Republic of Venice, 1473
In 1473 the monarchs of the Kingdom of Cyprus had lost almost all independence. The Republic of Venice, a powerful sovereign and maritime republic, founded in 697 CE, took control. It formally annexed Cyprus in 1489 and, because of the growing might of the Ottoman Empire, fortified the cities. The flag of the Most Serene Republic of Venice displayed a winged lion, the symbol of the Evangelist Mark, with a paw on a book with the Latin inscription “Peace be with you, Mark, my Evangelist”. The flag had six tails, representing the six sestieri (“sixths”, the districts of old Venice) and could display various other symbols.