
Last modified: 2021-08-24 by rob raeside
Keywords: tuscan autonomist movement | movimento autonomista toscano | 
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 image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013
image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013
See also:
MAT (Movimento Autonomista Toscano = Tuscan Autonomist Movement)
The 
MAT is a small regional party in Tuscany, advocating the autonomy of the region. 
It was founded in 1989. It holds no seat in the regional parliament.
The 
MAT has used three different flags, based on the historical Tuscan red-white-red 
flag, together with the "Chimera of Arezzo" (a bronze figurine of about 400 BC, 
employed as a Tuscan national symbol). The first flag is 
called the "national flag" and is red-white-red with a small chimera and the 
party abbreviation [1]. The second flag, of 2002, is 
red-white-red with the party name distributed over the three stripes, and the 
party symbol in the white stripe [2,3,4]. The most recent flag is a version of 
the first "national" flag, showing a larger blue chimera (fimbriated yellow) on 
the red-white-red [5,6].
Sources:
[1]
http://www.mat-toscanalibera.org/img/bandiera.jpg 
--
[2] flag no. 24 in Italian political flags collection Schmöger, received from 
MAT headquarters
[3]
http://www.mat-toscanalibera.org/img/newflag.jpg 
[4]
http://legatoscana.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/mazzchel.jpg 
--
[5] flag 
no. 211 in Italian political flags collection Schmöger, received from MAT 
headquarters
[6]
http://www.mat-toscanalibera.org/img/Bandiera%20Toscana.jpg 
M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013
 image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013
image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013

"National Flag"
from www.mat-toscanalibera.org,
located by Paolo Montanelli
 image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013
image by M. Schmöger, 14 May 2013

Movement Flag
from www.mat-toscanalibera.org,
located by Paolo Montanelli
There is another movement in Tuscany which is in favour of independence or 
great autonomy for this region. It reached a certain success in past times, now 
it is a very tiny party. The logo of this movement can be seen at
www.mat-toscanalibera.org. The flag 
of the movement can be seen at
www.mat-toscanalibera.org/newflag.jpg.
They have also a "national flag" for Tuscany at
www.mat-toscanalibera.org/bandiera.jpg
in two variants: with or without "M.A.T." lettering.
Now the flag with lettering no longer exists since the flag of
the movement is only the one I indicate above.
This movement shows an Austrian-like flag (like those of Lega
Nord Toscana -- Tuscany Northern League) but with no
Lorraine-Medici styled CoA. Instead, it has a reproduction of the
Etruscan Chimera known also as "the Chimera of Arezzo"
since it was found in 1553 near the town of Arezzo (in eastern
Tuscany) a bronze sculpture which is considered a masterpiece of
the Etruscan art (now it is at the Archaeological Museum in
Florence).
The site also indicates a possible "national hymn" for
Tuscany: it is "Nessun Dorma!" (or
"Vincerò"), a famous aria from Puccini's
"Turandot", worldwide famous because of its
interpretation by Luciano Pavarotti. Puccini, in fact, was born
in Lucca, in western Tuscany.
Paolo Montanelli, 22 February 2003