Flags That Have Flown Over Georgia: The History of the Georgia State Flag

Spanish Cross of Burgundy Flag, c. 1520-1785

In addition to the royal banner, Spain had many other flags, including this one first adopted in the 1520s. There were many versions of this flag, but in its most simple form it consisted of a red saltire (diagonal cross) on a field of white. Actually, the design was supposed to represent two crossed branches, the extensions on either side representing bases of limbs which have been cut off.

The saltire design, known as the Cross of Burgundy, was a symbol of Philip I, Duke of Burgundy and father of Charles I, who became Spain's king in 1516. Variants of the Burgundy cross flag- including some versions with smooth-edged saltires- became widely used by the Spanish military on both land and sea. This is the principal flag that flew over Spain's colonial empire in the New World until 1785.

Possibly, Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón brought this flag to Georgia in 1526 when he arrived with 600 Spanish colonists to found the ill-fated settlement of San Miguel de Gualdape. Given the number of Spanish missions, garrisons, and settlements that would follow, this flag almost certainly was used in Georgia.