Flags and arms of cantons of Switzerland abandoned the use of the term "half-canton" as an official designation, so that the official number of cantons became 26 - the former half-cantons being now referred to as "cantons with half a cantonal vote" officially, even though they are still commonly referred to as" half-cantons". With the exception of Lucerne, Schwyz and Ticino, the cantonal flags are simply transposed versions of the cantonal coats of arms. In case of Lucerne and Ticino, whose flags consist of fields of different colours divided per fess (horizontally), the coats of arms are of the same colours divided per pale (vertically). The coat
Flags and arms of cantons of Switzerland church. Losing the banner to an enemy force was a great shame and invited mockery from other cantons. Pope Julius II in recognition of the support he received from Swiss mercenaries against France in 1512 granted the Swiss the title of "Ecclesiasticae libertatis defensores" and gave them two large banners, besides a blessed sword and hat. Papal legate Matthias Schiner in addition gave to the Swiss cantons and their associates a total of 42 costly silk banners with augmentations, the so-called "Juliusbanner". Some of these banners survive, of the cantonal ones notably those of Zürich and Solothurn. The fashion of