a flag hanging from a crosspiece instead of an upright staff, usually ending in streamers; esp., such a standard of any of the medieval republics of Italy
See gonfalon in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(gŏnˈfə-lŏnˌ, -lən)
noun
A banner suspended from a crosspiece, especially as a standard in an ecclesiastical procession or as the ensign of a medieval Italian republic.