TheLombard League (Latin:Societas Lombardiae;Italian:Lega Lombarda) was an alliance of cities formed in 1167,[1] and supported by thepopes, to counter the attempts by theHohenstaufenHoly Roman emperors to establish direct royal administrative control over the cities of theKingdom of Italy (which was part of theHoly Roman Empire) after many decades of de facto local self-governance.
At its apex, it included most of the cities ofNorthern Italy, but its membership changed with time. With the death of the third and last Hohenstaufen emperor,Frederick II, in 1250, it became obsolete and was disbanded.
Although having mainly a military purpose, the Lombard League also had its own stable government (Rectores Lombardiae, i.e. Regents of Lombardy), because of which it can be considered as one of the first examples ofconfederation in Europe.[2]
The association succeeded theVeronese League, established in 1164 byVerona,Padua,Vicenza, and theRepublic of Venice, after EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa had claimed direct Imperial control over Italy at the 1158Diet of Roncaglia and began to replace thepodestà magistrates by his own commissioners. It was backed byPope Alexander III (the town ofAlessandria was named in his honour), who also wished to see Frederick's power in Italy decline.[3]
Formed according to tradition following theoath of Pontida on 7 April 1167,[4] the Lombard League included—besideVerona,Padua,Vicenza andVenice—cities likeCrema,Cremona,Mantua,Piacenza,Bergamo,Brescia,Genoa,Bologna,Milan,Modena,Reggio Emilia,Treviso,Vercelli,Lodi,Parma,Ferrara and even some lords, such as the Marquis Malaspina andEzzelino da Romano.
Though not a declaredseparatist movement, the League openly challenged the emperor's claim to power (Honor Imperii).Frederick I strove against the cities, especially Milan, which already had been occupied and devastated in 1162. He nevertheless was no longer able to play off the cities against each other.
At theBattle of Legnano on 29 May 1176, the emperor's army finally was defeated. TheTreaty of Venice, which took place in 1177, established a six-year truce from August 1178 to 1183, when in thePeace of Constance a compromise was found where after the Italian cities agreed to remain loyal to the Holy Roman Empire but retained local jurisdiction anddroit de régale over their territories. Among the League's members, Milan, now favoured by the emperor, began to take a special position, which sparked conflicts mainly with the citizens of Cremona.
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The Lombard League was renewed several times and upon the death of Frederick I's sonHenry VI in 1197 once again gained prestige, while Henry's minor son,Frederick II, elected king, had to fight for the throne against hisWelf rivalOtto IV. In 1226 Frederick, sole king since 1218 and emperor since 1220, aimed to convene theprinces of the Holy Roman Empire in Italy in order to prepare theSixth Crusade.
The efforts of Emperor Frederick II to gain greater power in Italy were aborted by the cities, which earned the League anImperial ban. The emperor's measures included the taking of Vicenza and his victory in the 1237Battle of Cortenuova which established the reputation of the emperor as a skillful strategist.[3] Nevertheless, 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 withstood his attacks, and in October 1238 he had to unsuccessfully raise the siege of Brescia.
The Lombard League once again receiving papal support byGregory IX, whoexcommunicated Frederick II in 1239,[5] and effectively countered the emperor's efforts. During the 1248Siege of Parma, the Imperial camp was assaulted and taken, and in the ensuing battle the Imperial side was routed. Frederick II 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 when Frederick II died. Under his later successors the Empire exerted much less influence on Italian politics.
In addition of being a military alliance, the Lombard League was one of the first examples of confederal system in the world ofcommunes. Indeed, the League had a distinct council of its members, calledUniversitas, consisting of representatives appointed by individual municipalities, and voted by majority in various fields (such as the admission of new members, war and peace with the Emperor), powers that grew more and more with the years. TheUniversitas obtained regulatory, tax and judicial power, a system comparable to that of a present-day republic.[6]
In the first period of the League the communes had little to do with confederal affairs, and the members of theUniversitas were independent. In the second period, the municipalities gained some influence, but as a counterweight, members were more involved in the municipal council policy. In addition, the League abolished the duties with the creation of a customs union.[6]
