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The Lombard League was an alliance formed around 1167, which at its apex included most of the cities of northern Italy
Northern Italy

Northern Italy comprises two areas belonging to Italian NUTS level 1 regions:*North-West : Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria;*North-East : Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/S?dtirol, Emilia-Romagna....
 (although its membership changed in time), including, among others, Milan
Milan

Milan is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It is the capital in the Province of Milan, as well as the Regions of Italy capital of Lombardy....
, Piacenza
Piacenza

Piacenza is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza....
, Cremona
Cremona

Cremona is a city in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left shore of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments....
, Mantua
Mantua

Mantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the Province of Mantua of the same name.Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes created during the 12th century....
, Crema
Crema, Italy

Crema is a town in the province of Cremona, in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is built along the river Serio River at 43 km from Cremona....
, Bergamo
Bergamo

Bergamo is a town in Lombardy, Italy, about 40km northeast of Milan. The commune is home to circa 117,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent Milan....
, Brescia
Brescia

Brescia is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 190,000....
, Bologna
Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Po Valley , between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, exactly between the Reno River and the S?vena River....
, Padua
Padua

Padua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 ....
, Treviso
Treviso

Treviso is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of Treviso province and the municipality has 81,627 inhabitants : some 3.000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city hinterland has a population of approximately 170,000....
, Vicenza
Vicenza

Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province of Vicenza in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione....
, Venice
Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
, Verona
Verona

Verona is a city in Veneto, northern Italy, one of the seven provincial capitals in the region. It is one of the main tourist destinations in north-eastern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans....
, Lodi
Lodi, Italy

Lodi is a town in Lombardy, Italy, on the right bank of the Adda River. It is the capital of the province of Lodi....
, and Parma
Parma

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its architecture and the fine countryside around it. It is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, and even some lords, such as the Marquis Malaspina and Ezzelino da Romano
Ezzelino da Romano

Ezzelino da Romano was the name of various seignors of fiefs and cities in northern Italy starting from the 12th century AD.*The family was founded by Ecelo , who received the fiefs of Romano, including Romano d'Ezzelino and Onara, near Cittadella, Veneto...
. The League was formed to counter the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
's Frederick I
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt am Main on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155....
, who was attempting to assert Imperial influence over Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
. Frederick claimed direct Imperial control over Italy at the Diet of Roncaglia
Diet of Roncaglia

The Diet of Roncaglia was held in 1158 near Piacenza as a general assembly of the nobles and ecclesiasts of the Holy Roman Empire and representatives of each of the fourteen Lombard League cities....
 (1158).






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The Lombard League was an alliance formed around 1167, which at its apex included most of the cities of northern Italy
Northern Italy

Northern Italy comprises two areas belonging to Italian NUTS level 1 regions:*North-West : Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria;*North-East : Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/S?dtirol, Emilia-Romagna....
 (although its membership changed in time), including, among others, Milan
Milan

Milan is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It is the capital in the Province of Milan, as well as the Regions of Italy capital of Lombardy....
, Piacenza
Piacenza

Piacenza is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza....
, Cremona
Cremona

Cremona is a city in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left shore of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments....
, Mantua
Mantua

Mantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the Province of Mantua of the same name.Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes created during the 12th century....
, Crema
Crema, Italy

Crema is a town in the province of Cremona, in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is built along the river Serio River at 43 km from Cremona....
, Bergamo
Bergamo

Bergamo is a town in Lombardy, Italy, about 40km northeast of Milan. The commune is home to circa 117,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent Milan....
, Brescia
Brescia

Brescia is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 190,000....
, Bologna
Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Po Valley , between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, exactly between the Reno River and the S?vena River....
, Padua
Padua

Padua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 ....
, Treviso
Treviso

Treviso is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of Treviso province and the municipality has 81,627 inhabitants : some 3.000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city hinterland has a population of approximately 170,000....
, Vicenza
Vicenza

Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province of Vicenza in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione....
, Venice
Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
, Verona
Verona

Verona is a city in Veneto, northern Italy, one of the seven provincial capitals in the region. It is one of the main tourist destinations in north-eastern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans....
, Lodi
Lodi, Italy

Lodi is a town in Lombardy, Italy, on the right bank of the Adda River. It is the capital of the province of Lodi....
, and Parma
Parma

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its architecture and the fine countryside around it. It is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, and even some lords, such as the Marquis Malaspina and Ezzelino da Romano
Ezzelino da Romano

Ezzelino da Romano was the name of various seignors of fiefs and cities in northern Italy starting from the 12th century AD.*The family was founded by Ecelo , who received the fiefs of Romano, including Romano d'Ezzelino and Onara, near Cittadella, Veneto...
. The League was formed to counter the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
's Frederick I
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt am Main on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155....
, who was attempting to assert Imperial influence over Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
. Frederick claimed direct Imperial control over Italy at the Diet of Roncaglia
Diet of Roncaglia

The Diet of Roncaglia was held in 1158 near Piacenza as a general assembly of the nobles and ecclesiasts of the Holy Roman Empire and representatives of each of the fourteen Lombard League cities....
 (1158). The League had the support of Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181....
, who also wished to see Imperial power in Italy decline. At the Battle of Legnano
Battle of Legnano

The Battle of Legnano was fought on May 29 1176, between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, led by emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the Lombard League....
 on May 29, 1176, Frederick I was defeated and, by the Peace of Venice, which took place in 1177, agreed to a six-year truce from August,1178 to 1183, until the Second Treaty of Constance, where the Italian cities agreed to remain loyal to the Empire but retained local jurisdiction over their territories.

The Lombard League was renewed several times and after 1226 regained its former prestige by countering the efforts of Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick II , of the House of Hohenstaufen dynasty, was an Kingdom of Italy pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215....
 to gain greater power in Italy. These efforts included the taking of Vicenza
Vicenza

Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province of Vicenza in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione....
 and the Battle of Cortenuova
Battle of Cortenuova

The Battle of Cortenuova was fought on 27 November, 1237, when Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor defeated the Lombard League....
 which established the reputation of the Emperor as a skillful strategist. He misjudged his strength, rejecting all Milanese peace overtures and insisting on unconditional surrender. It was a moment of grave historic importance when Frederick's hatred coloured his judgment and blocked all possibilities of a peaceful settlement. Milan and five other cities held out, and in October 1238 he had to unsuccessfully raise the siege of Brescia
Brescia

Brescia is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 190,000....
. Once again receiving papal
Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
 support, the Lombard League effectively countered Frederick's efforts. During the 1249 siege of Parma
Parma

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its architecture and the fine countryside around it. It is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, the Imperial camp was assaulted and taken, and in the ensuing Battle of Parma the Imperial side was routed. Frederick lost the Imperial treasure and with it any hope of maintaining the impetus of his struggle against the rebellious communes and against the pope. The League was dissolved in 1250 once Frederick died.

Sources


"Lombard League." Encyclopędia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopędia Britannica Online. 6 Apr. 2008 .

G. Fasoli,"La Lega Lombarda --Antecedenti,formazione, struttura," Problema des 12.Jahrhunderts, Vortraege und Forchungegen, 12 ,1965-67)143-160.

Text for the Peace of Venice, online, Avalon Project, Yale Law School,