Essere di Genova significa desiderare che vinca il Genoa.
E ‘nt’a barca du vin ghe naveghiemu ‘nsc’i scheuggi, emigranti du rie cu’i cioi nt’i euggi.
St George’s Cross – Alleged Genoan origin
Despite the fact that the King of France had recognised the St George’s Cross as an English symbol, some historians believe that the St George’s Cross was adopted from the flag of Genoa, where origins date back to 1096, and was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean and in part on the Black sea, to benefit from the protection of the Genoese fleet. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege.
The Duke of Kent supports this theory:
- “The St. George’s flag, a red cross on a white field, was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Geonoese fleet. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege.”[citation needed]
At the beginning of the Crusades, a red cross on white was already associated with England because this was St George’s cross, the emblem associated with England’s patron saint. Although the Pope decided English crusaders would be distinguished by wearing a white cross on red, and French crusaders a red cross on white (Italian knights were allocated a yellow cross on a white background),[2] English knights soon decided to claim “their” cross of red on white, like the French. In January 1188, in a meeting between Henry II of England and Philip II of France, the two rivals agreed to exchange flags (France later changed its new white cross on red for a white cross on a dark blue flag).[3] Some French knights carried on using the red cross however, and as English knights wore this pattern as well, the red cross on white became the typical crusader symbol regardless of nationality. Since the King of France, Philip II, had already accepted that the red cross on white was an English symbol two years prior to 1190,[1] this shows that the duty was paid to the city ‘of Genoa to definitively adopt the symbol and simultaneously provide protection from pirate attacks.