<P> In heraldry, the Saint George's Cross, also called Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader . </P> <P> Associated with the crusades, the red - on - white cross has its origins in the 12th century . It may have been used as the ensign of the Republic of Genoa as early as during the 13th century . The symbol has since been adopted by the Swabian League in the pre-Reformation Holy Roman Empire, and it is used extensively across Northern Italy and is the symbol of Bologna, Padua, Genoa, Reggio Emilia, Mantua, Vercelli, Alessandria, and most notably of Milan, where it is often called the "Cross of Saint Ambrose". </P>

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