Treaty of Venice facts for kids
The Treaty of Venice, signed in 1177, was an important peace treaty in Italy. It brought peace between Pope Alexander III and his allies, a group of northern Italian cities called the Lombard League. It also involved Frederick I, known as Frederick Barbarossa. The Kingdom of Sicily also took part in the talks. This treaty helped decide the future of all Italy for many years.
Contents
Why Was This Treaty Needed?
The treaty came after a big fight called the Battle of Legnano. This battle happened on May 29, 1176. Frederick Barbarossa lost the battle.
After his defeat, Frederick quickly sent people to Pope Alexander III. He wanted to end the disagreement between them. Frederick had supported his own "antipope," Callixtus III. An antipope is someone who claims to be Pope but is not officially recognized.
They reached an early agreement. Then, a big meeting was planned for July 1177.
The Big Meeting in Venice
On July 24, the Pope sent a group of cardinals from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice. They went to meet the emperor at the Lido. This is an island at the entrance to the Venetian Lagoon.
The emperor officially accepted Alexander as the true Pope. He gave up his own antipope. The cardinals then officially ended the excommunication that had been placed on Frederick. Excommunication meant he was kicked out of the Church.
Sebastian Ziani, who was the leader of Venice (called the doge), and Ulrich II von Treven, a church leader from Aquileia, then took the emperor into Venice. People from the king of Sicily were also there. One of them was Romuald, Archbishop of Salerno, who wrote down what he saw.
What Did the Treaty Change?
The treaty helped solve many problems. After the treaty, Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, who was Frederick's wife, was no longer called "Empress." This was because her crowning had been done by the antipope. So, it was no longer valid.
The treaty also said that if Frederick died and a young emperor took over, Beatrice would still have to follow the treaty. She would do this as the queen regent.
The treaty made a fifteen-year peace between Frederick and William II of Sicily. This led to a time of peace and success for Sicily. Also, a six-year break in fighting was agreed with the Lombard League. Talks continued, and Frederick finally agreed that the Lombard cities could be independent. This happened in the Peace of Constance in 1183.
See also
- List of treaties
Sources
- The treaty itself: text at Yale Law School and the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
- Norwich, John Julius. The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194. Longman: London, 1970.
