kids encyclopedia robot

Lombard League facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Member Cities of the Lombard Leagues
Map showing cities that were part of the Lombard League.

The Lombard League (called Liga Lombarda in Lombard and Lega Lombarda in Italian) was a group of cities in Northern Italy. They formed an alliance in 1167. This group had the support of the pope. Their main goal was to stop the Holy Roman emperors from having too much power in Italy. The emperors were from the Hohenstaufen family. They wanted to control the Kingdom of Italy, which was part of their Holy Roman Empire.

At its strongest, the League included most cities in Northern Italy. But the cities that were part of it changed over time. The League became less important after the last Hohenstaufen emperor, Frederick II, died in 1250. After his death, the alliance ended.

Even though the Lombard League was mostly a military group, it also had its own stable government. Many people see it as one of the first examples of a confederation in Europe. A confederation is like a group of states or cities that work together.

History of the Lombard League

BattagliaLegnano
A painting showing the defence of the Carroccio during the Battle of Legnano. This was painted by Amos Cassioli.

The Lombard League grew out of an earlier group called the Veronese League. This first league was formed in 1164. It included the cities of Verona, Padua, Vicenza, and the Republic of Venice. They formed this group because Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa wanted more control over Italy. In 1158, at a meeting called the Diet of Roncaglia, he said he would directly rule Italy. He started replacing local leaders with his own officials.

The Lombard League was strongly supported by Pope Alexander III. He also wanted to see Frederick's power in Italy become weaker. The city of Alessandria was even named in the Pope's honor.

Forming the League

The Lombard League was officially formed on April 7, 1167. This happened after a special promise, known as the oath of Pontida. Besides Verona, Padua, Vicenza, and Venice, many other cities joined. These included Crema, Cremona, Mantua, Piacenza, Bergamo, Brescia, and Milan. Other important cities like Genoa, Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Treviso, Vercelli, Lodi, Parma, and Ferrara also joined. Even some powerful lords, like the Marquis Malaspina, became members.

The League did not openly say they wanted to break away from the Empire. But they clearly challenged the emperor's claim to power. Emperor Frederick I fought against these cities. He had already attacked and destroyed Milan in 1162. However, he could no longer make the cities fight against each other.

Victory at Legnano

A major battle happened at Legnano on May 29, 1176. The emperor's army was finally defeated by the League. After this big loss, a peace agreement was made. This was called the Treaty of Venice in 1177. It set up a six-year break from fighting, from 1178 to 1183.

In 1183, a final agreement was reached in the Peace of Constance. Here, a compromise was found. The Italian cities agreed to stay loyal to the Holy Roman Empire. But they got to keep their local laws and control over their own lands. Among the League's members, Milan became very important. The emperor even favored Milan. This caused new problems, especially with the citizens of Cremona.

  • Bassorilievo di Porta Romana (1171 ca.).

    A Lombard soldier returning to Milan in 1167. Milan had been destroyed by Emperor Frederick I in 1162. This image is from a stone carving in Milan.

  • Bassorilievo di Porta Romana (1171 ca.).II

    Lombard soldiers shown on a stone carving from Porta Romana in 1171.

  • Kaiserbrunnen Konstanz 5638

    A bronze copy of the Peace of Constance in Konstanz. It shows the cities of the Lombard League in 1183.

Later Conflicts and Dissolution

The Lombard League was renewed many times. After Frederick I's son, Henry VI, died in 1197, the League became strong again. Henry's young son, Frederick II, became king. But he had to fight for the throne against his rival, Otto IV.

By 1226, Frederick II was the only king and had been emperor since 1220. He wanted to gather the princes of the Holy Roman Empire in Italy. His plan was to prepare for a big religious war called the Sixth Crusade.

However, the cities of the Lombard League stopped Emperor Frederick II's plans to gain more power in Italy. Because of this, the emperor declared the League was outlawed. Frederick attacked the cities. He captured Vicenza and won a battle in 1237 at Battle of Cortenuova. This victory made him famous as a skilled military leader.

But Frederick made a mistake. He thought he was stronger than he was. He refused all peace offers from Milan. He demanded that the cities surrender completely. This was a very important moment in history. Frederick's anger clouded his judgment. It stopped any chance of a peaceful solution. Milan and five other cities fought back. In October 1238, he tried to capture Brescia but failed.

  • Cortenuova1237

    A medieval drawing showing the Battle of Cortenuova in 1237.

  • Federico II Parma

    A medieval drawing showing the Battle of Parma in 1248.

  • Nouva Cronica Enzo von Sardinien

    A medieval drawing showing the Battle of Fossalta in 1249.

The Lombard League once again received support from Pope Gregory IX. The Pope even removed Frederick II from the church in 1239. This helped the League fight against the emperor. During the Siege of Parma in 1248, the emperor's camp was attacked and captured. In the battle that followed, the emperor's army was completely defeated. Frederick II lost his royal treasures. With them, he lost all hope of winning his fight against the rebellious cities and the Pope.

The Lombard League ended in 1250 when Frederick II died. After him, later emperors had much less power over Italian politics.

How the League Was Governed

Besides being a military alliance, the Lombard League was one of the first examples of a confederal system. This means it was a group of independent cities working together. The League had its own special council called the Universitas. This council was made up of representatives from each city. They voted on important matters by majority rule. These matters included letting new cities join, and deciding on war or peace with the Emperor.

Over the years, the Universitas's powers grew. It gained the power to make rules, collect taxes, and handle legal matters. This system was similar to how a republic works today.

In the early days of the League, the cities themselves had little to do with the League's overall decisions. The members of the Universitas were quite independent. Later, the cities gained more influence. But in return, the members of the Universitas became more involved in their city's own government. The League also got rid of customs fees between its members. This created a kind of customs union, making trade easier.

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Lombard League Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.