The historian Sismondi identified Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice as Maritime Republics. He realised that they had played an essential role in Mediterranean medieval history, providing new political and social constitution models, renewing mercantile sea trade and improving navigation techniques – including the invention of new orientation instruments and the encoding of conventional maritime law practices.
The flags of the four Maritime Republics fly on top of the Town Hall tower, that overlooks the Convent church dedicated to San Benedetto. The flags depict the republics’ coats of arms: Amalfi with its octagonal white cross on a light blue background, Genoa with its red Cross of St George on a white background, Pisa with its white cross pattée on a red background and Venice with its golden St Mark’s lion brandishing a sword on a purple background.
In 1947 the Provisional Head of State, Enrico de Nicola, decided that the coats of arms of the 4 Maritime Republics would be placed at the centre of the Italian flag and constitute the Italian Navy’s flag.
