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The Gonfalone or Vessillo of the Holy Roman Church, or the Vessillo of Saint Peter, was the vexillum
Vexillum

The vexillum was a flag-like object used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire. The word is itself a diminutive for the Latin word, velum, sail, which confirms the historical evidence that vexilla were literally "little sails" i.e....
, banner
Banner

A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from Vulgar Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made ....
 or symbol of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 throughout the world, and particularly its battle-standard during the Renaissance.

Vexillum of Saint Peter came into use under Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II

Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Pope Gregory VII in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the clerical celibacy....
 during a critical period in the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy

The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was an 11th century dispute between Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and Pope Gregory VII over who would control appointments of church officials ....
. Though the king of Germany refused to recognise papal authority at this 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 for these offered themselves as his vassals - William the Conqueror did so before invading England
Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 AD with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William I of England, Duke of Normandy , and his victory at the Battle of Hastings....
, as did the Norman king Sancho Ramírez
Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragón and Navarre

File:Ramiro I y Sancho Ram?rez.jpgSancho Ram?rez was King of Aragon and King of Navarre . He was the son of Ramiro I of Aragon and Ermesinda of Bigorre, and he succeeded his father in 1063....
 before setting out to conquer Sicily.






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The Gonfalone or Vessillo of the Holy Roman Church, or the Vessillo of Saint Peter, was the vexillum
Vexillum

The vexillum was a flag-like object used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire. The word is itself a diminutive for the Latin word, velum, sail, which confirms the historical evidence that vexilla were literally "little sails" i.e....
, banner
Banner

A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from Vulgar Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made ....
 or symbol of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 throughout the world, and particularly its battle-standard during the Renaissance.

Description


History

The Vexillum of Saint Peter came into use under Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II

Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Pope Gregory VII in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the clerical celibacy....
 during a critical period in the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy

The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was an 11th century dispute between Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and Pope Gregory VII over who would control appointments of church officials ....
. Though the king of Germany refused to recognise papal authority at this 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 for these offered themselves as his vassals - William the Conqueror did so before invading England
Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 AD with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William I of England, Duke of Normandy , and his victory at the Battle of Hastings....
, as did the Norman king Sancho Ramírez
Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragón and Navarre

File:Ramiro I y Sancho Ram?rez.jpgSancho Ram?rez was King of Aragon and King of Navarre . He was the son of Ramiro I of Aragon and Ermesinda of Bigorre, and he succeeded his father in 1063....
 before setting out to conquer Sicily. A banner (in Italian bandiera, from ban, source of judicial power in the German world) or flag was used for the highest-level investiture ceremonies, which also granted judicial power, with the pope ending up becoming the formal master of the kings of Europe. Such banners were also present in the Crusades and at the battle of Lepanto
Battle of Lepanto (1571)

The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a galley fleet of the Holy League , a coalition of the Republic of Venice, the Pope , Spain , the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Savoy, the Knights Hospitaller and others, decisively defeated the main fleet of Ottoman Empire war galleys....
.

Custody of the Vexillum of the Holy Roman Church was entrusted to a high-ranking figure, who assumed the title of "Vessillifero di Santa Romana Chiesa" (Standard-Bearer of the Roman Church). It was the highest role the pope could grant to a layman, as demonstrated by several of its holders having been kings. Kingly holders included James II of Aragon
James II of Aragon

James II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Kingdom of Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327....
 (1267-1327, king of Sardinia and Corsica, from Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII

Pope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Caetani, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303....
) and Ladislas the Magnanimous
Ladislas of Naples

Ladislas the Magnanimous was King of Naples and Titular King of Jerusalem and Kingdom of Sicily, Titular Count of Provence and Forcalquier , and Titular List of Hungarian rulers and List of Dalmatian rulers ....
 (1376-1414, king of Naples, Sicily and Hungary, by Pope Innocent VII
Pope Innocent VII

Pope Innocent VII, born Cosimo de' Migliorati , was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon Papacy....
). It was also granted to
  • Louis XI of France
    Louis XI of France

    Louis XI , called the Prudent and the Universal Spider or the Spider King, was the List of French monarchs from 1461 to 1483....
     whilst Dauphin (by Pope Eugenius IV)
  • Gianfrancesco Gonzaga marquess of Mantua (by Pope Julius II
    Pope Julius II

    Pope Julius II , nicknamed Il Papa Terribile , was born Giuliano della Rovere. He was Pope from 1503 to 1513. His reign was marked by an aggressive foreign policy, ambitious building projects, and patronage for the arts....
    )
  • Odoardo I Farnese, fifth duke of Parma
    Parma

    Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its architecture and the fine countryside around it. It is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
     and Piacenza
    Piacenza

    Piacenza is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza....
    , from Pope Gregory XV
    Pope Gregory XV

    Pope Gregory XV , born Alessandro Ludovisi, was pope from 1621, succeeding Pope Paul V on February 9, 1621....
     (1621-1623)
  • Carlo Barberini by his brother Pope Urban VIII
    Pope Urban VIII

    Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was Pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last Pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions....
     (1623-1644)
  • Torquato Conti, duke of Guadagnolo, by Urban VIII after Carlo's death in 1630


Pope Innocent XI
Pope Innocent XI

Pope Innocent XI , born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1676 to 1689....
 (1676-1689) made the post hereditary and conferred it on marquess Giovanni Battista Naro. When the Nero family died out, it then passed to the patrician Montoro
Montoro

Montoro is a city and municipality in the C?rdoba Province, Spain of southern Spain, in the north-central part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Andalusia....
s. To confirm the office's importance Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI

Pope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death....
 (1700-1721) ordered that its holder had to be escorted, in solemn procession, by the captains of the Cavalleggeri
Cavalleggeri

Cavalleggeri was originally an Italian term used to describe an inferior category of cavalry during the classic period of feudal cavalry. It included knife-armed cavalry, lancers' pages and mounted crossbowmen....
. In 1801 Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII

Pope Pius VII, Order of Saint Benedict , born Count Barnaba Niccol? Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was Pope from March 14, 1800 to August 20, 1823....
, after the Cavalleggeri were dissolved, replaced them by instituting a new body of Guardia Nobile Pontificia, with the standard-bearer joining it as Captain, with the rank of Tenente Generale
Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. Finally pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from June 16, 1846 until his death. His was the longest reign in Church history, lasting 32 years....
 ordered that the office-holder was to be accorded a distinctive special collar showing the word Vexillifer and that the holder was always one of the Camerieri segreti.