The poetic function of the European flag as a Semiotic Device of Cultural Identity

This article investigates whether Roman Jakobson [1]’s theory of the poetic function of language can be applied to flags, focusing on the European Union flag as a case study. It argues that flags are not merely static symbols of authority but semiotic devices capable of activating aesthetic, affective, and interpretive responses. Within this framework, the concept of vexillosemiotics is introduced to explore how the visual structure and cultural resonance of flags generate layers of meaning beyond institutional representation. By analyzing the twelve-star motif of the EU flag—rooted in biblical and Marian iconography—the study shows how sacred connotations persist within ostensibly secular symbols. A notable case in Gorizia (Italy), where a Marian reinterpretation of the EU flag appeared in public space, is discussed as a poetic and political act of symbolic re-appropriation. The article demonstrates how such acts foreground the expressive form of the flag and enable alternative narratives of identity and belonging. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of how visual symbols operate in contested cultural spaces and suggest that the EU flag, far from being ideologically neutral, is an active site of semiotic negotiation.