimer, 19 January 2004

The deer and the crescent on the flag of Someo are the attributes of St. Eustatius and St. Placid, Patron Saints of the church.
Pascal Gross, 19 January 2004

St. Eustace probably never existed – there is a legend of a Roman general called Placidas under Trajan, who was converted through seeing the stag with the crucifix, (also featuring in the legend of St. Hubert), changed his name and that of his wife and children, and later on suffered with them martyrdom through being roasted to death in a brazen bull after refursing to sacrifice.
St. Placid (6th century) is an exemplary saint: he was killed by Saracen pirates 100 years before the Saracenes arrived in the Mediterranean. This probably explains the crescent.
However the most likely saint is Placid (died c. 650), a wealthy landowner in Switzerland, who donated a tract of land to St. Sigisbert to found the Benedictine abbey of Disentis about 614, and became a monk there. This Placid was murdered several years later for defending the rights of the abbey.
Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (1997), John J. Delaney's Dictionary of Saints (1980)

The last Placid may have been the original patron saint, but the Placidas/Eustace story is much more juicy ...

Jarig Bakker, 19 January 2004

A head-bone and various other relics of St Eustace/Placidas were restored to the Swiss cathedral from which they were looted by Napoleon.
Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (1997)
James Dignan, 19 January 2004