Gonfalone of the Church
The Banner of the Holy Roman Church (Latin: Vexillum; Italian: Gonfalone di Santa Romana Chiesa, occasionally Vessilio di San Pietro, "Standard of St. Peter") was the battle standard of the Papal States during the Renaissance and a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church. The office of the Gonfalonier of the Church was originally intended to function as its bearer.
The insignia was made of red cloth decorated, initially, with the image of St. Peter and occasionally later with St. Paul as well. Pope Innocent III (1198–1216) replaced these with the emblem of crossed keys surmounted by a white cross.Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303) established the final form: a cloth of crimson silk, covered with numerous six-pointed stars embroidered in gold, bearing the image of the crossed keys surmounted by a canopy or veil bearing a gold tassel at either end. The banner was attached to a long golden rod and followed the pope in his travels, including solemn religious and civil processions (such as Corpus Christi).
The Vexillum of Saint Peter came into use under Pope Alexander II during a critical period in the Investiture Controversy. Though the Holy Roman Emperor refused to recognise papal authority at the time, Alexander sought to strengthen his image via symbolic acts, such as granting the banner of St. Peter and a blessing to kings who in return offered themselves as his vassals, such as William the Conqueror before the Norman invasion. The banner was used for the highest-level investiture ceremonies, implying the Papacy's authority over temporal lords. Such banners were also present in the Crusades and at the battle of Lepanto.
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