House of Visconti
Between 1395 and 1447, the Duchy of Milan used the arms of the ruling House of Visconti, the "biscione", a great serpent shown devouring a Saracen. This standard greatly replaced the Cross of Saint Ambrose in Milan. In 1397 the Duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, was granted the usage of the imperial eagle by Emperor Wenceslaw. The flag of the Duchy of Milan then became the arms of House Visconti quarted with the imperial eagle of the Holy Roman Empire.