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Fleur-de-lis is the stylized depiction of the lily flower. The name itself derives from ancient Greek λείριον > Latin lilium > French lis.. The lily has always been the symbol of fertility and purity, and in Christianity it symbolizes the Immaculate Conception.
The red fleur-de-lis in the coat-of-arms and flag of Florence, Italy, descends from the white iris which is native to Florence and which grew even in its city walls. This white iris displayed against a red background was the symbol of Florence until the Medici family reversed the colors to signal a change in political power, setting in motion a ...
The fleur-de-lys (or fleur-de-lis, plural: fleurs-de-lis; / ˌ f l ɜːr d ə ˈ l iː /, [ˌflœː(ʀ)dəˈlɪs] in Quebec French), translated from French as "lily flower") is a stylized design of either an iris or a lily that is now used purely decoratively as well as symbolically, or it may be "at one and the same time political, dynastic ...
The type genus, Lily , has a long history in literature and art, and a tradition of symbolism as well as becoming a popular female name, and a floral emblem, particularly of France (fleur-de-lis). The cultivation of lilies has been described since at least the ninth century, when Charlemagne ordered it to be grown at his imperial palaces. [ 85 ]
Iris florentina is considered one of the irises (with Iris pseudacorus) that inspired the fleur-de-lys (or fleur-de-luce) of heraldry, [13] [18] [12] which was the symbol of the city of Florence for centuries, [18] [5] and is on the coat of arms of the city.
While France does not have an official national flower, the fleur-de-lis, which was a symbol of the royal family, as well as the cornflower (blue), marguerite (white), and red poppy, which together represent the tri-colored national flag, are also generally treated as French national flowers.
According to Pierre Augustin Boissier de Sauvages, an 18th-century French naturalist and lexicographer, the name fleur-de-lis applied to the heraldic symbol may be related to Iris pseudacorus rather than to a lily, based on the shape and yellow colour of the flower. [12]
The fleurs-de-lis, as a symbol has often been associated with France, specifically the Kingdom of France. The flag is blazoned Azure, a cross between four fleurs-de-lis argent . [ 7 ] Its horizontal symmetry allows both sides of the flag to show the same image.