{{unreferenced, date=June 2011 Croce Pisana

The Pisan Cross is the symbol of the northern

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

city of Pisa and its predecessor state, the sovereign maritime

Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...

. was the coat of arms of the people of Pisa, granted to them by Pope Benedict VIII to fight

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

s in

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

in 1017.

Description

The Pisan cross is technically described as ''with keys (or paws)'' and ''three spheres on every arm''. Its symbolism is unknown; the cross itself may represent

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, and the twelve spheres his Apostles.

History

Although the Pisan cross itself dates to 1017, the oldest surviving representation is a carving on the city walls, built in 1156 by counsellor Cocco Griffi. The city flag, red with the white cross on it, was officially recognized by Pope Callixtus II. The previous flag of Pisa was a plain field of

vermillion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It is v ...

, derived from the flag of Imperial Rome.

Modern usage

Today, the cross remains a symbol of the city. A red shield with the cross on it is the official arms of the

Comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

of Pisa. It also appears in the lower-right quarter of the

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

and coat-of-arms of the Italian Navy, which combines it with the emblems of the other medieval

Maritime Republic The maritime republics ( it, repubbliche marinare), also called merchant republics ( it, repubbliche mercantili), were thalassocratic city-states of the Mediterranean Basin during the Middle Ages. Being a significant presence in Italy in the Mi ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

and

Amalfi Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramati ...

Gallery

File:Cocco Griffi's Pisan Cross.jpg, Oldest representation of the Pisan Cross (1156) File:Flag of the Republic of Pisa.svg, Flag of Pisa File:Naval jack of Italy.svg, Ensign of the Italian Navy, sporting the coat of arms of the four main maritime republics. Clockwise, starting from the upper left: Venice, Genoa, Pisa, Amalfi. Pisa Religious symbols 1017 establishments in Europe 11th-century establishments in Italy Italian coats of arms Cross symbols Crosses in heraldry Republic of Pisa