Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History
The Lombard League: How Italian City-States Defeated an Emperor
In 1176, at the Battle of Legnano, the infantry of the Lombard League shattered the cavalry of Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor who had tried to crush the autonomy of northern Italy's communes. This episode follows the birth of the Lombard League, a military alliance of cities like Milan, Cremona, and Bergamo, united by the rebuilt city of Alessandria (named for Pope Alexander III). We explore how the League's carroccio, a sacred ox-drawn war wagon, became a symbol of resistance, and how the Peace of Constance (1183) granted the communes de facto independence, paving the…
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