Gonfalon of Saint Bernardino

Benedetto Bonfigli's Gonfalon of Saint Bernardino, painted around 1465 for the National Gallery of Umbria, is a processional banner depicting the popular Sienese saint who was widely venerated in Perugia and across central Italy. Bonfigli, the leading painter of Perugia before Perugino, was particularly skilled at creating these large-scale banners that were carried through the streets during religious processions, plague times, and civic celebrations.

The banner format requires bold, clearly legible imagery visible from a distance, and Bonfigli's bright coloring and strongly defined figures are well suited to the processional context.