Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History
The Investiture Controversy: When Popes and Emperors Battled for Italy
In the 11th century, a conflict erupted that would shape the political landscape of Italy and all of Europe for centuries: the Investiture Controversy. This episode dives into the clash between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, a struggle over who had the authority to appoint church officials—bishops and abbots who held immense power and land. The confrontation reached a dramatic peak at Canossa in 1077, where Henry IV stood barefoot in the snow for three days seeking papal forgiveness. But the drama didn't end there; it led to excommunications, rival popes (antipopes)…
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