GONFALON, a banner or standard of the middle ages (the late French and Italian form, also found in other Romanic lan guages, of gon f anon, which is derived from the O.H. Ger. gund fano, gund, war, and fano, flag, cf. Mod. Ger. Falane, and English "vane") . It took the form of a rectangular ensign, often slit into streamers at the foot, and swinging from a cross-bar attached to a pole. This is the most frequent use of the word. The title of "gonfalonier," the bearer of the gonfalon, was in the middle ages both military and civil. It was borne by the counts of Vexin, as leaders of the men of St. Denis, and when the Vexin was in corporated in the kingdom of France the title of Gonfalonier de Saint Denis passed to the kings of France, who thus became the bearers of the "oriflamme," as the banner of St. Denis was called. Gonfalonier was the title of civic magistrates of various degrees of authority in many of the city republics of Italy, notably of Florence, Siena and Lucca. At Florence the functions of the office varied. At first the gonf aloniers were the leaders of the various military divisions of the inhabitants. In 1293 was created the office of gonfalonier of justice, who carried out the orders of the signiory. By the end of the 14th century the gonfalonier was the chief of the signiory. At Lucca he was the chief magistrate of the republic. At Rome two gonfaloniers must be distinguished, that of the church and that of the Roman people ; both offices were conferred by the pope. The first was usually granted to sov ereigns, who were bound to defend the church and lead her armies. The second bore a standard with the letters S.P.Q.R. on any enter prise undertaken in the name of the church and the people of Rome, and also at ceremonies, processions, etc. This was granted by the pope to distinguished families.