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Cestas (Municipality, Gironde, France)

Flag of Cestas - Image by Arnaud Leroy, 8 January 2002

Presentation of Cestas
Flag of Cestas

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Presentation of Cestas

The municipality of Cestas (16,409 inhabitants in 2009; 9,957 ha) is located south-west of Bordeaux.
In the Roman times, Cestas was called Ad Sextum (At the 6th), recalling that the 6th milliary column on the Road of Salt (from Bordeaux to the Atlantic Ocean) stood there.

Ivan Sache, 8 January 2002

Flag of Cestas

The flag of Cestas is white with the municipal coat of arms in the middle and the writing VILLE DE ("Town of") and CESTAS placed above and below the shield, respectively.

The coat of arms (municipal website) is "Quartered, 1. and 4. Or a boar's head argent, 2. and 3. Vert a beehive or, overall St. Roch argent".
In the Middle Ages, Cestas was located on a branch of the Way of St. James. The patron saint of the pilgrims and of the town, St. Roch, is portrayed in the center of the coat of arms.
The boar's heads stand for strength and tenacity.
The beehives are locally called bournak. The inhabitants of Cestas were famous for the honey they brought to the market Porte-Neuve market in Bordeaux.
The coat of arms shown on the municipal website has yellow and green quarters, whereas it has yellow and red quarters on the flag.

Pascal Vagnat &: Ivan Sache, 8 January 2002