[3] Bembo was instrumental in the development of the Tuscan language as a literary medium and was honoured with the representation of Pegasus due to its symbolism and ties with creation.

[3] The usage of the Pegasus was favoured by the Tuscan Regional Council over a depiction of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, as this was considered unsuitable to be reproduced simply.

It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian trade for a century, before being surpassed and superseded by the Republic of Genoa.

It also appears on Italian coats of arms and nautical insignia, along with the emblems of the other great maritime republics of Venice, Genoa and Amalfi.

During its existence, it gradually expanded throughout southern Tuscany becoming one of the major economic powers of the Middle Ages, and one of the most important commercial, financial and artistic centers in Europe.

Francis Stephen of Lorraine, a cognatic descendant of the Medici, succeeded the family and ascended the throne of his Medicean ancestors.

His descendants ruled, and resided in, the grand duchy until its end in 1859, barring one interruption, when Napoleon Bonaparte gave Tuscany to the House of Bourbon-Parma (Kingdom of Etruria, 1801–7).

The state flag and the Medici banner, adopted in a stable form for the institutions of the Grand Duchy, survived until the accession of the throne to the House of Lorraine.

The official flag raised by the galleys was red with yellow borders with the Cross of the Order in the center in a white circle.

The correct drawing is most likely the one shown here, taken from the Dutch manuscript reissued by K. Sierksma of the Flags of the World 1669-1670, with the Stefan cross surrounded by all the Medici balls.

Austrian flag adorned with the coat of arms introduced in 1765 with the accession to the throne of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo.

On the insignia reserved for large-tonnage merchant ships, it was limited to a coat of arms in the crown with the cross of Saint Stephen.

[17] Flag of general use, introduced on 17 April 1848 with the constitutional amendment issued a few weeks earlier by Leopold II.

[17] The state and military flag of the Napoleonic kingdom, probably adopted in 1803 (certified on 1 January 1804) and survived until its incorporation into France on 10 December 1807.

However, flags with very simplified versions of the coat of arms were also used, with only the shield of France and the Medici attached to the cross of St. Stephen, with or without a crown.

The state of Massa and Carrara was established in 1473, freeing itself from the protection of Florence, and was ruled by the Marquesas Malaspina, then Cybo-Malaspina (1519), dukes from 1605.

In the French period (1796-1814), the principality was attached to various Napoleonic states (Cispadana, Cisalpina, the Kingdom of Italy and Etruria, and the Duchy of Lucca), and then to France.

The naval flag that came into force in 1790 with the accession of Maria Beatrice Cybo-Malaspina Este to the throne and survived, excluding the Napoleonic period, until her death on 14 November 1829, which coincided with the end of the duchy.

The princely and state flag, adopted in 1701 when the two branches of the ruling family merged and survived until the French occupation in 1801.

When entering the Jacobin army, the government used a flag with an additional green stripe, imitating the Italian tricolor.

The nautical flag announced on 20 June 1803 (the white and red bicolour remained on land) and replaced in the summer of 1805 after the republic was transformed into a principality.

The royal and state flag introduced on 7 November 1818 by Regent Maria Luisa de Borbon-Parma, to whom Lucca was assigned after a series of provisional governments and replaced in 1824 after her death (13 March).

In theory, it was lowered on 4 October 1847, when the principality passed to Tuscany, it was in fact used in the ports of Lucca until the unification of Italy.

The ducal and state flag introduced in 1824 by Duke Charles and lasted until the principality's anection to Tuscany on 4 October 1847.

[22][23] Flag of general use adopted on 8 August 1805, with the establishment of the Principality of Lucca and Piombino for Elisa, sister of Napoleon.

On 3 March of the same year, the principality was actually united with Tuscany, already incorporated into the empire, which returned, only formally, to being a grand duchy with Eliza becoming sovereign.

The United Provinces of Central Italy existed in the former Grand Duchy of Tuscany during the period between the abdication of Leopold II and the annexation of the country by Kingdom of Sardinia.

Provisional Government adopted the tricolor with the coat of arms of the House of Savoy and a small silver lion in the canton.

[25][26] The usage of the colours red and white to represent the Tuscan region can be dated back to at least the year 969 and the reign of Hugh, Margrave of Tuscany.

For example, the flags and coats of arms of Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia, Elba, and Grosseto all heavily feature the colours red and white.