The

gonfalonier The Gonfalonier (in Italian: ''Gonfaloniere'') was the holder of a highly prestigious communal office in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from ''gonfalone'' (in English, gonfalon), the ter ...

of the Church or papal gonfalonier ( it, Gonfaloniere della Chiesa, " standard-bearer"; la, Vexillifer Ecclesiæ) was a military and political office of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

. Originating from the use of the Papal banner during combat, the office later became largely ceremonial and political. At his nomination, the gonfalonier was given two banners, one with the arms of the Church (''vexillum cum armis Ecclesiæ'') and another with the arms of the reigning

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

(''cum armis suis''). The gonfalonier was entitled to include ecclesiastical emblems (the

Keys of St. Peter Papal regalia and insignia are the official items of attire and decoration proper to the Pope in his capacity as the visible head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Regalia The regalia of the papacy include the ...

and the

ombrellino The umbraculum ( it, ombrellone, "big umbrella", in basilicas also conopaeum) is a historic piece of the papal regalia and insignia, once used on a daily basis to provide shade for the pope (Galbreath, 27). Also known as the pavilion, in modern ...

) upon his own arms, usually only during his term of office but on occasion permanently. Pope Innocent XII ended the rank, along with the

captaincy general A captaincy ( es, capitanía , pt, capitania , hr, kapetanija) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule a ...

, and replaced them both with the position of

flag-bearer of the Holy Roman Church The gonfalonier of the Church or papal gonfalonier ( it, Gonfaloniere della Chiesa, "standard-bearer"; la, Vexillifer Ecclesiæ) was a military and political office of the Papal States. Originating from the use of the Papal banner during combat ...

( it, Vessilifero di Santa Romana Chiesa), which later became hereditary in the Naro Patrizi.

List of gonfaloniers of the Church

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonfalonier of the Church Papal States military personnel 1059 establishments in Europe 11th-century establishments in Italy 1689 disestablishments in the Papal States 11th-century establishments in the Papal States

List of gonfaloniers of the Church

See also

References